Grapeseed Oil Vs. Olive Oil

These days both grapeseed oil and olive oil are widely used in the kitchens all across United States of America, although grapeseed oil is the latest entrant. It has been used in the European kitchens for over a century. Both olive oil and grapeseed oil nutritionally are considered as 'good' oil, as they are high in unsaturated fat, low in saturated fat and are cholesterol free. If you wonder about the nutritional value of both of them, it is the same. When we hear nutritionally they are same, the obvious question that arises is, should we use grapeseed oil or olive oil. We will consider some points in the grapeseed oil vs. olive oil debate, after which we will be able to decide.

Difference Between Olive Oil and Grapeseed Oil

To assess grapeseed oil vs. olive oil debate we will take the help of certain factors. The factors are production of both the oils, nutritional value, taste, smoke points and versatility. Let's start with the debate and find out what comes out of it.

Production
Grapeseed oil is a vegetable oil that is pressed from the seeds of various varieties of grapes and seeds of grapes, which is an abundant by-product of wine-making. The supporters of grapeseed oil always talk about the oil being environmentally friendly, because it eliminates the waste of a byproduct of wine-making. On the other hand, olive oil is made by pressing olives. The method implemented to extract the oil are various. The first extract derived from pressing olives oil is known as extra virgin oil and this is an unrefined oil. The olive oil we often use is a combination of refined and extra virgin olive oil.

Nutritional Value
If you want to base your argument on the basis of the nutritional value, then you may be disheartened as both olive oil and grape are identical in terms of nutritional content. One tablespoon of both olive oil and grapeseed oil contains 120 calories, 1.8 grams of saturated fat and 9.7 grams of unsaturated fat. Both of them are cholesterol-free, hence make for a relatively heart healthy oils. Both grapeseed oil and olive oil contain Vitamin E known for its antioxidant properties, but grapeseed oil contains more Vitamin E as compared to olive oil. Grapeseed oil contains 3.8 mg Vitamin E per tablespoon and olive oil contains 1.9 mg per tablespoon.

Taste
The aroma and flavor of grapeseed oil and olive oil is distinctly different than the other. Hence, this is often a point to consider, while choosing the oil. Grapeseed oil has a mild grape taste and scent, but is often neutral in taste, which simply means, it is appropriate for cooking foods, that have delicate flavors, which can be masked by stronger tasting oil. It is therefore used for baking or in any other recipe, which demands neutral oil. Olive oil on the other hand often has fruity taste and does have a slight hint of olives in it. It is the extra virgin oil, that is most flavorsome, while regular olive oil is the milder version. Sometimes it is also dependent on the brans. Olive oil goes well with the Mediterranean cuisine, but often has the tendency to overpower milder flavors. At the same time, it is also a personal choice to use either of the two oils.

Smoke Point
This is a very important point in the grapeseed oil vs. olive oil debate. Smoke point of oil is the temperature at which the oil begins to emit off smoke. An important point always to be remembered while cooking, is that cooking oils should not be heated beyond their smoke points, else the flavor deteriorates and the oil cannot be reused at the same time, it can also prove to be dangerous. If you want to use oil for sautéing or deep frying, then this becomes a very important point. Olive oil has a relatively low smoke point at 320 degrees Fahrenheit and the smoke point of grapeseed oil is 420 degrees Fahrenheit. Hence, grapeseed oil can safely be used for deep frying or sautéing at high heat.

Versatility
Grapeseed oil is preferable for cooking in any form, including salad dressings to deep frying. Since it is neutral in flavor, it is more versatile. However, the distinct taste of olive oil limits its compatibility of olive oil with other foods, as it often overpower the milder flavors.

After reading about grapeseed oil vs. olive oil debate, I have come to realize that grape seed oil has certain benefits over olive oil, but that does not mean olive oil is any less. You will have to decide, for what are you going to use the oil, depending on it, you can choose the oil.