
Olive Oil for Everything? Not So Fast — Here's What Cooking Oil to Use Instead
Olive oil, for example, adds richness and depth to dressings and sautés as well as goodies like proteins and vegetables. But its smoke point is lower than other oils, making it a poor choice for high-heat cooking like frying or searing. If you've ever noticed a burnt or bitter flavor when cooking at high temperatures, your oil might be to blame. On the flip side, neutral oils like canola, avocado and grapeseed can handle more heat and deliver crispier, cleaner results.
It's not just about temperature either. Some oils are better suited to baking, while others add flavor, texture or nutritional benefits when used raw. And if you're confused by the many varieties of olive oil on the shelf -- virgin, extra virgin, refined -- you're not alone. We spoke with culinary professionals to demystify which oils to use, when to use them and how to get the best results every time you step into the kitchen.
Whether you're cooking, baking or just drizzling something over a salad, knowing the right oil for the job can elevate your food and make your meals taste better.
Most common oils and uses
Smoke point and flavor are the two big considerations to make when choosing an oil.
Maximilian Stock/Getty
Guido Parrati, owner of Parla Come Mangi in Rapallo, Italy, is no stranger to cooking education. In addition to serving an impressively robust assortment of Italian delicacies in his iconic deli, Parrati also hosts seminars, tastings and showcases of local ingredients.
Beyond flavor profile, Parrati claims that the single most important aspect of an oil, at least when used for cooking, is its smoke point. A high smoke point indicates that the product can withstand higher temperatures before it begins to -- you guessed it -- smoke and break down.
This is important to keep in mind for proteins such as red meat that may require more heat and longer cooking times to break through tough exteriors and more fibrous insides. After all, if oil is the lubricating vessel to a perfect sear and/or crunch, you don't want it to completely dissipate before the job's done (or well done, if that's your preference).
Here is a list of the most common oils used for cooking, provided in detail by Parrati (sans olive oil, which gets its own section after the jump).
Canola or vegetable
High smoke point oils like canola are good for seasoning cast-iron cookware.
Tyler Lizenby/CNET
Best for: Cooking, baking and frying
"Vegetable oil has a neutral, delicate flavor and a high smoke point, making it excellent for frying, sautéing and high-temperature cooking." These oils also are ideal for seasoning your cast-iron cookware.
Sesame oil
Sesame oil is ideal for finishing.
Sungmin/Getty Images
Best for: Finishing
"Known for its strong, nutty flavor -- especially when toasted -- it's great for finishing dishes to add depth and aroma, commonly used in Asian cuisine."
Coconut oil
Coconut oil has a bold flavor and medium smoke point.
Alina Bradford/CNET
Best for: Cooking and baking
"With its distinctive, sweet and tropical flavor, it has a medium smoke point, making it suitable for cooking and finishing, especially in desserts or Asian-inspired dishes."
Avocado oil
Avocado oil boasts a high smoke point.
Bristol Farms
Best for: Cooking, baking, and frying
"Delicate and buttery in taste, it has one of the highest smoke points, making it ideal for very high-heat cooking or frying. It's also excellent raw as a finishing oil.
Sunflower or safflower oil
A neutral flavor makes safflower oil good for frying.
Oilver Farm
Best for: Cooking and frying
"It has a neutral flavor and a high smoke point, making it suitable for high-temperature cooking and frying."
Olive oil: A guide
Like wine, olive oil flavor is subject to its terroir, climate and style of production.
Graza
Arguably the most popular and familiar of the bunch, olive oil can be treated a lot like wine with its diversity of fruit, terroir, climate and pairings.
New Zealand's Allpress Olive Groves offers tastings on its Waiheke Island property for guests to identify and appreciate the flavor nuances of each bottle. This also includes olive oil blends, much like wine, that can enhance or temper flavors to create an outcome unlike anything on the market.
"Just like expertly blended wines or coffees, olive oil blends are crafted to offer a harmonious balance of flavors and aromas," says Erin Butterworth, who oversees events and marketing for the brand. "Blending different olive varieties allows us to create oils that are rich in complexity, with tasting notes ranging from fruity and grassy to peppery and nutty."
"This versatility makes them ideal for a variety of culinary applications, such as drizzling over salads, finishing dishes or enhancing baked goods. The art of blending ensures that each bottle delivers a consistent and delightful flavor profile, inviting creativity in the kitchen and elevating everyday meals," she adds.
Types of olive oil
Extra virgin olive oil is the gold standard but, depending on your cooking needs, there are other, more affordable variations and blends worth considering.
Olive oil compared Type What is it Flavor Smoke Point Best Use Extra Virgin Highest quality. Made from cold-pressed olives with no chemical processing. Bold, fruity 375°F Finishing, dipping, salads Virgin Made by cold pressing, but with slightly higher acidity and less intense flavor than EVOO Mild 390°F Light sautéing, simple cooking Pure/Classic A blend of refined olive oil and a small amount of virgin or extra virgin olive oil Neutral 465°F Frying, roasting Light/Extra Light Heavily refined oil with minimal flavor and color Very neutral 470°F Baking, high-heat cooking
Olive oil flavor profile
There are three distinct flavor dimensions found in most olive oils.
Zoutina
Fruity: "A delicate classic that everyone loves. Smooth and balanced, it gives an instant lift to any dish." These oils are best used on salads and fresh vegetables as a finisher or part of a dressing
Nutty: "Creamy and nutty with a smooth finish. All the richness you crave -- like butter, but better." Choose nutty oils for baked goods, pastas, roasted vegetables and grilling meats.
Peppery: "Intense and with a serious bite. It's a bold oil that makes its presence known." Try peppery oils for dipping bread or finishing cooked vegetables and meat.
What to look for when buying olive oil
Checking the date on a bottle of olive oil before buying is a good practice.
Oscar Wong/Getty
While most mass-market olive oils will get the job done, they don't always provide an exceptional tasting or cooking experience. Instead, Butterworth advises shoppers to keep four characteristics in mind as they meander through grocery or gourmet food store aisles.
Freshness: "Think of olive oil as fruit juice -- it's best when fresh! Look for a harvest or 'pressed on' date stamped on the bottle. Aim for oil from the past 12–18 months and definitely within two years to get full flavor and health benefits."
"Think of olive oil as fruit juice -- it's best when fresh! Look for a harvest or 'pressed on' date stamped on the bottle. Aim for oil from the past 12–18 months and definitely within two years to get full flavor and health benefits." Free fatty acids (FFA): "The FFA marker reveals how well the olives were handled post‑harvest and lower is better. By international standards, extra virgin olive oil must have an FFA below 0.8%. Some premium producers like us aim for below 0.3% to indicate exceptional quality."
"The FFA marker reveals how well the olives were handled post‑harvest and lower is better. By international standards, extra virgin olive oil must have an FFA below 0.8%. Some premium producers like us aim for below 0.3% to indicate exceptional quality." Taste: "Everybody's palate is different so the ideal oil for one person may not suit another. Sampling oils in‑store (via tastings or small bottles) helps you discover whether you prefer a bold, peppery varietal or a smoother, fruitier blend. It's surprising how different they can taste."
"Everybody's palate is different so the ideal oil for one person may not suit another. Sampling oils in‑store (via tastings or small bottles) helps you discover whether you prefer a bold, peppery varietal or a smoother, fruitier blend. It's surprising how different they can taste." Packaging quality: "Quality oils should be sold in dark glass, tin or opaque containers to protect them from light exposure, which degrades flavor and antioxidants. Be wary of clear plastic bottles or large bulk containers unless you go through them very quickly at home."
Read more: Pantry Staples and Other Foods That Spoil Faster Than You'd Think
Creative uses for olive oil
Ceviche is one dish that puts olive oil front and center.
CNET
Olive oil use isn't exclusive to cooking, baking and finishing. Maichol Morandi, executive chef of Lake Como's Grand Hotel Victoria, refers to his favorite Vanini brand from Lenno as the protagonist of his cuisine. He concocts entire dishes around its wide range of flavor profiles.
"In our kitchens, we use and experiment with custom olive oil blends for new seasonal menu creations, ideal for achieving specific balances between smoke point, flavor and structure," he says.
A few of chef's favorite and most recent preparations include:
Coriander-infused olive oil for sea bass ceviche: "This oil is created using a cold-extraction technique that preserves its purity and elegance," he says. "Fresh coriander leaves are blanched for a few seconds in hot water, then cooled in ice water to set their color. Once squeezed, the leaves are blended with a mixture of sunflower oil (for its neutrality) and olive oil."
Dark chocolate desserts: "We add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil infused with tonka bean to a dark chocolate dessert with figs and Maldon salt. It brings warm, balsamic aromas and surprises the palate with a sensual contrast."
Raviolo: "In a raviolo filled with scampi and lime, a bergamot oil -- made by infusing the zest -- enhances the citrus freshness without relying on aggressive acidity."
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


CNET
10 hours ago
- CNET
Oven? Never Heard of Her. These 9 Air Fryer Dishes Are It
When the heat index climbs, turning on the oven feels like a bad idea. A countertop air fryer solves the problem. It cooks quickly, keeps the kitchen noticeably cooler, and still delivers that crisp, golden finish you want for weeknight dinners. I swapped a few sheet-pan meals for air fryer recipes during a warm stretch and the difference was immediate. No waiting for preheating, shorter cook times, and less lingering heat in the room. Cleanup took minutes, since the basket and tray went straight into the sink. If your goal is fast summer dinners without heating the house, start here. These air fryer dishes keep things light on effort and heavy on flavor, with reliable results that make no-oven cooking an easy habit. What began as a glorified frozen-snack machine has turned into a full-on kitchen workhorse. The air fryer now handles everything from crispy chicken tenders to roasted veggies to gooey desserts. Beyond the staples, I've discovered a few surprising air fryer foods that I'm now completely hooked on. From whole-roasted chicken and flaky salmon to vegetables and sides, such as cauliflower, potatoes and carrots, certain foods feel like they were made to cook in an air fryer. You'll find a ton of Reddit threads with home cooks asking for the ultimate air fryer recipes and we've put together this guide to help you out with our favorites. Looking for something great to make? Check out the nine foods you absolutely have to cook in an air fryer below. And if you're searching for an air fryer or to upgrade your existing oven, we have a new favorite model with a glass cooking chamber that's easy to clean and doubles as a food storage container. 1. Salmon Just 8 minutes in the air fryer and you have perfectly medium rare salmon. David Watsky/CNET Broiled salmon is a simple, healthy weeknight dinner staple. It's not difficult to make in the oven but if you're only cooking for one or two people, the preheating time is a pain and you'll waste a lot of energy for a small amount of food. Pan-seared salmon is great and quick, but there's almost no way to cook salmon on the stove without creating an oily and odorous mess. I tried cooking roasted salmon in the air fryer and it came out perfectly in about 10 minutes, including preheating time. The closed cooking chamber captures all of the grease and even hides some of the fishy smell from taking over the space. OK, so you might catch me throwing the occasional filet of salmon on the grill during warmer months, but gone are the days of me wiping fish grease from the backsplash behind my kitchen stove. Here's how to make perfect air fryer salmon. 2. Whole chicken Air-fryer roasted chicken is a revelation. David Watsky/CNET This one surprised me the most because I make a roast chicken most Sundays and had become content with my method of using the oven. I learned fast that the air fryer does an even better job because it's able to crisp the skin quickly without overcooking the meat. Air-fryer roasted chicken takes about 45 minutes -- about 15% quicker than the oven -- and it's nearly impossible to screw up. Here's how to make a quick roasted chicken in the air fryer. 3. Bacon cheeseburgers You can cook a burger to perfect medium or medium rare with an air fryer. Pamela Vachon/CNET Air fryer cheeseburgers have become a staple around my home. The exception is during summer when the grill is in full swing but during cooler months, I turn to the air fryer for this American classic. It's not only cleaner than pan frying but the burger doesn't cook in its own grease so you get a lighter, healthier meal (if you're into that sort of thing). You can also stick the bun and a couple of slices of bacon in with the burger and you have the full meal with almost no cleanup to manage. Here's how to make a cheeseburger from top to bottom in the air fryer. 4. Chicken cutlets Air fryers turn out picture-perfect chicken cutlets. David Watsky/CNET Before the air fryer, I used to pan-fry breaded chicken cutlets for chicken Parmesan and other recipes but the air fryer does the same job with less mess and produces less oily fried chicken, too. Watch this: Best Air Fryers: Cheap vs. Expensive 19:24 I recommend using boneless chicken thighs, which have enough fat content to withstand all that convection heat without drying out. Simply coat the chicken in beaten egg wash followed by bread crumbs mixed with salt, pepper and other spices. Cook at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes. You can spray the cutlets lightly with a bit of oil before cooking to get an extra crispy crust but it's not necessary. I've tried the same method with chicken breasts; it works well but there is more risk of drying out the meat. 5. Cauliflower steak Cauliflower steak made in the air fryer has become a staple side dish in my kitchen. David Watsky/CNET One of my favorite things to cook in the air fryer is cauliflower. A slab of cauliflower makes an excellent hearty side dish or main course if you're going plant-based. Simply toss a thick slice or two of cauliflower with olive oil and salt and pepper, or some seasoning of your choice, and air fry for 10 or 12 minutes on high. The air fryer gives it a beautiful caramelized crust and it cooks the dense veggie fast enough so that the inside of the cauliflower doesn't become mushy. 6. Leftover pizza This leftover pizza got a whole new life thanks to a short trip to the air fryer. David Watsky/CNET While not every type of food is best reheated in the air fryer, a lot of them are. Air fryers are the perfect way to revive leftover pizza, fried chicken, grilled meats and vegetables. A microwave heats food unevenly and tends to impart a rubbery texture. Air fryers give food a second life via convection heat for a crispy crust and even heating. Here's the best way to reheat every type of leftover. 7. Hot dogs You can cook an entire package of hot dogs in just a few minutes. David Watsky/CNET It's hard to screw up a hot dog but if you want a perfectly charred wiener in less than five minutes with essentially no cleanup, look to the air fryer. Air fryer hot dogs are as simple as simple gets and the super convection oven gives them a perfect browning in two or three minutes. Here's how to make hot dogs in the air fryer all summer. 8. Baked potatoes Air fryer baked potatoes have crispy skin and are light and fluffy inside. Brian Bennett/CNET OK, so technically this one starts out in the microwave and then gets finished in the air fryer. The microwave softens the inside in less than 8 minutes while the air fryer blasts the edges and skin to a crispy perfection. It's a restaurant-quality baked potato in less than 12 minutes. Here's how to make the best air fryer baked potato ever. And if you're still not sure what an air fryer is and how it works, check out our complete guide to air fryers. 9. Grilled cheese This air fryer grilled cheese is as good as it looks. Pamela Vachon/CNET For a grilled cheese, the air fryer is working on both of the bread surfaces and the cheese all at once, resulting in a quicker melt, which adheres the cheese to the bread slices together making for a much easier flip. (Flipping is still recommended but with far less drama.) Here's the secret to perfect air fryer grilled cheese.


Forbes
a day ago
- Forbes
Where To Eat And Drink In Northeast Portland Right Now
Northeast Portland has long been one of the city's most eclectic quadrants—rooted in historic neighborhoods, shaped by waves of cultural change and now brimming with some of PDX's most exciting food and drink. Once known for its strong working-class and jazz-era roots, the area has evolved into a vibrant mix of old-school institutions and cutting-edge culinary talent. Tree-lined streets, restored Craftsman homes and mural-covered walls set the stage for a dining scene where creative chefs, passionate bakers and inventive bartenders make NE Portland distinctly its own. In this corner of the city, you'll find old-school comfort food joints, innovative chef-driven kitchens and cocktail bars with just the right mix of quirk and polish. Whether you're starting your morning with a plate-sweeping breakfast, lingering over a seasonal dinner or sipping something strong late into the night, these spots prove you don't have to leave NE Portland to eat (and drink) exceptionally well. Northeast PDX Must-Visit Food And Drink Where To Eat Breakfast In NE PDX A Portland brunch classic, Gravy PDX is famous for its namesake dish: silky, peppery sausage or veggie gravy poured over biscuits the size of your face. Expect generous portions, a cozy diner feel, a delightful challah french toast and a menu that could easily carry you into lunchtime. This PDX neighborhood gem leans into elevated comfort food and a breakfast menu that's creative without being fussy. Think seasonal scrambles, huge pancakes and the best hot sauce I've had in ages, proudly made by the owner. (She walked over to my table and poured it on my eggs, unprompted). Oh yeah, and there's live music at like, 8 AM. You love to see it. Where To Eat Lunch In NE PDX Beloved for its dog-friendly patio and hearty, feel-good fare, Tin Shed serves big, satisfying sandwiches (the chicken sando with jam was perfectly sweet and savory), bowls and scrambles. It's the kind of place where the portions are generous, the service is warm and everyone leaves happy (most importantly, your pup). A whole-animal butcher shop and sandwich counter in one, Pasture PDX turns responsibly raised meats into some of the best sandwiches in the city. Expect expertly layered flavors, house-cured meats and sides that rival the mains, like the daily soup which was flavorful and filling enough to be a meal on its own. Where To Eat Dinner In NE PDX Sitting gracefully inside the Cascada Hotel, Terra Mae fuses the rustic soul of the Portuguese countryside with the sleek precision of modern Japanese cuisine. From luxurious milk-bread buns with duck-skin butter to wagyu tartare and octopus salad, every dish unfolds with elegance—and unexpected depth. Be sure to order the peri peri chicken, duck duck rice and the linguica dumplings. Known for its naturally leavened pizzas and seasonal salads, Lovely's Fifty Fifty is a Portland institution. Local produce and house-made everything make for pies that are as beautiful as they are flavorful. Don't skip the little gem lettuces with fresh and creamy garlic dressing and the cherry tomato confit with shaved summer squash pizza. Where To Get Drinks In NE PDX A lively, neighborhood cocktail bar with irresistible charm, Take Two welcomes you 'back on the horse' every evening with stellar drinks, casual bites and a vibe that's both cozy and cool. With nods to '60s-and-'70s film, Italian-American fare and western flair all under one relaxed roof, it's the kind of spot where guilty pleasures feel delightfully guilt-free. Don't miss their daily happy hour, 3-5 PM. Located inside McMenamins Kennedy School Hotel (an abandoned elementary school transformed into a whimsical, retro hotel) the Boiler Room serves up creative cocktails in a cozy, wood-and-brick space. A drink here feels like sipping history with a twist. It's a quirky date night spot that will give you something to talk about, even if the date's a bust.


Washington Post
a day ago
- Washington Post
How to make creamy, dreamy no-churn ice cream
Homemade ice cream, any way you like it, any time you want it: In other words, living the dream. But not all dreams are meant to come true, at least in the way you expect. In the quest for ice cream on-demand, not having an ice cream maker — and the related space, time and budget — may feel like an insurmountable obstacle. Thankfully, there's a way to churn out customized batches without, well, churning. We've made — and eaten — a lot of ice cream between the two of us, and even we were a little skeptical when we decided to develop a satisfying no-churn recipe. To say we surprised ourselves with the creamy, scoopable and riffable frozen treat we ended up with would be an understatement. And it starts with a simple, five-ingredient base that comes together in minutes in the food processor. Get the recipe: No-Churn Ice Cream No-churn ice cream recipes are nothing new. After all, people were making ice cream long before the advent of the dedicated appliance, though plenty of manual options have existed for centuries. The methods and quality of no-churn recipes vary wildly, but when they're good, they're very good. 'Sometimes you actually end up tricking someone,' says cookbook author Jessie Sheehan, who's been experimenting with no-churn ice cream for years. Throwing all our experience making traditional ice creams out the window felt traitorous, not to mention risky. But even Tyler Malek, co-founder of the Salt & Straw ice cream chain and two-time cookbook author, was unfazed by our approach. 'If it tastes good and feels good on your tongue, then it's fine.' We wanted to find the sweet spot between doing everything by hand and relying on a devoted machine, using equipment many home cooks already own. And even if we couldn't fully replicate the texture of ice cream churned in a machine (no-churn ice cream is typically denser, not a bad thing in our book), we wanted to get close enough that any minimal trade-off would be outweighed by ease and speed. Some recipes call for simply mixing a base together by hand, which seemed like asking for especially dense ice cream. Others call for whipping cream before folding in the denser ingredients, including sweetened condensed milk — doable, but less than ideal if you're worried about losing the air you just beat into the cream. Some employ a multipronged strategy of blending a base, freezing it, then blending it again before serving, or even stirring multiple times throughout the freezing process, neither of which passed the no-fuss test. We picked the various elements we liked from the other recipes out there, then, inspired by a stabilized food processor whipped cream in a recent Black Forest Cake recipe, applied them to an all-in-one method with the common kitchen appliance — and we couldn't be happier with the results. Here's how to follow our lead. At its core, Malek says, ice cream is a calculated mix of butterfat, other milk solids, water and sugar, with each contributing to the final texture and mouthfeel. Similar to other no-churn recipes, our ice cream base only requires heavy cream (1 pint), sweetened condensed milk (one 14-ounce can), salt, milk powder (½ cup) and vanilla, which is optional though recommended. (For a chocolate base, swap in cocoa powder for half the milk powder.) While Malek says the type of dairy you use is less consequential than the percentage of fat you end up with, we stuck with heavy cream for its whippable nature and relatively high fat content. Milk powder and sweetened condensed milk, a mix of cooked-down whole milk and sugar, both introduce more milk solids and fat into the base without an excess of water that would otherwise make the ice cream icy. (Don't have milk powder? We offer an option to swap in 2 ounces of cream cheese, one of Sheehan's ingredients of choice, which is also handy for its emulsifying properties.) Plus, sweetened condensed milk offers just the right amount of sugar to keep the ice cream soft and scoopable. Too much sugar and you get soup; too little and it's hard as a rock. By sheer luck, our percentages of fat, water, sugar and milk solids ended up close enough, though not identical, to Salt & Straw's ratios. We could see why, even with an unorthodox approach, no-churn ice cream could nearly nail the texture of its traditionally churned cousin. The food processor is a kitchen MVP. It also makes a stable, if somewhat denser, whipped cream. That was one reason it was so appealing for ice cream, especially as too much air in the base can lead to a grainy, icy texture. (We were not enamored of the texture when we tried this in a stand mixer.) Take care not to overmix, lest you end up with sweet butter. When in doubt, err on the side of under-processing; slightly denser, firmer ice cream is preferable to the alternative. Get the recipe: No-churn ice cream The only other equipment you need: a loaf pan, preferably metal, to freeze the base in, and a spatula with which to scrape it into the pan. Similar to baking, metal's conductivity is an advantage here, speeding up freezing, meaning you can enjoy the ice cream sooner and with less risk of ice. Our batch we froze in a Pyrex loaf pan took appreciably longer to solidify. And, as Malek notes, glass can break. As far as other supplies, we cover the ice cream with parchment paper. Malek says this keeps condensation — and therefore frost — off the surface of the ice cream and protects it from any off-flavors. You can wrap the covered pan in plastic wrap, too. After a few tests, it was clear that not using the canister of an ice cream machine, which can take as long as 24 hours to freeze, put us at somewhat of a disadvantage. Insufficiently chilled cream and equipment led to bases that either whipped inadequately or not at all. But that was easily remedied. Just as we recommend chilling the bowl and beaters whenever you want to make whipped cream, we suggest popping the container of cream in the freezer for 20 minutes (any longer and it will start to go solid), and the food processor bowl and blade in the fridge or freezer (pick whichever has more room) for at least the same amount of time. Malek also advised us to freeze the metal loaf pan for extra insurance. Unlike the cream, you can't overchill the equipment. Start by pulsing the heavy cream a few times to begin aerating it. Add the other base ingredients, and process the mixture until it's glossy, smooth and thick. You can safely run the processor for about 2 minutes, then it's best to pulse or process in short bursts so you don't take the mixture too far. It should start to build up along the sides of the bowl, and you will see a fairly large gap grow between the top of the blade and the mixture as it thickens. Listen for the food processor to start sounding more muffled. When the base is done, it will look like melty soft-serve ice cream but should hold its shape when you scoop out a spoonful. It shouldn't be runny. Tip the spoon sideways to check. Eventually it will slide off, but if it stays put for a few seconds, you're good to go. After that, pack the base into your loaf pan, layering in whatever mix-ins you like (see below), and freeze until solid, at least 6 hours, though the timing may vary. Because of the stripped-down nature of the recipe, it's best to enjoy no-churn ice cream within a few days or at least a few weeks, though we doubt this delicious small batch will last that long. One word of warning: Without the stabilizers you find in other recipes or store-bought cartons, this ice cream tends to soften and melt quicker at room temperature, so avoid leaving it out on the counter for too long. While this recipe makes a delicious vanilla or chocolate ice cream as is, it can also be a jumping-off point for whatever flavors your heart desires. Sheehan recommends experimenting with extracts or even alcohol, such as mint extract or whiskey. (Like sugar, alcohol can keep ice cream soft, up to a point. Too much and the ice cream will never freeze.) You can customize it further by adding mix-ins such as cookies, nuts, chopped candy bars, pretzels, jam, chocolate sauce or caramel. It's best to add them in two layers as you're transferring the base to the loaf pan. We generally recommend the mix-ins total no more than 1½ cups. For solid items, chop or crumble them into small pieces for the best eating experience. One note from Malek: If you're looking to preserve the crispy texture of a mix-in, such as a brittle, candied nuts or potato chips, press them onto the surface of the ice cream toward the end of freezing or right before serving to keep them from softening too much. With thick sauces and jams, we found it easiest to place dollops of them as you layer, then gently swirl with a butter knife or offset spatula to create ribbons throughout. Too much mixing and you risk losing the air you whipped into the ice cream. To get you started, we came up with three different flavors, along with formulas for each: Other ideas include vanilla with chopped pistachios and strawberry preserves, which tastes divine drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with flaky salt. Editorial aide Victoria Caruso wants a version with candied ginger and gingerbread cookies. Sheehan likes to dissolve espresso powder into the base for coffee ice cream, and folds in marshmallow fluff and melted chocolate for a s'mores version. 'I do think you would be surprised by how much you can add and still have success,' she says. Get the recipe: No-Churn Ice Cream