An exploration of cooking spray, from its mid-century origins and aerosol technology to its many uses, nutritional quirks, and the question of whether we’re actually getting any olive oil out of that can.
There are certain kitchen products that don’t get nearly enough attention. They’re not particularly glamorous, they don’t photograph especially well, and nobody is likely to give you one as a hostess gift unless they’ve seriously misunderstood the assignment.
Vegetable oil spray is one of them.
It lives somewhere between the olive oil bottle and the miscellaneous drawer containing three vegetable peelers, a corkscrew nobody knows how to use, and a collection of takeout menus from restaurants that closed during the pandemic.
And yet, cooking spray is remarkably useful. It helps prevent food from sticking, makes baking cleanup considerably less annoying, and can turn a complicated cleanup situation into something resembling a manageable Tuesday evening.
But what exactly is vegetable oil spray? How did it become a kitchen staple? Is it actually healthier than pouring oil into a pan? And is that little aerosol can doing anything particularly magical?
Let’s get into it.
What is vegetable oil spray, anyway?
At its most basic, vegetable oil spray is cooking oil distributed in a fine mist rather than poured from a bottle.
Depending on the brand and variety, the oil might be canola, soybean, sunflower, corn, olive, avocado, or a blend of different vegetable oils. Some products contain only oil and an emulsifier, while traditional aerosol varieties can also contain propellants and other ingredients that help dispense the oil evenly.
The concept is fairly straightforward: instead of pouring a tablespoon of oil into a pan and hoping it distributes evenly, you spray a thin coating across the cooking surface.
It’s essentially the difference between painting a wall with a roller and throwing a bucket of paint at it. One approach is considerably more controlled.
The spray creates a thin barrier between food and the cooking surface, helping prevent sticking while using less oil than you might otherwise pour into a pan.
And unlike butter, which contains milk solids and water in addition to fat, most vegetable oil sprays deliver predominantly oil. That makes them particularly useful when you want a relatively neutral coating without adding much additional flavor.
The history: From postwar innovation to kitchen essential
Vegetable oil spray is a relatively modern invention, although the technology behind it has a surprisingly interesting history.
The aerosol food industry began developing after World War II, when manufacturers started exploring civilian applications for pressurized spray containers. Aerosol technology had already been developed for other purposes, including dispensing insect repellents. Naturally, someone eventually looked at the technology and thought, What else can we put in a can?
In 1947, Reddi-wip introduced aerosol whipped cream to American consumers, helping establish the commercial aerosol food market.
A decade later, cooking oil got its turn.
In 1957, Arthur Meyerhoff Sr. and Leon Rubin patented a nonstick cooking spray concept. Their product, PAM, was introduced commercially in 1959.
And yes, PAM is commonly explained as standing for Product of Arthur Meyerhoff. It’s one of those little pieces of food trivia that makes you sound unnecessarily knowledgeable at brunch.
The original concept was ingenious. Rather than greasing cookware with butter, shortening, or a generous pour of cooking oil, home cooks could apply a fine coating with the press of a button.
It was particularly well suited to the changing American kitchen of the 1950s and 1960s, when convenience foods, labor-saving appliances, and products promising to make domestic life easier were becoming increasingly popular.
Cooking spray fit right in.
PAM eventually expanded its offerings, introducing butter and olive oil varieties in the 1980s, followed by baking-specific and grilling products in later decades.
Today, cooking sprays are available in an almost ridiculous assortment of options. Canola, coconut, avocado, olive oil, butter flavor, baking spray with flour, and even specialized formulations for high-temperature cooking.
What started as a clever way to grease a frying pan has become an entire grocery-store category.
What do we actually use it for?
If you think cooking spray is only useful for preventing scrambled eggs from becoming permanently attached to your skillet, you’re missing out on some of its more practical applications.
Here are some of its best uses.
1. Baking and cake preparation
This is arguably one of its greatest contributions to civilization.
Spraying baking pans, muffin tins, loaf pans, and cake molds creates an even coating that helps baked goods release without leaving half your recipe behind.
Baking sprays that contain flour are particularly useful for cakes and other delicate baked goods. They combine the greasing and flouring steps into one, which means fewer dishes and less opportunity to make a mess.
2. Roasting vegetables
A light coating of oil spray can help distribute fat across vegetables before roasting.
Think broccoli, carrots, potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower. You can season them with salt, pepper, and whatever spices you’re currently addicted to.
The advantage is that you can coat the vegetables without accidentally drowning them in oil.
That said, don’t expect a spray to replace the flavor of a generous drizzle of good olive oil. There are times when flavor deserves the calories.
3. Eggs and delicate foods
Eggs are notorious for sticking, particularly when you’re dealing with an older pan or a cooking surface that has lost some of its original nonstick properties.
A little cooking spray can help with scrambled eggs, omelets, pancakes, and French toast.
It’s also useful for delicate foods like fish, where preventing the first catastrophic sticking incident can make the difference between a beautiful fillet and something that looks like it was assembled by a drunk version of….me.
4. Air fryer cooking
Air fryers are wonderful, but certain foods benefit from a little additional fat to help with browning and crisping.
A light application of compatible cooking oil can help vegetables, potatoes, and homemade breaded foods develop a more appealing exterior.
Always check your air fryer’s instructions before using aerosol sprays. Some manufacturers specifically warn against them because of potential residue buildup or damage to the cooking surface.
5. Grilling
Cooking spray can help prepare grill grates and reduce sticking, although there are some important safety considerations.
Never spray an aerosol can near an open flame or hot grill. Aerosol propellants can be flammable. Follow the grill manufacturer’s instructions and apply oil safely, away from ignition sources.
6. Everyday kitchen odds and ends
Cooking spray has a few less obvious applications:
Greasing waffle irons and sandwich presses.
Coating baking sheets before roasting.
Preventing dough from sticking to certain storage containers.
Lightly coating measuring cups before measuring sticky ingredients such as honey or molasses.
Preparing popcorn-making equipment, where permitted by the manufacturer’s instructions.
It is a surprisingly versatile little can.
The pros: Why cooking spray deserves a place in the kitchen
Less oil, when used appropriately
One of the biggest advantages of cooking spray is portion control.
A brief spray can distribute a small amount of oil over a relatively large surface. If you’re trying to reduce the amount of added fat in a particular recipe, this can be useful.
However, there is a rather important distinction between using less oil and using no oil.
Cooking spray is still oil. It contains fat and calories, even when the nutrition label says zero.
Convenience
There’s something to be said for not having to locate a pastry brush, pour oil into a bowl, and distribute it across a pan.
Spray, cook, move on with your life.
Even coverage
A spray can distribute oil across corners, crevices, and oddly shaped baking pans that can be difficult to grease evenly by hand.
This is especially helpful when working with intricate cake molds or muffin tins.
Less cleanup
Using an appropriate amount of spray can help prevent food from sticking, which generally makes cleanup easier.
Anyone who has spent 20 minutes scraping baked-on cheese from a casserole dish understands the value of this particular benefit.
Neutral flavor
Most vegetable oil sprays are designed to have relatively little impact on the flavor of food.
That’s helpful when you’re baking something delicate or cooking ingredients where you don’t necessarily want the flavor of olive oil, butter, or coconut oil.
The cons: It’s not quite the miracle product the label suggests
Cooking spray has plenty going for it, but there are a few things worth understanding before declaring it the greatest invention since sliced bread.
1. The zero-calorie illusion
This is probably the biggest source of confusion.
Many cooking sprays advertise zero calories and zero grams of fat. That doesn’t mean the product is magically exempt from the laws of nutrition.
The serving size is often an extremely short spray, sometimes around one-quarter of a second.
Because nutrition labels use defined serving sizes and rounding rules, a very small quantity of oil can legally appear as zero calories.
Spray for several seconds, however, and you’re using more than the labeled serving.
Tufts University’s nutrition experts have specifically pointed out that people often use considerably more spray than the tiny serving size suggests.
In other words, if you’re standing over your roasting vegetables holding down the nozzle like you’re extinguishing a kitchen fire, you aren’t consuming zero calories.
2. Ingredients beyond oil
Traditional aerosol cooking sprays can contain more than just vegetable oil.
Depending on the formulation, you might find:
Soy lecithin, an emulsifier that helps with the product’s performance.
Propane, butane, or isobutane, used as propellants.
Dimethyl silicone, an antifoaming agent in some formulations.
Other ingredients intended to improve texture, dispensing, or nonstick performance.
These ingredients aren’t automatically dangerous simply because they sound like something you’d find in a chemistry laboratory.
The FDA considers permitted food ingredients and uses within its regulatory framework, and the presence of a propellant doesn’t mean you’re eating a can of fuel.
Still, ingredient-conscious shoppers may prefer a simpler oil-only spray or a refillable oil mister.
Always read the individual label. Formulations vary considerably.
3. Potential buildup on nonstick cookware
Here’s something that doesn’t get nearly enough attention.
Some cooking sprays can leave behind a sticky residue that accumulates on cookware over time.
Consumer Reports has warned that cooking spray residue can be particularly troublesome on nonstick pans. The buildup can become difficult to remove and may interfere with the pan’s nonstick performance.
This is especially frustrating because the entire point of using cooking spray is to prevent food from sticking.
My recommendation? Check your cookware manufacturer’s instructions. If it advises against cooking spray, believe it.
4. It doesn’t provide the same flavor as real cooking oil
A fine mist of vegetable oil isn’t going to give your roasted potatoes the same rich, satisfying flavor as a drizzle of good olive oil.
Nor will it replace butter when you’re making a grilled cheese sandwich.
Cooking spray is a functional ingredient. It’s not necessarily a culinary upgrade.
There is a difference between making food easier to cook and making food taste better.
5. Aerosol safety and storage
Traditional pressurized cooking sprays contain flammable propellants. The cans should be stored away from heat and open flames, and they should never be punctured or incinerated.
Never spray directly toward a flame or a hot heating element.
It is also worth remembering that aerosol cans are pressurized containers, not something to leave sitting beside a hot stove.
Vegetable oil spray versus a traditional oil mister
There are two basic ways to get oil onto your cooking surface: buy a pressurized aerosol spray or use a refillable oil mister.
Neither is inherently better. They simply serve slightly different purposes.
I particularly like the idea of having both available.
A conventional cooking spray is useful for greasing muffin tins and baking dishes, while a refillable mister allows you to use your preferred olive or avocado oil.
If you’re particular about the oil you cook with, the refillable option gives you considerably more control over the ingredients.
Is vegetable oil spray healthier than regular cooking oil?
This is where things get a little more complicated.
Cooking spray can help reduce the amount of oil used in a recipe, which can reduce the calories coming from added fat. But the nutritional difference comes down to how much oil you’re actually using.
A tablespoon of olive oil, for example, contains approximately 120 calories. A very short spray may deliver considerably less.
But vegetable oil spray isn’t inherently healthier simply because the nutrition label advertises zero calories.
Vegetable oils also contain different proportions of saturated and unsaturated fats, depending on their source. Canola, soybean, sunflower, and olive oils have different nutritional profiles.
And let’s not forget that dietary fat serves important functions in the body. It helps with the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and provides essential fatty acids.
The goal shouldn’t necessarily be to eliminate cooking oil. It’s to use it intentionally.
If you’re making roasted vegetables, a little olive oil might contribute more flavor and satisfaction than a nearly invisible coating of cooking spray. If you’re greasing a muffin tin, however, there’s absolutely no reason to pour a tablespoon of oil into each little compartment.
Context matters.
How to choose a good vegetable oil spray
If you’re shopping for cooking spray, I’d pay attention to a few things:
Look at the primary oil. Canola and soybean oils are common, while olive and avocado varieties offer alternatives.
Read the ingredients. If you prefer fewer additives, look for products with simple ingredient lists. Some pump sprays contain only oil.
Consider the intended use. Baking sprays containing flour are useful for cakes and baked goods. High-heat formulations are designed for particular cooking applications, but always check the manufacturer’s temperature guidance.
Check cookware compatibility. Particularly if you’re using expensive nonstick cookware.
Don’t get distracted by zero calories. Pay attention to how much you’re actually using rather than relying on the nutrition panel’s smallest possible serving size.
The final verdict: A little can with a surprisingly big job
Vegetable oil spray isn’t particularly exciting. It isn’t going to transform your cooking, introduce you to an entirely new cuisine, or make your dinner party guests wonder whether you’ve secretly attended culinary school.
But it is useful.
It saves time, makes baking easier, helps prevent food from sticking, and allows you to apply a relatively thin layer of oil without making a mess.
Its biggest downside is probably the misleading impression that zero calories means zero fat, followed closely by the potential for residue buildup on certain nonstick surfaces.
Personally, I think cooking spray is one of those products that earns its place in the kitchen through sheer practicality.
I’d use it to grease a cake pan, prepare a waffle iron, or lightly coat a baking sheet. I’d reach for a good bottle of olive oil when making a salad dressing, roasting vegetables where flavor matters, or sautéing something that deserves a little more culinary attention.
The two products aren’t competitors. They have different jobs.
And sometimes, the most useful kitchen product isn’t the expensive olive oil you’ve been saving for a special occasion. It’s the unassuming little can sitting in your cupboard, quietly preventing your breakfast from becoming a permanent part of your cookware.
Not glamorous. Not revolutionary anymore. Just genuinely useful.
Which, frankly, is more than I can say for some of the things taking up space in my kitchen cabinets.
Recipes
Sources and further reading
Clayton Corporation. Over 75 Years of Aerosol Technology. https://www.claytoncorp.com/innovation-history.html
Freshwater, P. (September 6, 2023). People only just learning what PAM actually stands for after 64 years. The Mirror US. https://www.themirror.com/news/weird-news/people-only-just-learning-what-86511
Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy (May 9, 2018). Q Are non-stick cooking sprays healthy? Do they add anything to food I need to worry about? Tufts University. https://www.nutritionletter.tufts.edu/ask-experts/q-are-non-stick-cooking-sprays-healthy-do-they-add-anything-to-food-i-need-to-worry-about/
Farrel, Mary H. J. (October 12, 2020). Can You Use Cooking Spray on a Nonstick Pan? Consumer Reports. https://www.consumerreports.org/cookware/cooking-spray-on-nonstick-pan/
White, Dana Angelo (2013). Cooking Spray: Is It Healthy? Food Network. https://www.foodnetwork.com/healthyeats/2013/05/is-it-healthy-cooking-spray
