Choosing the right cooking oil is more important than many home cooks realise. Different cooking oils will behave differently under heat. This means that, when the wrong oil is used at the wrong temperature, nutrition, flavour and even safety are compromised. Essentially, a smoke point is the temperature at which a cooking oil begins to break down.
Understanding the cooking oils and their smoke points enables the right cooking method to be used to benefit from the oil in every way. In this article, we’ll be taking you through what a smoke point is, what the smoke points of different oils are and how they can be used so that you can get the most out of them. Let’s dive right in.
What does ‘smoke point’ mean?
When the term ‘smoke point’ is used in the context of cooking oil, it refers to the temperature at which the oil starts to visibly smoke in a pan or on a tray. When the smoke point is reached, the oil begins to break down chemically. As such, an unpleasant odour is released, and an unsavoury flavour is produced. It’s at this stage that the nutritional benefits of the oil begin to break down, causing potentially harmful compounds to form in the process.
When a cooking oil reaches its smoking point, it’s important to discard the oil and then start heating it again. The other thing to note is that smoke points will vary depending on the cooking oil used. The smoke point of a cooking oil depends on its fat composition, refinement level and overall purity. But how do you know what the smoke points of different cooking oils are? Let’s find out.
What are the smoke points of common cooking oils?
It can be difficult to know what the smoke point is for different cooking oils, which is why people will often buy one and use it for everything. But did you know that using the same cooking oil for many different cooking methods could actually be hindering your meals and their flavour? We’ll touch on cooking methods and the oil you should be using in a moment. For now, we’re going to be delving deeper into the smoke points of the cooking oils on the market. Here are the cooking oil smoke points that you should be aware of:
- Extra virgin olive oil – this has a smoke point of 190 degrees Celsius, making it perfect for salad dressing, baking and light roasting
- Sunflower oil – this has a 225 degrees Celsius smoke point. This makes it perfect for high-heat cooking
- Rapeseed oil – this has a smoke point of between 200-230 degrees Celsius. This is ideal for medium-high-heat cooking
- Vegetable oil – this has a smoke point the same as rapeseed oil – 200-230 degrees Celsius. Again, it can be used for medium-high-heat cooking
- Avocado oil – this can be used for high-heat cooking as it has a smoke point of 270 degrees Celsius
- Peanut oil – this has a smoke point of 230 degrees Celsius, making it perfect for medium-to-high-heat cooking
- Sesame oil – this oil is great for low-heat cooking in particular, with a smoke point of 175-210 degrees Celsius
How to match cooking oils to the correct methods
Depending on the cooking method you want to use, a different oil will need to be required. This is because, as we’ve already touched upon, different cooking oils have varying smoke points, making some better for high-heat cooking than others. Not only does it come down to their smoke point, but it also comes down to the flavour.
For instance, sunflower oil isn’t used to dress a salad as it has a neutral flavour. Extra virgin olive oil, on the other hand, can be used to make salad dressing, as its flavour is rich yet delicate. Let’s take a closer look at the different cooking methods and the oils used to execute them:
Which oils are best for high-heat cooking?
High-heat cooking is often used when frying, searing or even sauteing is needed. High-heat cooking methods will require temperatures of 200 degrees Celsius and above. As such, the cooking oil used needs to be able to withstand such temperatures.
The cooking oils that are suitable for high-heat cooking include sunflower oil, vegetable oil, peanut oil and even avocado oil. Those oils remain stable, even at the highest temperatures, but their flavour is often neutral, allowing the flavour of the food to rise above that of the oil.
Which oils are best for medium-heat cooking?
We’ve just touched on the smoke points of different cooking oils, so you’ll know that medium-heat cooking oil constitutes temperatures ranging from 160-200 degrees Celsius. This sort of temperature allows for sauteing and stir-frying.
Cooking oils that are suitable for medium-heat cooking balance flavour and heat tolerance. The best cooking oil options for this type of cooking method include olive oil, rapeseed oil and sesame oil (either blended or refined).
Which oils are best for low-heat cooking?
Low-heat cooking often refers to cooking methods such as baking and general light cooking. Cooking with lower temperatures allows you to use oils that have more delicate flavours, ensuring you can taste the oil youre using.
Low-heat cooking oils are often considered to add character to roasted vegetables and baked goods alike. Cooking oils that are suitable for low-heat cooking include coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil.
Which oils are best for no-heat food preparation?
There are some cooking oils that don’t require any heat at all. They can still be used to elevate a dish. Extra virgin olive oil, sesame oil and even walnut oil, for instance, can be drizzled over meals and side dishes, such as salads, roasted vegetables and even pasta. The aforementioned cooking oils do not require any heat at all to complement your favourite foods.
Cater Oil is pleased to provide clients with fresh supplies of cooking oil. We can supply vegetable, rapeseed, sunflower, olive oil and more. In addition, we also offer a used cooking oil collection service. Not only can we deliver this solution for free, but we can also offer it in exchange for cash or a credit note against fresh supplies of cooking oil. We will then use that waste cooking oil to create biodiesel for use throughout the community. If you’d like further information about our cooking oil supplies or our waste cooking oil collection service, then get in touch with a member of our friendly, knowledgeable team today – we’re always happy to hear from you.
