You Cook Every Day. Is Your Oil Working Against You?
Every meal starts with oil. It coats every ingredient and is absorbed into everything your family eats. That one bottle you buy each month affects the vitamins your body absorbs and, over years, your heart.
Cold Pressed Oil: How It's Made
Cold pressed oil, also called chekku oil, kachi ghani oil or wood pressed oil, is extracted by physically pressing seeds in a wooden or stone mill at low temperature. No chemicals and no industrial heat, just pressure and time. The oil keeps its natural vitamins, antioxidants and flavour: cold pressed sesame oil smells like sesame because nothing has been stripped from it.
Refined Oil: What Happens in the Factory
- Solvent extraction with hexane
- Degumming with hot water or acids
- Neutralisation with caustic soda
- Bleaching with activated clay
- Deodorisation at 200–250°C
- Winterisation to keep the oil clear
At each step something is lost: much of the natural vitamin E, antioxidants and phytosterols. What remains is a neutral oil with a long shelf life and little beyond calories.
Side by Side
| What matters | Cold pressed | Refined |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin E | Naturally retained | Largely lost to heat |
| Antioxidants | Rich (sesamol and sesamin in sesame oil) | Mostly removed in bleaching |
| Chemical residues | None | Possible hexane traces |
| Flavour | Rich, aromatic | Bland |
What the Research Says
Studies comparing cold pressed and refined sesame oil have found higher vitamin E (tocopherol) content and antioxidant activity in the cold pressed oil. Reviews of repeatedly heated refined vegetable oils, as happens in daily frying, note faster oxidation of the fats. This is why food scientists recommend minimally processed oils and avoiding re-used frying oil.
The Hidden Cost of "Affordable" Refined Oil
Refined oil looks cheaper per litre. But cold pressed oil has more flavour, so you naturally use less per dish, and you get more nutrition from each meal. Our grandparents used small amounts of strong chekku sesame oil; the shift to "light" refined oils trained us to use more oil to make up for the missing taste.
Which Cold Pressed Oil Is Right for Your Kitchen?
- Sesame oil (gingelly, nallennai): tempering, rice dishes, chutneys and traditional sweets.
- Groundnut oil (kadalai ennai): everyday curries, sautéing and frying.
- Coconut oil (thengai ennai): Kerala-style curries, breakfast dishes, and hair and skin.
Shop Thinai Organics wood pressed oils: traditional chekku extraction, unrefined, no chemical solvents, no preservatives.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is cold pressed oil safe for daily cooking?
Yes. Sesame, groundnut and coconut oils have been used in Indian homes for centuries for tempering, sautéing and everyday cooking.
Does cold pressed oil go rancid faster?
It keeps for 3–6 months. Store it in a cool, dark place and buy what you will use within about three months.
Can I replace all refined oil with cold pressed oil?
Yes. Start with the oil you temper with. Most people get used to the fuller flavour within one or two weeks.