Avocado Oil
Avocado oil is the high-heat companion to olive oil — mild, buttery, and stable at temperatures that would scorch most oils. Refined avocado oil handles searing and roasting; unrefined (virgin) is a lovely finishing oil.
What it is
It’s pressed from the flesh of the avocado, not the pit — rich in the same heart-friendly monounsaturated fat as olive oil, with a mild, buttery, slightly grassy flavor that stays out of the way of your food.
Why it earns a spot
Its real advantage is heat. Refined avocado oil has one of the highest smoke points of any common oil — around 500 to 520°F — so it’s my pick for high-heat searing, roasting, and grilling, the moments where extra-virgin olive oil would start to smoke.
Refined vs. virgin
Refined is light, neutral, and very heat-stable — use it when the pan is truly hot. Virgin (unrefined) is greener and more flavorful with a lower smoke point (around 375 to 400°F) — save that one for drizzling and dressings.
Buying it well
Same rules as olive oil: look for cold-pressed, a dark bottle, and a brand you trust. The avocado-oil aisle has had its share of watered-down and mislabeled products, so this is not the place to grab the cheapest bottle.
Keep both oils by the stove — extra-virgin olive oil for everyday and finishing, refined avocado oil for anything that needs real heat. Between the two, you’re covered for almost everything.
When the mind needs somewhere to land
Everything in this wing points, in the end, to the same place — the breath, and the nervous system beneath it. It is why I built SOVA: a quiet companion for the moments in between.
- Today — a daily practice that aligns you before the day pulls you a dozen directions.
- Companion — a place to process any feeling, even the happy ones.
- Pages — a soft place to set your thoughts down and out of your head.
- The House — rooms of calm to step into, whenever you need one.