Cooking Oil Heat Limits

Each oil has its own characteristics, like flavor and color, and one of them is the smoke point at which the oil begins to break down, burns, produces a blueish smoke, and vaporizes into the air. It’s all over for the oil at that point.

The smoke point is different for each oil. We’ve all seen the smoke coming off a pan with nothing but oil in it, and realize that we have burned the oil.  For example,

Olive oil has a low smoke point; that is, at a somewhat low temperature, it will break down, turn brown, and begin to vaporize (smoke). So olive oil is used for salad dressings (no cooking at all) and light sautéing where the temperatures don’t get very high.

Peanut oil, on the other hand, has a medium high smoke point, so it can be used for cooking in woks at high temperatures. However, it might be too heavy to use in a salad.

When the oil burns, its color changes (it turns dark yellow or brown) and its taste changes as well, very seldom for the better.  The nutritional value of the oil also deteriorates starting at the smoke point.  It is usually best to wipe the pan out and start over!

As you can see, it’s important to use the right oil for the right cooking job.

At least one company, Spectrum, has labeled its oils to indicate the heat temperatures that each particular oil can tolerate.  To some extent, Spectrum has formulated its oils to suit these temperatures (and thus, they may not apply to all Canolas, for example). It has to do with the fatty acid content of the oil, which Spectrum may be able to control to some degree in the process of refining the oil.

But we might still be able to use their ratings as a ballpark indicator for the oil in hand when we are deciding what kind of heat it can tolerate before breaking down.

Here are the Spectrum ratings.  They are general (read “somewhat vague”), so we should just use them as a rough measure of how to use these oils.

Following that is a table fromthat lists many more oils and their smoke points by temperature. You can see from the Wiki table that it sometimes makes a big temperature difference if the oil is refined, unrefined, extra virgin, etc.

Butter—Very Low Heat

Margarine—Very Low Heat

Olive Oil—Low Heat

Toasted Sesame Oil—Medium Heat

Organic Sesame Oil—Medium Heat

Canola Oil—Medium High Heat

Hazelnut Oil—Medium High Heat

Grapeseed Oil—Medium High Heat

Walnut Oil—Medium High Heat

Peanut Oil—Medium High Heat

Almond Oil—High Heat

Ghee (Indian Clarified Butter)—High Heat

Safflower Oil—High Heat

Sunflower Oil—High Heat

Regular Sesame Oil—High Heat  (not organic or toasted)

Table of Cooking Oil Smoke Points from Wikipedia 

 

The following table presents smoke points of various fats:

Fat	Quality	Smoke Point
Almond oil		420°F	216°C
Avocado oil		520°F	271°C
Butter		250–300°F	121–149°C
Canola oil	Expeller Press	375-450°F[5]	190-232°C
Canola oil	High Oleic	475°F	246°C
Canola oil	Refined	400°F	204°C[1]
Castor oil	Refined	392°F	200°C[6]
Coconut oil	Extra Virgin (Unrefined)	350°F[7]	177°C
Coconut oil	Refined	450°F	232°C
Corn oil	Unrefined	352°F	178°C[6]
Corn oil	Refined	450°F	232°C[1]
Cottonseed oil		420°F	216°C[1]
Flax seed oil	Unrefined	225°F	107°C
Ghee (Indian Clarified Butter)		485°F	252°C
Grapeseed oil		420°F	216°C
Hazelnut oil		430°F	221°C
Hemp oil		330°F	165°C
Lard		370°F	188°C
Macadamia oil		413°F	210°C
Mustard oil		489°F	254°C
Olive oil	Extra virgin	375°F	191°C
Olive oil	Virgin	391°F	199°C[6]
Olive oil	Pomace	460°F	238°C[1]
Olive oil	Extra light	468°F	242°C[1]
Olive oil, high quality (low acidity)	Extra virgin	405°F	207°C
Palm oil	Difractionated	455°F	235°C[8]
Peanut oil	Unrefined	320°F	160°C
Peanut oil	Refined	450°F	232°C[1]
Rice bran oil		490°F	254°C
Safflower oil	Unrefined	225°F	107°C
Safflower oil	Semirefined	320°F	160°C
Safflower oil	Refined	510°F	266°C[1]
Sesame oil	Unrefined	350°F	177°C
Sesame oil	Semirefined	450°F	232°C
Soybean oil	Unrefined	320°F	160°C
Soybean oil	Semirefined	350°F	177°C
Soybean oil	Refined	460°F	238°C[1]
Sunflower oil	Unrefined	225°F	107°C
Sunflower oil	Semirefined	450°F	232°C
Sunflower oil, high oleic	Unrefined	320°F	160°C
Sunflower oil	Refined	440°F	227°C[1]
Tea seed oil		485°F	252°C
Vegetable shortening		360°F	182°C
Walnut oil	Unrefined	320°F	160°C
Walnut oil	Semirefined	400°F	204°C