And what the heck is smoke point in the first place? If you're a well-intended but not always great chef like me, you've heated oil in the pan to the point where it starts to create a smoke that really excites your smoke alarm. This is the point where the oil has started to break down nutritionally. It is also thought that at this point, more free radicals are present in the oil, and the cancer-causing potential of that oil increases.
When you're using oil to fry a food, it's best to use oils with higher smoke points. You can get a nice flavor on the outside, more quickly, with a higher temperature, while the oil is hot but not past its prime.
Here is a list of smoke points for oils, from least desirable for frying to most desirable. (e.g., the ones least likely to drive your downstairs neighbor batty when you're making dinner.) Note that two of the best 3 oils for frying, soybean and safflower oil, are also two of the oils we encourage you to decrease your intake of because they are pro-inflammatory and high in omega-6 fatty acids. Oils with lower smoke points are good choices for preparation methods not requiring heating.
All of these numbers, except for camellia oil, were obtained from the website, Cooking for Engineers. Camellia oil information was provided by Steven Frenzl of Bien Padre Foods.
So when you fry, consider avocado and camellia oil. I've started to see more avocado oil in stores and markets, so keep your eye out. Camellia oil is relatively new to the market and for now a little challenging to find. If you'd like to try it for yourself, here's a website where you can order it.
Unrefined canola oil 225°F
Unrefined flaxseed oil 225°F
Unrefined safflower oil 225°F
Unrefined sunflower oil 225°F
Unrefined corn oil 320°F
Unrefined high-oleic sunflower oil 320°F
Extra virgin olive oil 320°F
Unrefined peanut oil 320°F
Semirefined safflower oil 320°F
Unrefined soy oil 320°F
Unrefined walnut oil 320°F
Hemp seed oil 330°F
Butter 350°F
Semirefined canola oil 350°F
Coconut oil 350°F
Unrefined sesame oil 350°F
Semirefined soy oil 350°F
Vegetable shortening 360°F
Lard 370°F
Macadamia nut oil 390°F
Refined canola oil 400°F
Semirefined walnut oil 400°F
High quality (low acidity) extra virgin olive oil 405°F
Sesame oil 410°F
Cottonseed oil 420°F
Grapeseed oil 420°F
Virgin olive oil 420°F
Almond oil 420°F
Hazelnut oil 430°F
Peanut oil 440°F
Sunflower oil 440°F
Refined corn oil 450°F
Refined high-oleic sunflower oil 450°F
Refined peanut oil 450°F 232°C
Refined Safflower oil 450°F
Semirefined sesame oil 450°F
Refined soy oil 450°F
Semirefined sunflower oil 450°F
Olive pomace oil 460°F
Extra light olive oil 468°F
Camellia (green tea) oil 485°F
Soybean oil 495°F
Safflower oil 510°F
Avocado oil 520°F