Advice | A guide to vinegars and how to use each type (2024)

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This is probably the vinegar that most of us think of first, and yet it’s usually not our go-to for cooking thanks to its one-note, mouth-puckering flavor. Made from grain alcohol, “it has very little character or subtlety and is generally sold by the gallon,” Mouncey Ferguson wrote in The Washington Post in 1998. “When plain, it should be used only in a pinch. Save it for pickling, or for scouring the tub.”

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I consider cider vinegar a good, all-purpose vinegar. It’s inexpensive, versatile and not quite as aggressive as white vinegar because of its subtle, but not overpowering, fruitiness. It works just as well uncooked, such as in vinaigrettes or pickles, as it does cooked. Try it in barbecue sauces or glazes. Use it to create a pan sauce — the vinegar will help lift off the flavorful browned bits — or add brightness to a soup or stew at the end of cooking. Cider vinegar also plays into refreshing zero-proof sippers, switchels and shrubs.

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Its “bright, light flavor makes it a fine dressing. The flavor of the vinegar comes through first, and the sour grassiness of white wine lingers after,” Ferguson wrote. Consider using white wine vinegar in more delicate dishes, advised Holmberg, noting that champagne vinegar is similar. Try it to dress raw or roasted vegetables. No surprise: It is a suitable pickle brine.

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“It’s a little warmer on the tongue, slightly more complex than its white sibling, but still simple,” Ferguson said. “Not a big personality in the bowl, but without white wine vinegar’s sourness.” Holmberg prefers it for robust uses — it’s great in braises and stews and paired with beef — although it also makes a fine salad dressing. Red wine vinegar works in pickling, too, especially for quick-pickling red onions.

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Sherry vinegar, derived from the Spanish fortified white wine, is my go-to for a little fancy flair. Aging, anywhere from six months to decades, adds extra depth. It “has an appealingly round, woodsy flavor with hints of caramel and vanilla, yet no sweetness whatsoever. If red wine vinegar is a red vinyl booth in a pizza joint, sherry vinegar is a garnet-colored suede banquette in a restaurant where you hope someone else will pick up the tab. It is understated and therefore versatile,” Holmberg said. It’s a natural in Spanish cuisine, such as gazpacho. Preserve the lovely flavor by using it raw or toward the end of cooking. I often add a splash to brighten wilted greens or vegetable soups instead of lemon juice.

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Rather than wine, balsamic vinegar starts with just grapes, the juice of which is “boiled down to a sweet, fruity syrup, then aged in various wooden barrels,” Ferguson wrote. The authentic stuff is made in and around Modena, Italy, and is good enough to simply drizzle over berries or ice cream. Holmberg issued a word of caution about the thin, sweet liquid that makes up many grocery store balsamics: “Balsamic overuse is rampant in the United States and is somewhat of a minor moral outrage, to me, anyway.” Your call, though! It can easily overwhelm more delicate greens, but that boldness does make it work well with beef, chicken and fish.

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Surprise! These are names for the same product made from fermented rice. At 4 percent acidity, compared to 6 to 7 percent for other culinary vinegars, rice is comparatively mild, according to Holmberg. It has a subtle but not overpowering sweetness, unless you buy “seasoned” rice vinegar, which has added sugar and salt. For those turned off by sharper vinegars, rice can be a great all-purpose option for dressings and quick pickles. I also like to use it in a simple dipping sauce for dumplings or Korean-style pancakes. It’s a staple in sushi rice.

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If you like hot-and-sour soup, you like Chinkiang vinegar, sometimes referred to as Chinese black vinegar. It’s made from fermented black sticky rice or regular glutinous rice and may also incorporate sorghum or wheat, the Woks of Life blog from the Leung family says. “It is quite literally black in color and has a full bodied, malty, complex taste. It is mildly acidic, less so than a regular distilled white vinegar, with a faintly sweet flavor.” The Leungs offer a wide range of possibilities on how to use it. Try it as a dipping condiment for dumplings or in dressings for cold appetizers or salads. It can add “acidity and sweetness to braised dishes” and stir-fries.