Cooking with Oils
Cooking oils are one of those basic ingredients that’s used in just about every recipe. Whether you’re baking, frying, roasting, or cooking on the stove, your recipe likely calls for some kind of oil or fat. You might think of that bottle of olive oil as your go-to any time you cook (and it is definitely one of the most versatile), but it’s not always the best oil to use. There are many factors to consider when choosing the right type of oil, but something the average home cook might not think about is the smoke point. The smoke point of cooking oils makes a big difference to the overall taste and quality of your food, so this is a useful thing to know! I’ve got a chart below to help you find the ideal temperatures and cooking methods for each oil. But first, let’s go over some basic info.
What is a smoke point?
The smoke point is the temperature at which cooking oils and fats start to burn–you’ll know it’s burning when it stops shimmering and starts to smoke. Since different types of cooking oils have different smoke points, it’s a major factor in deciding which oil is best for each type of cooking. High temperature cooking methods (like frying) need oils with high smoke points, while low temperature cooking works best with oils with lower smoke points.
Why does the oil smoke point matter when cooking?
Once the oils reach their smoke point, they essentially go bad. They will start to break down at this temperature and release chemicals that can ruin the flavor of food. They aren’t necessarily inedible, but it can really mess with the overall quality of your dish. So you don’t want to use the wrong one.
Cooking Oil Smoke Point Chart
Here’s a quick guide to the smoke points of common cooking oils (listed from lowest to highest smoke points). Keep in mind, refined oils will typically have a higher smoke point than their unrefined counterparts, so check the label.
Choosing the right oil for your recipe
The best way to choose your cooking oil is to simply check the temp chart above. You’ll want the smoke point of your cooking oil to match with your cooking temperature. So low-heat cooking is best with the lighter, unrefined options; whereas high-heat cooking needs those high-temp, refined options. Let’s use olive oil as a good example. Extra virgin olive oil (unrefined) is best for finishing and low heat dishes, because it has a much better flavor. But “regular” olive oil (refined), is better for roasting and sautéing–if you used it on a no-heat recipe, you just wouldn’t get the same quality of flavor. That means you’d want to use regular olive oil for roasting vegetables, but extra virgin olive oil for a salad dressing. While you can use high smoke point oils on lower heat cooking, you’re going to get best results with lighter oils that correspond with the cooking temp. It will just give you a better taste and food quality–although you can use a refined, high temp oil with lower heat. Now that you know the smoke points for every cooking oil, you’ll be able to choose the right one for your recipes and get the best-tasting food! This is most important with high-temp cooking methods, but it’s helpful no matter what you’re making. Keep that bottle of olive oil within reach, but stock up on a couple of other options so you’re always prepared!
