The 8 Vinegars Every Home Cook Needs in the Pantry

In her cookbook-turned-Netflix series, Samin Nosrat taught us that the four elements every recipe needs to be next-level delicious are salt, fat, acid, and heat (Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking, $16.69, Amazon).

Most often, when we think of acid, we probably think of citrus. But we're partial to vinegar for its versatility, shelf stable nature, and affordability. With dozens of vinegars on the market, though, where do you start—and how do you keep them from taking over your whole pantry?

Read on for a complete breakdown of vinegar 101, plus how and why to use the best vinegars for home cooks.

The term "vinegar" comes from the French vin agre, which roughly translates to "sour wine." Early vinegars were just that; wine exposed to the air until sour, which accidentally led to vinegar.

Vinegar is the result of bacteria combining with alcohol and oxygen. That means it's fermented—yes, that same fermentation you know and love from foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, tempeh, and yogurt. Vinegar can be made with nearly any liquid substance that has a starch or sugar of some sort. The bacteria eats that "fuel" and causes the fermentation that produces vinegar.

The flavor of vinegar varies based on the base liquid and the type of bacteria that feeds on said liquid. For more, check out The Differences Between the Six Most Popular Types of Vinegar.

Here are the types of vinegar we recommend for home cooks:

Wine vinegar

While you can use red or white wine vinegar in nearly any recipe that calls for a wine vinegar, white wine vinegar is slightly more versatile since it's colorless. That means it's ideal for pickled vegetables and pan sauces that you want to stay the same hue. Moderately acidic and lightly sweet, these are ideal for adding to gazpachos, glazes, and salad dressings.

Buy it: Bertolli Pinot Grigio White Wine Vinegar, $3.49 for 8 ½ ounces; Target

Try it: Chef John's Chimichurri Sauce

Rice vinegar

Low in acidity and mildly sweet, this is often called for to balance fiery or warm ingredients in Asian cuisine recipes. Add a splash to stir-fries, meat marinades, or sushi dipping sauces.

Buy it: Nakano Natural Rice Vinegar, $1.99 for 12 ounces, Target

Try it: Grilled Steak Salad with Asian Dressing

Cider vinegar

A hint more acidic than rice wine vinegar and slightly sweeter than wine vinegar, cider vinegar is great for more than sipping solo. (In case you missed it, some people like to drink this mixed with water or as a tea to help with blood sugar control and for antimicrobial reasons.) For cooking, cider vinegar is ideal in slaws, sauces, glazes, and dressings.

Buy it: Bragg Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar; $8.19 for 16 ounces; Amazon

Try it: Pork Chops with Apple Cider Glaze

Balsamic vinegar

While aged balsamic is among the pricier condiment options, we think it's worth the investment (within reason; no need to drop $300+ on one bottle). Cheaper, sped-up balsamics often rely on added colors or sweeteners to somewhat mimic aged balsamic. Real Italian balsamic vinegar starts with wine grapes and aged from two months to more than two decades. It's sweet, aromatic, and a treat mixed into caramelized onions, dressings, sauces, or even reduced into a glaze and drizzled over berries, cakes, or custards.

Buy it: Fini Balsamic Vinegar, $16.79 for 8.45 ounces; Amazon

Try it: Balsamic Bruschetta

Chinese black vinegar

You could substitute balsamic vinegar for Chinese black vinegar, but if you enjoy making Asian cuisine at home, we think it's a worthwhile addition to your pantry staples for additional complexity. This starts with sorghum or wheat, which once fermented, tastes toasty and smoky. Add a splash to stir-fries, noodle dishes, or dumpling dipping sauces.

Buy it: Soeos Chinese Black Vinegar, $12.99 for 16.9 ounces; Amazon

Try it: Baked Tofu and Green Beans with Spicy Rhubarb Sauce

Sherry vinegar

This nutty, caramelly, and savory vinegar is essential to score the signature flavor in many Spanish recipes. Starting with sherry wine (a fortified white wine), this comes in clutch in soups, romescos, pestos, sauces, dressings, and more.

Buy it: Arvum Oak-Aged Sherry Vinegar, $13.96 for 12 ¾ ounces; Amazon

Try it: Confetti Rice Salad

Malt vinegar

Like fish and chips? Then you'll love having a bottle of beer-base malt vinegar to lend that nutty, citrusy tang on top. It can also flex into other seafood dishes, homemade salt-and-vinegar chips, sauteed vegetables and pickle recipes. Just be aware that the malted flavor can be quite strong, so you may want to start with a splash and add more to taste.

Buy it: London Pub Malt Vinegar, $12.95 for two 12.7-ounce bottles; Amazon

Try it: Parmesan Fish Sticks with Malt Vinegar Dipping Sauce

Distilled white vinegar

Admittedly, this is more for cleaning than cooking, but cooks do that too, right? This is quite aggressive to add to recipes, but combined with water and baking soda, it's a super-effective all-natural cleaning solution.

Buy it: Good & Gather White Distilled Vinegar, $0.99; Target

Try it: How to Clean a Microwave Using Vinegar

Related:

• Best Main Dish Recipes That Get a Kick from Vinegar
• Delicious Ways to Use a Bottle of Balsamic Vinegar
• Ways to Cook With Apple Cider Vinegar