Minimum Quantity Cooling Lubrication (MQCL) seems to be an effective technique to improve the surface integrity of the ground surface. The performance of MQCL may be affected by different MQCL parameters in combination with lubrication ability and viscosity of the grinding fluid. Therefore, in the present study, Inconel 718 has been ground with neat oil (typical viscosity of 27–42 cSt) and water-based nanofluids (typical viscosity of 0.66 cSt) at different air delivery pressure and fluid flow rate to reveal their effect on the integrity of the ground surface. Ground surface morphology and surface residual stress have been assessed to represent the surface integrity. No visible effect of MQCL parameters on the ground surface morphology and surface residual stress have been observed for all the cutting fluids used. Neat oil produced better ground surface morphology and much lower residual stress as compared to nanofluids throughout the experimental domain. © 2019, Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.