The Common Ingredient You Should Never Store Next To Your Stove

It's undeniably convenient to keep your favorite olive oil next to the stove. When you're cooking a dish that looks a little dry, you can drizzle a bit over the top without having to step away from your recipe. But it turns out that you might be sacrificing taste for convenience. While a fancy bottle of olive oil might look great on the counter, keeping it near the stove (or any heat source) is never a good idea, as heat and temperature fluctuations can turn it from perfect to rancid — fast.

When you're shelling out for the good stuff, you want to do all you can to keep your olive oil in tip-top shape — and that means keeping it cool. You shouldn't refrigerate olive oil, but try to keep it between 55 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit, though it'll be just fine around 70 degrees. In most kitchens, the area near the stove gets much warmer than that. You'll also want to steer clear of other places that tend to heat up, including both the obvious (near your toaster oven) and the not-so-obvious (on top of your dishwasher).

While temperature is an important consideration for storing olive oil, it's not the only thing that matters. Light also speeds up spoilage, so try to keep your favorite bottle of liquid gold tucked away in the dark if you can. The back of a cabinet is a perfect place for your olive oil to stand the test of time — it's away from both heat and light, reducing the chance of it going bad before you get to use it. Pro tip: Be sure to taste-test opened olive oil before using it (if you notice it's turned bitter, it's time to toss it).

Glass is the ideal material for olive oil storage. If you can store it in a tinted glass container, that's even better. You can also use a vessel made of stainless steel; just stay away from containers made of reactive metals, like copper. Unopened bottles can stay fresh for two years or more when stored properly, but you'll want to use up your olive oil within about a month of opening. If you come across a brand you love, it may make sense to stock up on several small bottles rather than one large container to lessen the chance of spoilage.