I've been cooking with olive oil for years, and last month I switched to a cheaper blended oil for everyday frying—honestly, I can't taste the difference in a stir-fry. That got me thinking about whether premium cooking oils are worth the price for most home cooks. Sure, a great extra-virgin olive oil shines in a salad dressing or drizzled over soup, but for high-heat searing or deep-frying, the delicate flavors burn off anyway, and the price difference can be four-fold. I've seen blind taste tests where people couldn't tell the difference between canola and extra-virgin in cooked dishes. So, should home cooks just buy the cheap stuff for cooking and save the fancy oils for finishing? My wallet says yes, but I still have this lingering feeling that I'm missing out on something subtle.