Smoke point
The smoke point is the temperature at which an oil or fat starts to smoke and break down. It tells you which fats suit searing and frying.
Also called Smoking point.
The smoke point is the temperature at which a fat starts to give off a steady stream of visible smoke. Past that point, it is breaking down. It tastes acrid, can irritate your eyes and throat, and in time can catch fire. Refined oils have higher smoke points than unrefined ones, because refining removes the particles that burn first. Choosing a fat with a smoke point above your cooking temperature keeps food tasting clean.
How to use it
Smoke points vary by brand, freshness and how the oil was made, so treat these as rough guides:
| Fat | Approximate smoke point |
|---|---|
| Butter | 150 to 175°C (300 to 350°F) |
| Extra virgin olive oil | 190 to 210°C (375 to 410°F) |
| Coconut oil, unrefined | about 175°C (350°F) |
| Canola (rapeseed) oil, refined | about 205 to 230°C (400 to 450°F) |
| Peanut oil, refined | about 230°C (450°F) |
| Ghee or clarified butter | about 230 to 250°C (450 to 480°F) |
| Avocado oil, refined | about 250 to 270°C (480 to 520°F) |
- For searing, stir-frying and deep-frying, use a refined oil with a high smoke point.
- For gentle sautéing, roasting at moderate heat and dressings, extra virgin olive oil and butter work well.
- For butter flavor at high heat, use clarified butter or ghee, which have the milk solids removed.
Common mistakes
- Heating oil until it smokes heavily. A light wisp is fine for searing. Heavy smoke means it has gone too far.
- Reusing frying oil many times. Each use lowers the smoke point. Strain it, and discard it when it smells off, darkens a lot or smokes at normal frying heat.
- Mixing up refined and unrefined versions. Unrefined sesame, walnut or peanut oil smoke much sooner.
- Thinking smoke point is the only thing that matters. How an oil holds up over long heating also depends on its fat type.
- Leaving hot oil unattended. If it catches fire, turn off the heat and cover the pan. Never pour on water.
In recipes
"Heat the oil until shimmering" means just below the smoke point: the surface ripples, but it is not smoking. "Heat until just smoking" is used for searing and wok cooking, and means the first faint wisps.
Related terms
- Deep-fryDeep-frying cooks food fully submerged in hot oil, usually 170 to 190°C (340 to 375°F), for a crisp shell and a moist inside. Here is how to do it safely.
- SearSearing browns the surface of meat or fish in a very hot pan to build a deep, flavorful crust. It adds flavor but does not seal in juices.
- Clarified butterClarified butter is butter with the water and milk solids removed. It can fry at high heat without burning and keeps longer. How to make it at home.
- GheeGhee is butter cooked until the milk solids brown and are strained out. It tastes nutty, fries at high heat and keeps for months in a cupboard.
- Stir-fryStir-frying cooks small, evenly cut pieces of food in a very hot wok with a little oil, stirring constantly so they sear and cook through in minutes.