Oil sprayer mist vs pour: less oil on weeknight cooking

Pouring oil from the bottle is easy until the pan is glossy, the salad is swimming, and the bottle drips down the side. A pump oil sprayer (ours is the 6.8 oz mister for olive, canola, and fryer oil) puts a thin coat where you meant it to go.

Mist for the pan, pour for the bowl

Heat a dry pan, then mist once or twice. That is usually enough for eggs, vegetables, or a weeknight stir-fry. For salad dressing, still pour a measured spoon into the bowl, then whisk. The sprayer is not a substitute for a vinaigrette you want to taste.

Air fryer and sheet pans

A light mist on fries, tofu, or chopped vegetables browns better than a puddle. Wipe the nozzle after sticky oils so the next spray is still a mist, not a stream.

Keep it from clogging

Unfiltered extra-virgin olive oil can gum the pump. If the spray turns into a dribble, rinse the nozzle in warm water, then pump a few times with a lighter oil. Do not leave the bottle in a hot window.

Shop the oil sprayer and the rest of the Linen & Ladle kitchen aisle when you are ready. This post is how-to, not a checkout button.