Smoke point of various oils


 

Bob Correll

R.I.P. 3/31/2022
I found this chart on Wiki, and other places on the web, and was surprised that for Extra Light Olive Oil it's 468°F, 18 degrees higher than refined peanut oil.

Fat Quality Smoke Point
Almond oil 420°F 216°C
Avocado oil Refined 520°F 271°C[5]
Avocado oil Un-Refined, Virgin 375-400°F 190-204°C
Butter 250–300°F 121–149°C
Canola oil Expeller Press 375-450°F[6] 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[7]
Coconut oil Virgin (Unrefined) 350°F[8] 177°C
Coconut oil Refined with stabilizers 450°F 232°C
Corn oil Unrefined 352°F 178°C[7]
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[7]
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[9]
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]
Tallow (Beef) 420°F 215°C
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
 
Thanks Bob for that info. And yes, I also noticed that and was surprised. I use extra virgin olive oil all the time I did not know the smoking point was so high, I would have guessed lower.
 
Bob, after frying turkeys for many years in refined peanut oil, not sure if I could pull the trigger on
switching over to extra virgin light olive oil.
 
Bob, after frying turkeys for many years in refined peanut oil, not sure if I could pull the trigger on
switching over to extra virgin light olive oil.

Me either. 450 still provides a reasonable measure of safety. I've fried several turkeys and I do not cook them at temps beyond 350F. In fact I never heat any oil higher than that but nice to know ELOO has that margin.
 
Come on guys, just think about how much healthier a turkey fried in olive oil would be. :)
I wasn't really thinking about frying turkeys, rather how it seems that olive gets talked about for having a very low smoke point.
 
Pretty cool info. I have fried a turkey every year since 1987. I always used a big jug of Luzianne peanut oil that they sell in the grocery stores this time of year. I never considered extra light olive oil.
 
Frying in peanut oil is preferred until someone in your house has a peanut allergy then its a big no... I had to switch over to other oils when I developed an allergy to it in my late 30`s..Thanks for the chart as it will help me pick others. I actually use a mix of olive and grape seed oil from frying to salads now and its been great for use.
 
Mmmmmmm....Actually the American Medical Association reccommends peanut oil for fried foods. But I still like to eat olives with turkey, especially the black olives.
Come on guys, just think about how much healthier a turkey fried in olive oil would be. :)
I wasn't really thinking about frying turkeys, rather how it seems that olive gets talked about for having a very low smoke point.
 
I do appreciate you posting this, as I had been wondering about this but was too lazy to look it up.
But olive oil is expensive. When I fry turkeys I get the cheapest stuff I can find.
 
I do appreciate you posting this, as I had been wondering about this but was too lazy to look it up.
But olive oil is expensive. When I fry turkeys I get the cheapest stuff I can find.

I save my oil and have re-used it up to 8 times. I started out with Canola because large quantities of peanut oil or the blend with peanut oil was not readily available in this area. If you are not using peanut oil it take 2-3 cooks before the oil is seasoned otherwise the turkeys don't brown up. They may taste good but appearance as we know is a big part of the cook. Glad Bass Pro is not too far away!
 
Looking at the list it appears that oils with more flavor generally have lower smoke points, and the tradeoffs for higher smoke points are lower flavor levels because of the refining processes.

I watch a lot of public TV (Create) and Nick Stellino always uses light olive oil for frying.
 

 

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