Smoke point

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The smoke point refers to the temperature at which a cooking fat or oil begins to break down. The substance smokes or burns, and gives food an unpleasant taste. Beyond the smoke point is the flash point, the point at which combustion occurs.

Here are some smoke points:

Fat	Quality	Smoke Point
Almond oil		420°F	216°C
Avocado oil		520°F	271°C
Butter		350°F	177°C
Canola oil	Expeller Press	464°F	240°C
Canola oil	High Oleic	475°F	246°C
Canola oil	Refined	468°F	242°C
Coconut oil	Unrefined	350°F	177°C
Corn oil	Unrefined	320°F	160°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	182°C
Macadamia oil		413°F	210°C
Olive oil	Extra virgin	375°F	191°C
Olive oil	Virgin	420°F	216°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
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	450°F	232°C
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	450°F	232°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

[edit] References

Cooking For Engineers: Smoke Point of Various Fats - another list of smoke points along with some discussion on the subject
Good Eats: Cooking Oil Smoke Points
The Culinary Institute of America (1996). The New Professional Chef, 6th edition, John Wiley & Sons.