Today’s kitchen essential is a simple one, yet one that saves me so much time in the kitchen.
Several years ago I purchased an oil and vinegar bottle set. I found the set on clearance and I loved the shape of the bottles. Yes, it was the design that first caught my attention not the functionality, but I knew I would use them for something.
At first I had planned to use the bottles for their intended purpose of oil and vinegar, but after thinking about it, I realized that I do not use vinegar often enough to leave a bottle of it out on the counter however, I do use oil all the time.
So, instead of filling the bottles with oil and vinegar, I filled one bottle with regular cooking oil and one bottle with olive oil. I set them by my stove and I find myself reaching for them all the time.
When working in the kitchen, I often need only a little bit of oil. Sometimes it is just a tablespoon or two, to saute an onion in, and other times I might need just enough to grease a pan. Having a small bottle of oil sitting out on the counter next to the stove works perfectly for times like this.
I still have my larger bottles of oil in my pantry, but for times I need just a little oil these smaller bottles work great.
What do you think? Do you have a small bottle of oil setting on your counter?
I love to cook and bake, and my family loves to eat. Lynn’s Kitchen Adventures is all about sharing my love of cooking, recipes, tips, and ideas of how I combine this cooking passion with a busy life. [
I would love to have those bottles. Love it! I get tired of getting the step stool out to get in the cabinet to get the oil. =)
I have had my smaller oil bottle on the counter for years. Also saves money since I buy the really large olive oil bottle at Sams or BJs.
Lynn–through years we have received those bottles filled with EVOO and spices for dipping in bread, however, I saw that the shell life for it should only be about 10 days!! Do you think that would be the case for just EVOO? Also, having it too close to the stove might not be a good thing–if it gets heated and then cooled over and over, that might change the oil. Does this seem way off?
@Mandy, From what I know it is the added ingredients that make the shelf life on those oils less. I do not know what the shelf life on regular olive oil is, but it is longer than 10 days for sure. I often buy mine in a large container and use it for months. So I think just plain olive oil should be fine. As far as the heat, I keep it on the counter not on the stove, so I don’t think it gets that hot, plus it is a small bottle so I use in up usually within a week or two and then refill it. I do keep my larger bottles of oil elsewhere so that they keep longer. I hope the answers your question.
Yup, I too have a little bottle on my stove for olive oil and one for canola oil. Only mine are the plastic clear squirty ones. I keep a papertowel wrapped around the top part and secure it with a rubberband to avoid that little oil dribble that is bad on plastic 🙂
i just put an oil bottle on my list 🙂 I ‘ve got an Amazon gift card to use 🙂
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I am sorry, but I do NOT do this. We have a family friend who is an M.D. Now, if you are just talking about EVOO, it might be a bit more stable. But this is how our M. D. friend stores her canola oil. First, she buys the smallest bottle available. Then she wraps it in aluminum foil and refrigerates it until needed, then re-refrigerates it. Apparently, canola oil in particular is very sensitive to heat and light exposure. I make a point of storing my oils out of sunlight and away from heat sources.
I keep 2 bottles, 1 olive oil, 1 peanut oil