Why is algae oil so great to cook with?

Algae oil has impressively high oxidative stability (OSI) which helps it hold up to frying and other demanding, high heat applications in the kitchen, so you can use less oil overall and create less waste. Polyunsaturated fats are inherently unstable with lower oxidative stability than monounsaturated fats¹. Their unstable chemical structures can also contribute to increased formation of trans fats and other compounds when exposed to high temperatures or other conditions². We ran our own fry study in our kitchen and observed algae oil’s efficacy. We fried plain potatoes in algae oil, rice bran oil, and canola oil, using the same batch of oil for 10 separate rounds of frying, and found that algae oil was 5-7x more stable from the first frying to the 10th, while a blind taste panel of 9 of our employees preferred potatoes fried in algae oil³.

¹ https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Omega3FattyAcids-HealthProfessional/

² Bailey’s Industrial Oils and Fats. 2005. Volume 1: Edible Oil and Fat Products: Chemistry, Properties and Health Effects. pp 15-19. John Wiley and Sons.

³ Based on an in- house fry study conducted with 9 Checkerspot employees as tasters, over eight of the ten fry cycles. Stability was assessed by measuring OSI at the conclusion of each fry cycle.