Smoke Point

In cooking, the smoke point of an oil or fat is the temperature at which it begins to break down to glycerol and free fatty acids, and produce bluish smoke. The glycerol is then further broken down to acrolein which is a component of the smoke. It is the presence of the acrolein that causes the smoke to be extremely irritating to the eyes and throat. The smoke point also marks the beginning of both flavor and nutritional degradation. Therefore, it is a key consideration when selecting a fat for frying, with the smoke point of the specific oil dictating its maximum usable temperature and therefore its possible applications. For instance, since deep frying is a very high temperature process, it requires a fat with a high smoke point.

The smoke point for an oil varies widely depending on origin and refinement. The smoke point of an oil does tend to increase as free fatty acid content decreases and degree of refinement increases. Heating oil produces free fatty acid and as heating time increases, more free fatty acids are produced, thereby decreasing smoke point. It is one reason not to use the same oil to deep fry more than twice. Intermittent frying has a markedly greater effect on oil deterioration than continuous frying.

Considerably above the temperature of the smoke point is the flash point, the point at which the vapors from the oil can first ignite when mixed with air.

The following table presents smoke points of various fats:

Fat Quality Smoke Point
Almond oil 420°F 216°C
Avocado oil Refined 520°F 271°C
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 190-232°C
Canola oil High Oleic 475°F 246°C
Canola oil Refined 400°F 204°C
Castor oil Refined 392°F 200°C
Coconut oil Extra Virgin (Unrefined) 350°F 177°C
Coconut oil Refined 450°F 232°C
Corn oil Unrefined 352°F 178°C
Corn oil Refined 450°F 232°C
Cottonseed oil 420°F 216°C
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
Olive oil Pomace 460°F 238°C
Olive oil Extra light 468°F 242°C
Olive oil, high quality (low acidity) Extra virgin 405°F 207°C
Palm oil Difractionated 455°F 235°C
Peanut oil Unrefined 320°F 160°C
Peanut oil Refined 450°F 232°C
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
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
Sunflower oil Unrefined 437°F 225°C
Sunflower oil Semirefined 450°F 232°C
Sunflower oil, high oleic Unrefined 320°F 160°C
Sunflower oil Refined 440°F 227°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

Famous quotes containing the words smoke and/or point:

    Gossip is a sort of smoke that comes from the dirty tobacco-pipes of those who diffuse it: it proves nothing but the bad taste of the smoker.
    George Eliot [Mary Ann (or Marian)

    Most childhood problems don’t result from “bad” parenting, but are the inevitable result of the growing that parents and children do together. The point isn’t to head off these problems or find ways around them, but rather to work through them together and in doing so to develop a relationship of mutual trust to rely on when the next problem comes along.
    Fred Rogers (20th century)