I have almond oil and walnut oil - both of which are good for baking and are more neutral than you might expect. I also have avocado oil, which is extremely neutral, and I use it mostly for frying, as it has a very high smoke point.

Avocado oil. My go to all purpose. Neutral, high heat like Lars mentioned...

Ev olve oil and coconut, toasted sesame oil for dressings and sauces for dipping and what-not.

That is all I stock now unless I'm gifted another. I've never fried but pan sear some things and use Avocado first and a pat of butter once I flip like crab cakes, arepas, etc.

I use safflower oil for frying as well. I buy it at Whole Foods and like glass bottles, but that's not particularly cost effective. They have a few brands, including house brand. Oh, and Amazon has the Whole Foods 365 house brand for a good price because they own Whole Foods now.

I thought of looking on Amazon. But thought, then I couldn't check the expiration date.

I use canola for various reasons, primarily because it has a very light taste (almost none) and is highly recommended for baking. Don't use it for frying however, even though it has a pretty high smoke point.

Everyone always says avocado oil is neutral, but that hasn't been my experience. It may be for things like frying, but for mayo there is a definite flavor imparted by the oil.

Linnea, if you live in an area where there are Publix stores, they usually carry Lou-Ana safflower oil in most regions.

Walmart has it, but you have to order it, they don't carry in the store.

https://www.walmart.com/search/?cat_id=0&facet=retailer%3AWalmart.com&query=safflower+oil+#searchProductResult

I was wanting to make a cherry pie for Christmas. I use the Oregon tart canned cherries, not the cherry pie filling. No one carried it anymore. I found it on the Walmart web site (also Amazon, but they were a lot higher), but it was too late to order.

I've never used avocado oil for making mayo, but if it has an avocado flavor, I would like that. For mayo, I use half grape seed oil and half olive oil, as I want an olive oil flavor in my mayo, but not too much. I may switch from grape seed to avocado oil now. I do notice a strong peanut flavor to peanut oil (which some people think is neutral) and so I never buy that for anything. I use coconut oil as a substitute for shortening, but it definitely has a strong coconut flavor, but I like that. I made biscuits with coconut oil a few days ago, and they almost tasted like macaroons.

The processed olive oil that is for baking works great for me. I don't notice any taste. Not EVOO, the "light" oil that is specifically for baking and frying. For super high heat frying I use peanut, but not for baking.

I would like an avocado flavor, too, Lars, but it adds an odd sweetness that I don't care for. Somehow mayo made that way is slightly reminiscent of Miracle Whip (gah!). I suppose if you'd never tasted MW you might like it.

Coconut oil's flavor depends on how processed it is, I think. Virgin coconut oil is very coconuty, but the Lou-Ana brand is quite neutral (although I wouldn't use it in mayo).

l pinkmountain, I like light olive oil, too, but lately our Publix only carries a dozen different brands of "extra light", which has very little olive oil left in it at all, even less than regular light olive oil.

Canola

Canola is OK, but has an off taste to me.

I use sunflower or safflower oil almost interchangeably. I don't like canola oil.

I like to use coconut oil for baking. If it's a sweet item I use the virgin but if not or for some reason I don't want the hint of coconut flavor or aroma I use the refined. I also use refined coconut oil for deep or french frying (which I rarely do). I use olive oil for salad dressings unless I don't want that flavor (such as Asian dressings) then I use canola.

Interesting...I've never noticed any discernible taste with canola oil, especially in baking. The neutral taste lets other flavors come through IMO.

Sunflower is a good alternative for frying, but it's a bit heavier/thicker and yellower. I also don't care for canola oil and think it tastes weird, but it's more neutral than many other oils.

I would think the oil from Amazon would be fresh if you were getting the 365 brand. That, they're selling themselves and pushing it through the warehouse. It's not like some little shop finding a case in the storeroom and trying to palm it off selling through Amazon. If you don't like the date when it arrives, call customer service and they should fix it. I haven't bought oil from Amazon, but have always been pleased by foods I've bought from them (including from marketplace vendors).

Have you spoken to the managers of the stores where you regularly shop? They might be able to order the safflower oil for you. It usually depends on whether the store discontinued it or the distributor did. The store might just not have enough sell through, or sold the shelf space to a company that's stocking other oils, but can still get it.

Since grocers have stopped carrying safflower and sunflower oils, I've found some on Amazon and the nearby Earth Fare grocer carries both. (the oils that have not been processed for high heat).

I stopped using canola a few years ago. I started noticing the taste more and more. I bought peanut for high heat cooking like stir fries, but my husband detects the taste in that, so looks like I won't be finishing that bottle.

I will try sunflower as an alternative and see if I like it. The Walmart where I bought the safflower originally carries that. Oddly, though, I saw bottles of the same brand of varying yellow tones on the shelf: not sure what was up with that.

I definitely do not want mayo that is sweet or tastes like MW, and so I will skip using avocado oil for that.

The varying yellow tones are probably just from different batches. Or else it was a trick of the eyes and really a combination of safflower and sunflower, either that your own mind filled in the wrong blank on, or the stocking kid mixed together. :)

The color in vegetables oils comes from the plant solids in them. That's why EVOO is a dark green or golden (depending on the kind of olive) but Light olive oil is a very pale green. It has few of those solids that make EVOO taste so good (even to me who doesn't like olives). It's also why it has such a higher smoke point--the pretty color solids scorch first.

If you got safflower originally at Walmart, do ask them to get it in for you.

Linnea, Did you not see the link in my first post above where you CAN order it from Walmart? You just do store pick up and it is usually there in two days sometimes. Walmart is keeping more things in the warehouse and not in the stores.

Another vote for canola. Cheap and neutral. I use it for chiffon cakes and for roasting vegetables in the oven. For searing meat I prefer butter, though.

Actually I just realized the OP asks for "best tasting" oil for baking, and I prefer canola precisely because it hardly has any taste. For me the best tasting oil is... butter!

That is from, HERE

Supposedly it goes rancid quickly so they use yet another process to stabilize it.

I've never had a sweet avocado oil. To me it tastes clean and neutral. Some say buttery but never sweet. It also has a long shelf life. I've tasted many oils over the years. My local market has a tasting shelf of oils, cheeses, tapenade, vinegars, crackers, etc. Often cookies. Suppliers use this for samples. Always something new .

A tasting shelf, wow! I would love that.

Sleevendog, those issues were part of the reason I stopped using canola. Plus the oil is extracted using hexane.

Sherry, those are packs of 6 bottles. The helpful store stocker showed me that as well. I can't use 6 bottles at a time.

The Amazon 365 option, you have to get a "Fresh" subscription. I won't do that. Free one month trial but then you are billed monthly to have it.

I will check next time I pass a Whole Foods, though. There isn't one near here but I pass one now and then.

The first three are single bottles.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Spectrum-Naturals-Organic-Expeller-Pressed-Refined-Safflower-Oil-16-Fl-Oz/175005267

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Hain-Celestial-Group-Hollywood-Safflower-Oil-32-oz/111873049

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Oleico-Natural-Safflower-Oil-32-Fl-Oz/118711330

Spectrum you have to have delivered to the house. The next two you can have delivered to the store.

Isn't everyone talking about refined oils? Most have very little, if any discernible flavor, IMPE.

Unrefined oils, OTOH can have quite strong flavors. I got some unrefined organic canola and sunflower oils from Aldi, and I thought the canola had an unpleasant, strong flavor, while the sunflower has a distinct sunflower seed taste.

I often use extra virgin olive oil in baking sweet breads & cakes - usually mixed 1/2 & 1/2 with butter. It makes for very rich tasting results, and nobody has ever said they tasted olives.

I've used LouAna peanut oil for baking and popcorn popping. Now I use avocado oil for popping corn.

I particularly like Smart Balance. It is flavorless IMO and I use it for baking and for saute or drizzling when oven roasting veg or fish, but also use Peanut Oil for those.

Linnea, I don't go through a lot of oil either. I hope Sherry's single bottle links work for you. I try to keep an extra bottle in the pantry because I often forget to buy any. There are a lot of good suggestions here, but none are the same kind of light and neutral as safflower. :)