Cookbook | Recipes | Ingredients

The smoke point of an oil or fat is the temperature at which it gives off smoke. When oil is smoking, it gives off bad fumes and is prone to bursting into flame. Flames from a pot of burning oil will reach up for 2 or 3 feet. The smoke point of an oil should be high when the oil is used for deep-fat frying or when it will be exposed alone on surfaces such as cookie sheets. The numbers here are common values; oils will vary.

Olive oil is particularly variable; higher quality cold-pressed grades have lower smoke points than cheaper solvent-extracted and refined grades. It is better not to use high-quality olive oil for deep fryingsave it for your salads.


Type of oilSmoke Point
°C°F
avocado (mono)265510
safflower oil (poly)237460
Palm235455
soybean oil (poly)232450
groundnut fruit (peanut) oil (mono)226440
low-erucic acid rapeseed (LEAR, or canola) oil (mono)226440
sunflower oil (poly)226440
Peanut225437
corn oil (poly)215420
cottonseed oil (poly)215420
grape seed oil215420
Safflower (>70% linoleic)210410
Safflower (high oleic)210410
Canola (rapeseed)204400
sesameseed oil198390
lard (sat)193380
shortening183363
butter (sat)176350
coconut oil (sat)176350
hemp seed oil170330
flaxseed oil107225
olive oil (mono)93-207200-406
cocoa butter (sat)??
cream (sat)??
margarine (sat)??
palm kernel oil (sat)??
palm oil (sat)??
poultry fat (sat)??
suet (beef fat) (sat)??
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