Oil Smoke Point Table
| Oil | Smoke point (°F) | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Flaxseed (unrefined) | 225 | Dressings only |
| Sunflower (unrefined) | 225-320 | Dressings, low heat |
| Butter | 302-350 | Baking, gentle saute |
| Extra virgin olive | 350-405 | Saute, finishing |
| Coconut (virgin) | 350 | Medium saute, baking |
| Lard | 360-375 | Frying heritage, tortillas |
| Canola | 350-400 | All-purpose |
| Grapeseed | 390-420 | High-heat saute |
| Olive (refined/light) | 390-470 | Medium-high frying |
| Rice bran | 415-490 | Frying, neutral |
| Corn (refined) | 440-450 | Frying |
| Sunflower (refined) | 440 | Frying |
| Peanut | 440-450 | The frying oil - turkey fryers |
| Soybean (refined) | 450-460 | Frying |
| Safflower (refined) | 440-510 | High heat |
| Avocado (refined) | 480-520 | Searing, highest on chart |
An oil's smoke point is where it stops shimmering and starts burning - the temperature where the fats break down, release acrid smoke and carry that burnt flavor into everything cooked in them. The table below lines up sixteen kitchen oils from flaxseed's sad 225F to refined avocado's 520F, with the deep-fry zone flagged, because the difference between a 350F oil and a 450F oil is exactly the difference between OK and crispy.
Bottom line: deep frying happens at 350-375F, so the practical frying shortlist is peanut (440-450F), refined sunflower, corn, soybean or safflower (440-460F), refined avocado (up to 520F) and rice bran (415-490F) - and that is why turkey-fryer instructions all say peanut: it clears the fryer's heat with a 70-degree margin and adds nothing to the bird's flavor.
The honest part: smoke points are ranges, not constants - the same oil brands differ by 50 degrees depending on refining, age and free-fatty-acid content, and no standards body certifies a single number (this is why government food databases list composition but not smoke points). Read the table as a ranking that survives brand differences, not as precision data; the ranking never changes, the margins do.
How to use
- Find your oil in the table and read its smoke-point range - unrefined versions run 50-100 degrees below refined.
- Type your cooking temperature to see which oils clear it with a safe margin.
- Match the fat to the job: high heat needs high smoke point, and finishing flavors need unrefined oils that were never meant to see a flame.
Frequently asked questions
What is the smoke point of olive oil?
It depends which olive oil: extra virgin (unrefined, cold-pressed) smokes around 350-405F - fine for sauteing, marginal for hard searing - while refined or light olive oil runs 390-470F and handles medium-high frying. The old rule that you can never cook with olive oil overstates it: refined olive oil is a respectable frying fat, and extra virgin's real problem above its smoke point is flavor loss, not safety. The smoke you see in a hot pan is burned oil plus burned fond, not a toxic event.
Why is peanut oil used for deep frying turkey?
Fried turkey needs 350-375F oil held steady for 3-plus minutes a pound, and peanut delivers 440-450F - a comfortable 70-degree margin that cheaper oils like unrefined sunflower (225F) could never survive. Peanut is also low in saturated fat, neutral in flavor, and it is what commercial fryers standardize on, which is why every turkey-fryer guide defaults to it. The one catch is allergies: peanut proteins can transfer to fried food, so hosts with allergic guests substitute refined canola or safflower.
Does oil go bad before it goes rancid - do smoke points drop?
Yes - every heating cycle breaks fats into free fatty acids, and free fatty acids smoke earlier than the intact triglycerides they come from. An oil used for three frying sessions can smoke 50 or more degrees below its fresh rating, darken, and taste off before it is visibly rancid. Strain after each use, store cool and dark, and retire frying oil after the color deepens or it smokes on the very first heat-up.
Is smoke point the same as flash point or fire point?
No - three thresholds in ascending order. Smoke point is where visible smoke first rises (a flavor and quality line); flash point, near 600F for most oils, is where vapors can ignite in a flash; fire point is where combustion sustains. Home cooking never reaches the last two, which is why grease fires are always about a pan left past the smoke point for minutes, not a threshold crossed in an instant - turn the burner off before the smoke, and the fire never gets a vote.