Buying guide for best oil misters
Whether you want to coat the grill during a cookout, lightly dress your salad with oil, or spray some quality olive oil to finish a dish, an oil mister is a useful culinary tool. The versatile oil mister can prevent you from accidentally over-oiling your dishes, leading to much more satisfying mealtimes. However, not all oil misters are easy to use.
How do you find a quality oil mister? What makes one a worthwhile investment and another better left on the shelf?
Benefits of owning an oil mister
An oil mister can help you dress your salad evenly. Mist a light spray of a quality oil all over your salad, add some seasoning and a little lemon juice or vinegar, and you're all set with a delicious salad.
Using an oil mister can help you use less oil if you're trying to cut back. When you pour oil freehand, it's easier to put far more in the pan than you realized. Measuring with a teaspoon takes time and dirties more utensils, but it's easy to use just a little oil when you own an oil mister.
It's easy and convenient to use an oil mister. Just grab and spray. Now you're cooking!
Oil misters can help prevent food from sticking to the pan. Sometimes, when you're roasting or pan-frying food, the food can soak up all the oil and start to stick. A few sprays from an oil mister may be enough to keep your food from sticking without introducing too much extra oil.
- You can save money using an oil mister. If you’re partial to high-end extra virgin olive oil or other pricey cold-pressed oils, this is helpful indeed.
Pump oil misters are easy to use with a single hand, though they can produce inconsistent spray, which is something we watch out for during our research.
The size of an oil mister can make a huge difference when cooking a large meal. We weigh the pros and cons of how much each oil mister can hold before it needs a refill.
Stainless steel oil misters can provide a good amount of durability at the cost of picking up fingerprints easier, which we consider when recommending these products.
Some oil misters can switch between misting or a steady stream of oil. We investigate these products to see how well each setting works when in use.
Glass olive oil misters are great for use with a wide variety of different oils, as they don’t hang on to various flavor profiles, which is something we check into during our research.
Some oil misters can disperse higher viscosity liquids. We look into products that provide the maximum amount of versatility in the kitchen.
The type of nozzle that an oil mister comes with determines whether it's a thin mist with small coverage or a thick mist with large coverage. We weigh the pros and cons of each type.
Some oil misters provide indicators of how much oil can be held in the container. We consider how useful this feature is to the final product.
An important thing to consider when buying an oil mister is how easy it is to fill. We take a deep dive into a variety of options to see how big the neck of the bottle is for filling.
Oil misters start at $10 and can go all the way up to $30. We determine how long each product will last and how the pricing affects that.
Considerations for selecting an oil mister
Trigger vs. pump
The majority of oil misters have a pump mechanism that you press with one finger to release a spritz of oil. Less common are trigger-style mechanisms that you pull toward you with one or two fingers, much like you would a household cleaning spray bottle. Trigger mechanisms are more comfortable to use for long periods of time and produce an even mist. The likely reason they're less common is that they cost more to produce. Pump mechanisms are less consistent, though you can find some exceptional ones.
Material
Oil misters are commonly made of plastic, glass, or stainless steel. Plastic is shatterproof but can crack. Notably, some people prefer to avoid buying plastic products where possible for environmental reasons.
Because glass is non-porous, it doesn't absorb flavor from the oil inside. This is beneficial if you're likely to switch between different oils, as an oil with a more intense flavor could potentially taint the next type of oil you use. Glass can shatter when dropped, of course, but if it's thick, it should be able to withstand short drops onto carpet or linoleum.
Stainless steel can't shatter or crack, so it's a durable choice. It is, however, prone to picking up fingerprints and smudges, which can be annoying.
Capacity
Check how much oil you can fit inside your chosen oil mister. It should be an appropriate amount for the frequency with which you’ll use it. If you plan to use your oil mister only occasionally, opt for a compact model with a small capacity, so you can use it all up before the oil expires or the mister needs cleaning. For daily use, a mister with a decent capacity is better so you don’t have to refill it often.
Spray type
The name "oil mister" suggests that the oil will spray out in a fine mist, giving you even coverage of the food or pan you're trying to oil. In reality, a fairly large percentage of oil misters actually spray out a steady stream of oil that doesn't disperse all that much. Although this may not be what you’d expect from a mister, it can be better for certain applications. Keep this in mind as you shop. It’s always best to read the product specs and purchase accordingly.
"Your chosen oil mister should be comfortable to pump, even when you need to use a large number of sprays."
STAFF
BestReviews
Oil mister prices
Great news for anyone on a tight budget: oil misters aren't expensive. However, you should avoid the cheapest models out there, as they often don't perform adequately. Receiving an annoyingly ineffective oil mister isn't worth the savings of only a few dollars.
Basic oil misters cost less than $10. These are often made from poor materials that break easily, and they often don't spray all that well.
Mid-range oil misters cost between $10 and $15. These are fairly decent, and the majority give you an even mist and are easy to use.
High-end oil misters cost between $15 and $25. These misters are most likely to provide even results and last for years to come.
Tips
Pick an oil mister that doesn't leak. Low-quality oil misters sometimes do leak, and the dribbles of oil all over the place are a pain to clean up.
Check how easy your chosen oil mister is to fill. Those with wider openings at the neck are easier to pour oil into. You may need to use a funnel, particularly for those with narrow openings.
Decide whether you want your oil mister to be BPA-free. Some oil misters with plastic bodies may contain BPA. Also, the lid and spraying mechanism may contain BPA. If you’re in the habit of avoiding products with this chemical, you'll need to search for a model specifically listed as BPA-free.
- Think about how durable your chosen oil mister will be. If you plan to use it regularly, buying a cheap model is false economy, as it wouldn’t be particularly durable and would need to be replaced before long.
FAQ
Q. Can I use my oil mister for other liquids?
A. An oil mister is suitable for oils, but what if you'd like to use it to spray vinegar, red wine, or even water? You can use the majority of oil misters to spray other liquids, but some are specially designed with fairly viscous liquids (like oil) and therefore aren't as effective with thinner liquids. Check the product information for your chosen oil mister to see if you can use it with other liquids.
Q. How often should I clean my oil mister?
A. You should clean your oil mister every six to eight weeks, or when it needs refilling. If you don't clean it regularly, the nozzle could become clogged, or the oil inside could start to turn rancid.
Q. Are oil misters dishwasher safe?
A. That depends on your particular model. Check the care instructions to find out how to best wash your oil mister. If it is dishwasher safe, it's generally only the body of the mister that can go in the dishwasher (not the nozzle/spraying mechanism), and it usually needs to be washed on the top rack. Otherwise, you can clean your oil mister by hand with hot, soapy water. Be sure to rinse it thoroughly afterward.
