Frylight, £2.75, Ocado; Misto, £11.99, Lakeland
But what about clogging? “We advise to clean it every six to eight weeks to keep it working smoothly,” said a Lakeland spokesperson. “To do this you fill it half full with hot tap water, add one drop of liquid detergent and shake to mix. You then pump 10 to 15 times and spray for 10 seconds. Leave the soapy water in the sprayer for several hours or even overnight as this will allow any oil that has been solidified to break down. Rinse and repeat the sequence above with fresh hot water.” It means you can put the oil you want in there (even hazelnut or walnut) without paying through the nose for some possibly third-rate sample. And pay you do: the prices for some of the sprays are definitely pumped up. Some things stay the same, however much you update them.
Six clever ways to use cooking oil spray
1. Spray a light film of oil on the inside of measuring spoons when using sticky ingredients such as honey and nut butter. It will help ensure a more accurate measurement as well as making washing-up a little easier.
2. Spritz some oil onto a baking tray to help greaseproof paper stay fixed in place when piping biscuits or meringues.
3. For effective protection against browning, spray cut vegetables such as avocado or aubergine with a thin coating of oil before wrapping well.
4. Save time by using a neutral vegetable spray oil to grease aluminum cake tins – particularly useful for bundts and other elaborately-designed bakeware. Unless using a pure, additive-free oil, sprays are not recommended for non-stick surfaces.
5. Ensure bread dough doesn’t form a crust during proving by spraying the surface with olive oil before covering the bowl with a tea towel.
6. Help season and spice-blend coat meat and vegetables more evenly by giving them a light spray of oil first.