The inability to cook olive oil over high heat is a myth.
Heart-Healthy Mediterranean Cooking
There are quite a few cooking oils from which to choose. Topping the list of healthy oils are avocado, olive, almond, sesame, and tea seed. Which ones you use depends on how you plan to prepare your food. Most people want to maintain or lose weight.
Mediterranean cooking, which generously uses olive oil, is highly recommended for this. Many people enjoy dipping bread into olive oil, sometimes mixed with balsamic vinegar. But not all olive oils are equal. In fact, there is a rumor that it is an unsuitable cooking option.
“When heated, olive oil is the most stable fat, which means it stands up well to high frying temperatures. Its high smoke point (410ºF or 210ºC) is well above the ideal temperature for frying food (350ºF or 180ºC). The digestibility of olive oil is not affected when it is heated, even when it is re-used several times for frying.” —International Olive Oil Council
You do not need to be a woman to love nutrition or cooking. Typically, as a person interested in this topic, you will stock several different oils for various purposes. Some oils are best suited for frying, sautéing, marinading, or use in salad dressings. the robust flavor of sesame oil is sometimes mixed with another oil. Often the maximum temperature oils can sustain is an important factor in selection.
Cooking Oil Temperatures
When it comes to frying foods, whether tempura vegetables or fish and chips, the ideal frying temperature is between 350° and 375°F (175–190°C). Measure with a clip-on or candy thermometer.
Cooking on average home stoves, sautéing, pan-frying, and stir-frying over medium-high heat, is typically between 250° and 400°F (120–205°C). Oven roasting is 425° to 440°F (215‑225°C). On an electric stovetop, the setting is near “medium.”
There is a reason why stovetop consumer woks are more show than go. Professional Asian Chefs cook with a tablespoon or two of oil that is 20 times hotter than a gas stovetop—850° to 900°F, according to Grace Young—author of The Breath of A Wok.
The massive heat for the best stir-fries requires knee valves to control gas output and oxygen to burn faster and hotter. A Western skillet is for even heat, while a professional wok is for fast heat.
| Cooking Oil Smoke Point |
|---|
| Fat | Quality | Celsius | Fahrenheit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Almond oil | Omega-6 | 220°C | 430°F |
| Avocado oil | Refined | 270°C | 520°F |
| Mustard oil | 250°C | 480°F | |
| Butter | 150°C | 300°F | |
| Butter (Ghee) | Clarified | 250°C | 480°F |
| Cannabis oil | Cannaoil | 140°C | 280°F |
| Canola oil | 220–230°C | 430–445°F | |
| Canola oil (Rapeseed) | Expeller press | 190–230°C | 375–450°F |
| Canola oil (Rapeseed) | Refined | 205°C | 400°F |
| Canola oil (Rapeseed) | Unrefined; Omega-6 | 105°C | 225°F |
| Castor oil | Refined | 200°C | 390°F |
| Coconut oil | Refined; Omega-6 | 230°C | 450°F |
| Coconut oil | Unrefined, dry expeller pressed, virgin | 175°C | 350°F |
| Corn oil | 230-240°C | 445-460°F | |
| Corn oil | Unrefined; Omega-6 | 175°C | 350°F |
| Cottonseed oil | Refined, bleached, deodorized | 220–230°C | 430–445°F |
| Ghee | Clarified butter | 250°C | 480°F |
| Flaxseed oil | Unrefined; Omega-6 | 105°C | 225°F |
| Hemp seed oil | 165°C | 330°F | |
| Lard | Animal fat | 190°C | 375°F |
| Macadamia nut oil | 200°C | 390°F | |
| Margarine | Hard | 150°C | 300°F |
| Olive oil | Refined | 200–240°C | 390–470°F |
| Olive oil | Virgin | 210°C | 410°F |
| Olive oil | Extra virgin, low acidity, high quality; Omega-6 | 205°C | 405°F |
| Olive oil | Extra virgin | 160–190°C | 320–375°F |
| Palm oil | Fractionated | 235°C | 455°F |
| Peanut oil | Refined | 230°C | 450°F |
| Peanut oil | Unrefined; Omega-6 | 225–230°C | 440–445°F |
| Peanut oil | Unrefined | 160°C | 320°F |
| Safflower oil | Unrefined | 105°C | 225°F |
| Safflower oil | Semi-refined | 160°C | 320°F |
| Safflower oil | Refined | 265°C | 510°F |
| Sesame oil | Unrefined; Omega-6 | 175°C | 350°F |
| Sesame oil | Semi-refined | 230°C | 450°F |
| Soybean oil | 235°C | 455°F | |
| Sunflower oil | Neutralized, dewaxed, bleached & deodorized | 250–255°C | 485–490°F |
| Sunflower oil | Semirefined | 230°C | 450°F |
| Sunflower oil | 225°C | 440°F | |
| Sunflower oil | Unrefined, first cold-pressed, raw; Omega-6 | 105°C | 225°F |
| Sunflower oil, high oleic | Refined | 230°C | 450°F |
| Sunflower oil, high oleic | Unrefined | 160°C | 320°F |
| Grape seed oil | 215°C | 420°F | |
| Vegetable oil blend | Refined | 220°C | 430°F |
| Walnut oil | Refined | 205°C | 400°F |
| Walnut oil | Unrefined; Omega-6 | 160°C | 320°F |
Temperatures are rounded to nearest 5°. This table is not comprehensive and the actual smoking point has many variables. An oil can vary ±70°F (20°C) in smoke point temperature, depending on the age of the oil, field conditions, season, varietal, the level of refinement or filtration, fatty acid composition, etc.
Storing oils in the light decreases shelf life. Dark glass bottles or cans are preferred above white or clear plastic bottles. The hemp seed smoking point is 330°F (165°C), but the oil can withstand temperatures up to 475°F (245°C) for no longer than 30 minutes. Combining hemp seed oil with temperature-stable oils increases the smoke threshold of hemp seed oil.
Among many health reasons for avoiding fried foods is calories. A small baked potato (100 grams) contains 93 calories and 0 grams of fat. The same amount (100 grams) of french fries contains 319 calories and 17 grams of fat.
A high-temperature oil prevents burning, which affects flavor and destroys inherent nutrients. This releases free radicals and a substance called acrolein. Acrolein is toxic and irritates the skin, eyes, and nasal passages. The acrid smell of burning fat when cooking oil reaches its smoke point is caused by glycerol in the fat breaking down into acrolein.
Simply put, refined cooking oils are stable at higher temperatures. Unrefined oils have more flavor and, hence more expensive.
Notice on the accompanying table that most refined avocado, canola, coconut, corn, rice bran, sesame, peanut, and sunflower oils are stable at temperatures higher than 400°F (205°C). There is considerable variability with olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil generally has a lower burn temperature than virgin olive oil. Unrefined canola, safflower and sunflower oils begin smoking above 225°F (105°C).
Are Low Smoking Point Oils Bad?
On the table, refined oils have higher smoke points. Refining is like pasteurizing milk or fruit juices. To elevate the smoke point, manufacturers use industrial-level refinement processes like bleaching, filtering, and high-temperature heating to extract and eliminate extraneous compounds.
The result is a neutral-flavored oil with a longer shelf life and higher smoke point. For safety, be careful with hot oils which can burn skin or ignite. Quickly extinguish pan fire by covering it with a lid.
For more natural flavor, people choose unrefined oils. Generally speaking, for better heat resistance, cooks choose refined oils. Unrefined oils impart more flavor.
Most flavorful oils are expeller-pressed, costly, have a shorter shelf life, and are less common on supermarket shelves. This explains why some people rave over bread with (unrefined) olive oil while to others (refined) olive oil tastes greasy.
Cooking With Fats
Fat content affects cooking oil selection. Some fats have positive health benefits while others do not. Omega-6 polyunsaturated fat is an essential fatty acid that our bodies need, but cannot make. The more unsaturated fats there are, the more quickly they go rancid.
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There is some controversy with coconut oil since it is a saturated fat. Though many urge us to use saturated fats with caution, research has explored coconut oil’s beneficial use. Coconut oil contains medium-chain fatty acids or medium-chain triglycerides (also known as MCTs) that may not become stored within fat cells like long-chain fatty acids. Unrefined imparts coconut flavor. Refined has no scent.
Replacing saturated fats with polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats is good for the heart because it decreases the levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and as well as fats in the blood called triglycerides, both of which are risk factors for heart disease. For extensive charts about cooking oil fats, visit the Skills You Need website. This information should help you to cook A Bit More Healthy. Now, which oils do you plan to add to your shelves?
