Last Updated on July 9, 2023
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Oil is an essential part of our family’s pantry. While we sometimes use oil for dressings — extra virgin olive oil is one option there — we more often use oil for cooking, such as when we saute vegetables in the skillet. The most straightforward, and cheapest, option in cooking instances is vegetable oil, which Aldi sells under its Carlini label.
For those who want to experiment, Aldi also sells a few alternatives. One of them is avocado oil.
Simply Nature Avocado Oil is a Regular Buy, which means you can find it in stores all the time. The bottle boasts that it is certified non-GMO. The oil, the label says, is a product of the USA, Mexico, or Spain.
Aldi’s avocado oil costs $6.99 for 17 ounces, or 41 cents an ounce. That’s about 10 times as expensive as Carlini Vegetable Oil and more than twice the cost of Carlini Olive Oil. It’s also currently more per ounce than Walmart’s Great Value Avocado Oil, which is 29 cents an ounce, although that oil isn’t marketed as non-GMO. Still, Aldi’s oil is cheaper than most other avocado oils I found online.
There are multiple kinds of avocado oil, depending on how it is pressed and whether or not it is refined. This avacado oil is cold-pressed, meaning it is pressed mechanically rather than other methods such as heat and chemicals. The bottle does not indicate whether it is refined or not.
The smoke point issue deserves particular attention. Smoke point is a measure of how much heat an oil can take; the higher the smoke point, the better it is for things like sauteing and grilling. An oil that is smoking not only can change flavor, but it can also break down in a way that is less healthy for the body. For that reason, a high smoke point is useful if you plan to heat the oil high, such as in a skillet, wok, or fryer.
This avocado oil most likely has a smoke point between 480 and 520 degrees. For comparison, our Carlini Vegetable Oil is made from soybean oil, which as a smoke point of 450 degrees, while peanut oil is also 450 and refined olive oil is 465. In short, this cold-pressed avocado oil would seem to be a good option for higher heat applications.
Because avocado oil is generally more expensive, the question is: how healthy is it? There is evidence that avocado oil has several health benefits, although some of those benefits are in common with some other oils, depending on the function. In addition, some people also swear by avocado oil for skin care, although I haven’t tried that.
Avocado oil nutrition information. (Click to enlarge.)
Beyond that, avocado oil has a total of 12 grams of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat, which are the “good” fats, and 2 grams of saturated fat, which is the “bad” fat. This is a similar ratio to what I found in both our vegetable (soybean) oil and olive oil. To be fair, avocado oil may have additional health benefits as mentioned before, but from a simple fat standpoint they’re similar.
One other note: the avocado oil has a pretty neutral flavor, at least to me. So if you’re looking for something that won’t interfere too much with the food you’re making it with, this is a good choice.
The Verdict:
If you’re in the market for avocado oil, Aldi carries it. It’s expensive compared to other oils, but is also a good high heat oil. If you need avocado oil and you’re a regular Aldi shopper, this isn’t a bad option.
Avocado oil has a higher smoke point than olive oil. Both are a good addition to a healthy lifestyle.
Came here to say the same. That avocado oil smoke point he claims is so off.
Here’s what I came up with when I researched this piece. I’m not a professional chef, so if someone has better info, I’m more than happy to edit the post, since I want to make sure it’s right.
First off, my understanding is that cold-pressed is the same as unrefined. (Sources: https://www.aocs.org/stay-informed/inform-magazine/featured-articles/what-is-unrefined-extra-virgin-cold-pressed-avocado-oil-april-2010 / https://www.laurelfoods.com/blog-1/2019/5/8/what-do-cold-pressed-and-unrefined-really-mean)
Second, unrefined oil has a naturally lower smoke point than refined. Refined avocado oil has a smoke point of 520 degrees. Unrefined avocado oil, however, has a smoke point of 375 degrees. (Sources: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/cooking-oils-and-smoke-points-what-to-know-and-how-to-choose#chart-of-oil-smoke-points / https://www.verywellfit.com/smoke-points-of-cooking-oils-4781972 / https://chosenfoods.com/blogs/central/avocado-oil-as-a-high-heat-cooking-oil)
If I’m wrong about either of those, I’d be interested to hear it.
Your confused on the terminology. Cold pressed means that the oil was extracted using a mechanical press and was not heated during the process. Cold pressed does not mean refined or unrefined. Most all oil will be refined unless it says virgin on the bottle. Virgin has the lower smoke point and would not be suitable for high heat.
The oil featured in the article is organic which means very little pesticides. Non GMO which means no genetically modified ingredients. Cold pressed which means no nasty chemicals were used to extract the oil. Because the bottle does not say virgin it is refined and has a high smoke point.
Sorry, the item featured is not labeled as organic so pesticide must be assumed to have been used. Probably because the Avacados are being sourced from different countries (a bad sign). This oil is ok but not ideal for health.
If you can help it you want organic, cold pressed, non GMO, single country sourced oils. They are more expensive and can be hard to find but sadly you can’t reap all the health benefits otherwise.
I dug into the subject and reworked the post accordingly.
Every single time we bought any oil from Aldi it smells like fish, WTH is that about?
Our family shops at the Aldi in Noblesville IN.