A cooking oil’s smoke point is the temperature at which it begins to smoke. It will reach this temperature before it reaches its boiling point. Heating oils to their smoking point has been linked to the formation of carcinogens and can also create an off, burnt flavor.
Knowing the differences among oils and their smoke points is an essential part of healthy cooking . It allows you to choose the right oil for the job and prevents your food from becoming damaged by heat . Smoke point is the temperature at which an oil begins to smoke and breaks down. This affects the flavor and nutrition of the oil, as well as the best cooking method.
What Is Smoke Point?
The smoke point is the temperature at which oil begins to produce smoke. The smoke point is when the oil starts to smoke in the pan.
Factors Affecting Smoke Point
The smoke point is the temperature at which an oil begins to break down and smoke. This will vary depending on the type of oil and the fats it contains.
- Refining : Since refining removes impurities and free fatty acids that can cause the oil to smoke, refined oils have a higher smoke point.
- Type of fat : Oils high in polyunsaturated fats, such as sunflower, flaxseed, or safflower, tend to have a lower smoke point. Oils higher in monounsaturated fats (including avocado, canola, and olive) have medium smoke points. Oils high in saturated fats, such as coconut and palm oils, have higher smoke points.
- Age : As an oil ages, it’s exposed to light, heat, and air, which can lower its effectiveness and smoke point.
High Smoke Point Oils
Oils with a high smoke point of 400 degrees F or more are best used for frying. There are several types of oil that can be used for cooking, including avocado oil, canola oil, corn oil, and peanut oil.
Low Smoke Point Oils
A low smoke point is when the oil starts to smoke and it’s 225 degrees F or less. Do not heat these oils, which include flaxseed oil, pumpkin seed oil, and walnut oil. They are meant to be used for salad dressing or as a garnish.
Oil Smoke Points and Health
If you see smoke coming from the oil, it means the fat is breaking down. Heating oil produces more free fatty acids, which lowers the smoke point.
When you heat up oil, it goes through a process called oxidation, where free fatty acids and free radicals are formed. This leads to the oil going bad and tasting rancid. You should not reuse frying oil more than twice because it is not good for you.
If you reheat oil, it will break down the good polyphenol antioxidants that are one of the health benefits of plant-based oils. If you heat fats beyond their smoke point, it can create carcinogenic compounds.
Prolonged and consistent exposure to cooking oil fumes has been linked to certain cancers, according to research. Ongoing exposure to fumes produced by cooking oils increases the risk of lung cancer, but proper ventilation and avoiding exposure helps lower that risk.
Oil Smoke Points and Nutrition
The best oils for overall health are those high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. The fats mentioned have been shown to protect heart health and reduce inflammation throughout the body.
Some examples of monounsaturated oils are canola oil, peanut oil, almond oil, olive oil, avocado oil, and high oleic sunflower and safflower oil. These oils tend to have higher smoke points. Polyunsaturated oils have a lower smoke point than other oils. Some examples of polyunsaturated oils are wheat germ oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, grapeseed oil, walnut oil, flaxseed oil, and corn oil. Sesame oil consists of approximately 40% monounsaturated and 40% polyunsaturated fats.
After oils are extracted or pressed, they can go through a refining process, or they can be bottled immediately. Oils that have not been changed from their natural state are called unrefined, cold-pressed, raw, or virgin. These oils have been processed without any chemicals.
Oils that are higher in polyphenols tend to have better nutrient retention. Oils that are not refined have lower smoke points and can go bad more quickly. It is important to know the smoke point of these oils and how to store them properly.
Oil Smoke Points and Flavor
The flavor of oils varies considerably. Most plant-based oils that are unrefined, expeller-pressed, or cold-pressed have their own unique flavors. However, some are stronger than others. Nut and seed oils such as walnut, almond, pecan, pumpkin seed, and sesame oil can have strong flavors that resemble the nut they are derived from. These oils are best used as a key ingredient in a dish utilized specifically for their flavor.
A second category of oils, which chefs often refer to as “neutral” oils, do not add a strong flavor. They are most commonly used for their fat in cooking, such as sautéing, browning, caramelizing, or frying (or as an emulsifier in a vinaigrette). The oils that have a higher smoke point are the ones that tend to be used more often. Some neutral oils are canola oil, grapeseed oil, corn oil, and avocado oil.
Extra virgin olive oil that is of high quality should have a taste that is fruity, bitter, and even slightly pungent depending on the type of olive used, where it is from, and how it was processed. There are two types of regular virgin and light olive oils: a blend of cold-pressed and refined oils, or fully refined with a processing method that uses heat. The latter will have a more neutral taste and slightly higher smoke point.
If you cook oil past its smoke point, it will taste bitter, burnt, and generally unpleasant. Essentially, if you cook an oil beyond its smoke point, it will taste bad.
Cooking Oil Smoke Point Chart
What are the best oils to cook with? This will depend on several factors, such as the type of recipe, the cooking method, and your personal preference. When choosing an oil, you should consider your health goals, whether you want a particular flavor, and what smoke point is appropriate for the cooking style you’re using.
| Smoke Points of Different Oils | ||
| Oil | Smoke Point
(degrees F) |
Best Used For |
| Refined avocado oil | 520F | Deep-frying, searing, stir-frying |
| Refined or light olive oil | 465F | Grilling, sautéing, stir-frying |
| Refined peanut oil | 450F | Deep-frying, stir-frying |
| Ghee or clarified butter | 450F | Sautéing, stir-frying |
| Corn oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil | 450F | Sautéing, searing |
| Refined coconut oil | 450F | Sautéing, stir-frying |
| Refined sesame oil | 410F | Stir-frying |
| Canola oil | 400F | Baking, grilling, sautéing |
| Grapeseed oil | 400F | Sautéing, stir-frying |
| Extra virgin olive oil | 375-400F | Baking, salad dressing, sautéing |
| Duck fat, chicken fat, lard | 375F | Baking, frying, sautéing |
| Vegetable oil | 400F | Baking, deep frying, roasting, searing |
| Unrefined virgin avocado oil | 375F | Roasting, searing, sautéing |
| Unrefined virgin coconut oil, unrefined sesame oil | 350F | Sautéing |
| Unrefined walnut oil, unrefined peanut oil | 320F | Drizzle for salads and vegetables |
| Walnut oil | 300-350F | Drizzle for salads and vegetables |
| Butter | 300F | Baking, searing |
Smoke Points and Why They Matter
The smoke point is the temperature at which an oil begins to smoke. We’ve all probably left oil heating in a pan and then realized minutes later that the kitchen is starting to fill with smoke. We want to avoid smoking oil because it is bad news for our health and probably damages the pan.
The smoke that comes from oils is a result of the minerals and flavor compounds present burning at high temperatures. When the oils break down and release compounds that burn, they can give rise to chemicals that make food taste bitter or burnt. If you heat an oil above its smoke point, the oil will start to break down and release harmful chemicals. These chemicals can damage your cells and tissues, and cause health problems.
The more free fatty acids there are in a fat or oil, the lower the smoke point. This is because free fatty acids are less stable than bound fatty acids.
One reason why buying in bulk doesn’t always make sense for cooking oils is that older oils have a lower smoke point than fresher oils.
Heat tolerance of cooking oils
Refined vegetable oils such as high-oleic safflower or sunflower oils can be heated up to 500°F (280°C).
You can heat up refined corn oil, peanut oil, or soy oil to about 450°F (230°C).
Vegetable oils that are not refined should only be used at temperatures below 225°F (105°C). These oils include unrefined canola, flaxseed, safflower and sunflower.
At 325°F (163°C), vegetable shortening will begin to smoke, and at 350°F (176°C), butter will begin to smoke.
At temperatures between 360°F and 400°F (182°C and 204°C), lard will start to smoke.
Oils that are labeled as cold-pressed, raw, virgin, or unrefined are extracted using low or no heat processes and immediately bottled. These oils still contain all their minerals, enzymes, and other nutrients.
Unrefined oils are more likely to go bad when exposed to high temperatures, air, and light. It’s best to buy them in small quantities, in opaque glass bottles, and store them in a cool, dark place. Oils with a low flash point should only be used for finishing drizzles, salad dressings, or, at a stretch, very low heat cooking.
If you want the best possible culinary oils, check to see if they were extracted without hexanes. versus The process of cold-pressing is much healthier as it preserves the majority of the positive aspects of an oil without the use of harmful chemicals.
High-Temperature Cooking Oils
Oils that are not refined typically have a higher concentration of minerals and molecules that alter the smoke point. In contrast to unrefined oils, refined oils like refined coconut oil and ghee can withstand higher temperatures without beginning to burn. This is because many of the minerals and flavor compounds have been removed during the refining process.
The best type of oil to use for searing, sautéing and frying is one that is stable at high temperatures. Although these oils have a very faint flavor, it is best to use them for cooking instead of for things like making a salad dressing or spreading on your morning bagel.
Some options for neutral oils with smoke points over 400 degrees Fahrenheit include refined:
- Peanut oil
- Vegetable oil
- Canola oil
- Safflower oil
- Corn oil.
Remember, though, that refined oils are highly processed. After extracting and pressing the oils, they may be subject to bleaching, heating at high temperatures, deodorizing, and filtering to remove the compounds that easily break down. The oils that result from this process have a flavor that is not noticeable, a long time before expiring, and a high temperature before smoking. Although these oils are advertised as healthy, they actually contain trans fats and residual hexanes. They should be used sparingly or not at all.
The Healthiest Cooking Oils
The best cooking oils are those that are best suited to the type of cooking you’re doing. Paying attention to the smoke point of various oils can help to reduce the amount of free radicals and other undesirable chemicals produced. This, in turn, lowers the risk of oxidative damage to cells and tissues.
You should also focus on the positives of each option. The healthiest cooking oil is the one that has the most positive attributes and the least negative attributes. We should also focus on the positive by choosing oils that are high in MUFAs and PUFAs. Fats that are liquid at room temperature help to keep cell membranes functioning properly, and can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. They also help to support cognitive health and skin health, and have many other benefits.
You should avoid cooking at high temperatures with oils that are rich in either MUFAs or PUFAs. It is ideal not to cook at all with PUFA-rich oils. When you heat these oils, it causes the fats to become damaged. This damage then spreads to your cells and tissues.
We need to maintain a good ratio of the different types of PUFAs (omega 3, 6, and 9) for good health. The vast majority of diets contain an excessive amount of omega 6 in comparison to omega 3, it is suggested to have a maximum ratio of 15:1 of omega 6 to omega 3, and ideally a 1:1 ratio.
How you store your oils is important as those high in PUFAs are liable to be damaged by exposure to light, heat, and air. To get the best results, it is advisable to buy high-quality cooking oils in small quantities. These should be in dark glass bottles, and stored in a cool, dark place such as a cupboard or the refrigerator. I advocate for cooking with fat, but I prefer to get my dietary fats from whole unprocessed plant foods like nuts, seeds, and olives.
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