Cold Pressed Oil vs Refined Oil: The Truth About What You’re Cooking With Every Day

Most Indian households have been cooking with refined oil for decades. The bottles are bright, the labels say “heart healthy,” and the oil never seems to go bad. But here’s the question no one in the oil industry wants you to ask: how is that oil actually made?

The answer changes what you’ll put in your pan tonight.

How Refined Oil Is Made (The Part They Skip on the Label)

Refined oil goes through a multi-step industrial process:

1. Extraction — Seeds are crushed using high heat (150–200°C) or chemical solvents like hexane to extract maximum oil
2. Degumming — Phosphoric acid is used to remove natural gums
3. Neutralization — Sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) removes free fatty acids
4. Bleaching — Clay or charcoal removes pigments and remaining impurities
5. Deodorization — Steam at 240–270°C strips the oil of its natural smell

What you’re left with is a clear, odourless, shelf-stable oil — but one that has lost most of its natural vitamins, antioxidants, and fatty acid profile in the process.

How Cold Pressed Oil Is Made

Cold pressed oil is exactly what it sounds like. Seeds or nuts are pressed mechanically at low temperatures (below 60°C) — no chemicals, no high heat. The oil retains its natural colour, aroma, and nutrients.

Traditional wood pressing (chekku / ghani) takes this further — slow stone presses that generate almost no friction heat. This is why Theerthaa’s cold pressed oils smell exactly like the seed they came from.

Cold Pressed vs Refined: Side by Side

Which Cold Pressed Oil for What?

Cold Pressed Groundnut Oil

The workhorse of South Indian cooking. High in monounsaturated fats, naturally stable, and safe for everyday frying and sautéing. If you’re making one switch this month, make it this one.

Cold Pressed Sesame Oil (Gingelly / Til Oil)

Rich in sesamin and sesamolin — natural antioxidants that protect the oil even without refrigeration. Ideal for South Indian tempering, rice, and traditional tonics. Also excellent for hair and skin massage.

Cold Pressed Coconut Oil

High in medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs). Best for low-to-medium heat cooking, Kerala-style curries, hair oiling, and oil pulling. Do not use for high-heat deep frying.

Cold Pressed Flaxseed Oil

Highest plant-based Omega-3 content of any common oil. Should not be heated — use it as a salad drizzle, add it to smoothies, or mix into chutneys cold. Best consumed within 3 months of opening.

The Smoke Point Myth

Many people avoid cold pressed oils because “they have a lower smoke point.” This concern is valid for deep frying but overstated for everyday cooking. The reality: most Indian home cooking happens between 160–180°C, which is comfortably within the range of cold pressed groundnut and sesame oils.

Where you do need to be careful is extended deep frying (e.g. batch frying for a party). For that, cold pressed groundnut oil is your best option among natural oils.

The Real Cost Calculation

Cold pressed oil costs more per litre. But here’s the fuller picture: you use less of it (stronger flavour means smaller quantities), it doesn’t need fortification with synthetic vitamins, and the long-term cost of cooking with chemically processed oils is not priced into that cheap bottle.

Your food is cooked in oil every single day. If there’s one thing worth spending a little more on, it’s this.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use cold pressed oil for deep frying?

Cold pressed groundnut oil and sesame oil can handle moderate deep frying. Avoid cold pressed coconut and flaxseed oils for high-heat frying.

Does cold pressed oil go bad faster?

Yes — typically 3–6 months vs 12–24 for refined. Store in a cool, dark place and use within the window. The shorter shelf life is actually proof that it hasn’t been deodorized and bleached.

Is wood pressed the same as cold pressed?

Wood pressed (chekku) is a type of cold pressing — arguably better because the slow stone grinding generates even less heat than modern mechanical presses.

Which cold pressed oil is best for everyday cooking?

For South Indian cooking, cold pressed groundnut oil and sesame oil are the most versatile. Coconut oil works well for specific cuisines and lower-heat cooking.