Wednesday, May 26, 2010

The Misto® The Gourmet Olive Oil Sprayer®

Pretty AND practical: The Misto Sprayer!


I learn something new every day, especially about cooking.  For instance, the other day, I learned that you're not supposed to spray nonstick spray (like PAM) on your nonstick pans, because it'll discolor them.  I think it might also discolor aluminum cookie sheets, too, but don't quote me on that.  I guess I saw the discoloring happening and just thought I was tremendously inept at cleaning.

But that's beside the point.  I bought a Misto Olive Oil Sprayer from Bed Bath and Beyond, way back in the early 2000s, and have been happily using it ever since.  The package promises that you "Just fill, pump & spray" for "less fat, more flavor."  It delivers.

You fill it up halfway with olive oil, or your favorite oil, and then to get that atomizing effect without the propellants in the commercial aerosol cans of cooking spray, you pump the top, and then spray a perfect thin coat of olive oil on your cooking pan, cookie sheet, even your salad, for extra flavor and nonstick-ness, without a whole glob of oil sitting there.

At first glance, Misto might look a little pricey.  I paid $9.99 for mine, back in the day, and I see they're still $9.99, at least at Bed Bath and Beyond.  You might think this is outlandish for an empty stainless steel oil atomizer, but it's really quite a good value.  I haven't bought commercial cooking spray in years- not since I got my Misto.  I just buy a bottle of olive oil and refill whenever I need to.  I'm not putting all those empty spray cans of PAM into a landfill.  Finally, who knows what kind of oil is in PAM and those other cooking sprays?  I don't mean to disparage them, but with the Misto, you know exactly what kind of oil you're spraying on your pans and your food, because you fill it yourself, and it's pure oil, not oil and whatever propellants they put in for the spray to come out of the aerosol cans.

I wholeheartedly recommend the Misto® Gourmet Olive Oil Sprayer® for anyone who cooks, whether you're watching your fat intake, or you're concerned about the chemicals that make the aerosol spray work, or you're watching your pennies, or you're looking out for the environment.