Here's When Each Type of Vinegar Works Best (2024)

Shutterstock / Faiz Zaki

While you might turn your nose at a bag of salt and vinegar potato chips, you can’t deny how ubiquitous vinegar is. It’s hidden in all kinds of food, from the predictable ones like salad dressings and pickles to the less-obvious condiments like ketchup and mustard. It brings your favorite hot sauce to life and adds acidity to marinades.

But, here’s the thing: not all vinegars are made equally, and you can’t use one for everything. So, we took a deep dive into the world a vinegars to help you know which vinegars are best for which dishes.

Distilled White Vinegar

This sharp, strong vinegar is made by fermenting distilled alcohol. It’s very inexpensive to make, which makes it popular for use in commercial production of salad dressings and condiments. It can be used in any type of cuisine, but I’d skip cooking with it and just use it for household cleaning projects.

Balsamic Vinegar

This dark, sometimes syrupy vinegar is an Italian classic. Unlike the other vinegars, it’s not made from a fermented alcohol. Pressed grape juice is aged in oak barrels, which (over time) thickens the vinegar, concentrates its flavor, and drives up the price! There are inexpensive versions on the market, but be careful – the cheaper versions are just white vinegar with added food coloring. This vinegar is perfect for glazing meats, drizzling onto fresh fruits, or making a simple salad dressing when combined with high-quality olive oil.

Apple Cider Vinegar

This particular type of vinegar has gotten a lot of press recently for its alleged medicinal properties. People tout apple cider vinegar as the cure-all for stomach distress, the common cold, and also as a weight-loss supplement. It’s made from pressed apples that are fermented into alcohol before turning into vinegar. This gives it a mildly sweet flavor with a lightly tart aftertaste. It’s my go-to vinegar for making homemade sodas, as well as pickles, salad dressings, and marinades.

Red Wine Vinegar

This fermented red wine byproduct is one of the most popular vinegars in the United States. It can be made with any type of red wine, with variety giving its vinegar a unique spin. Overall, you’ll find it has a sharp flavor and a ton of tang, making it perfect for vinaigrettes and marinades. Since it infuses vegetables with a pinkish hue, it’s also a great choice for pickled onions.

White Wine Vinegar

Like red wine vinegar, this type is made by fermenting white wine. It’s lacks the sharp bite of its red counterpart, giving it a mellower flavor and a softer edge. It can be used for everything from making pickles to salad dressings, but I like its mild flavor best for coleslaw.

Champagne Vinegar

This super-bright vinegar has a sharp tang but a light flavor. As you might have guessed, it’s made by fermenting champagne. Since its flavor is so delightful, it’s best for use in unheated applications, like finishing hot sauces or making vinaigrettes.

Sherry Vinegar

This Spanish vinegar is made by fermenting a fortified wine. After fermenting the sherry, the byproduct is aged in oak barrels for at least six months. That gives it a deeply savory flavor, making one of the more complex flavored vinegars. It’s perfect for deglazing and making pan sauces, but you can also use it to add depth to soups or sauces.

Rice Vinegar

A common Chinese and Japanese ingredient, rice vinegar is made by fermenting rice wine. It’s less acidic than the other types of vinegar so it’s less harsh and has a sweeter taste. This vinegar makes excellent quick pickles and is delightful when added to Asian-style stir-fries and sauces.

Black Vinegar

This Chinese vinegar (also called Chinkiang vinegar) is made from glutinous rice. It has a deep, smoky flavor that’s almost woody tasting. Because it’s intensely sour, it’s used as the counterpart to sweet ingredients in Chinese cooking. It makes a great dipping sauce for dim sum dumplings.

Malt Vinegar

This popular fish-and-chips vinegar is made from barley, which is brewed into beer before being fermented into vinegar. It’s aged briefly, giving it a mellow flavor and a savory mouthfeel. It’s the signature vinegar of the United Kingdom.

Truly, life isn’t worth living without a little bit of tang! And now you know how to make life even more delicious.