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Oil to smoke point
Pick an oil — its smoke point, heat zone, and best uses appear below.
REFERENCE TABLE · EVERYDAY · FOOD
Cooking Oil Smoke Point Chart
Every common cooking oil’s smoke point in one chart — 20 oils from 225°F to 520°F — plus two live lookups: pick an oil to see its smoke point and best uses, or enter your cooking temperature to see which oils survive it. Refined avocado oil tops the chart at 520°F; flaxseed oil sits at the bottom at 225°F and should never be heated. The numbers below are consensus midpoints from multiple published charts, checked against each other — not copied from any one source.
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Which oils survive your heat?
Enter your cooking temperature — every oil whose smoke point stays above it is listed.
The full chart: 20 oils by smoke point
Sorted hottest first. Celsius values are computed from the Fahrenheit figures:
| Oil | Smoke point | Heat zone | Best uses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Refined avocado oil | 520°F | 271°C | High heat | searing, deep-frying, stir-frying, grilling |
| Refined safflower oil | 510°F | 266°C | High heat | deep-frying, stir-frying |
| Rice bran oil | 490°F | 254°C | High heat | deep-frying, stir-frying |
| Ghee (clarified butter) | 485°F | 252°C | High heat | searing, roasting, sautéing |
| Light / refined olive oil | 465°F | 241°C | High heat | searing, roasting, frying |
| Refined peanut oil | 450°F | 232°C | High heat | deep-frying, stir-frying |
| Refined sunflower oil | 450°F | 232°C | High heat | frying, baking |
| Soybean oil | 450°F | 232°C | High heat | frying, general cooking |
| Refined coconut oil | 450°F | 232°C | High heat | baking, sautéing |
| Corn oil | 450°F | 232°C | High heat | frying, baking |
| Grapeseed oil | 420°F | 216°C | Medium heat | sautéing, roasting, stir-frying |
| Refined sesame oil | 410°F | 210°C | Medium heat | stir-frying, sautéing |
| Canola oil | 400°F | 204°C | Medium heat | frying, baking, everyday cooking |
| Unrefined avocado oil | 375°F | 191°C | Medium heat | roasting, medium-heat sautéing |
| Extra virgin olive oil | 375°F | 191°C | Medium heat | dressings, finishing, light sautéing |
| Unrefined coconut oil | 350°F | 177°C | Medium heat | baking, light sautéing |
| Unrefined sesame oil | 350°F | 177°C | Medium heat | finishing, light stir-frying |
| Walnut oil (unrefined) | 320°F | 160°C | Low / no heat | dressings, finishing |
| Butter | 302°F | 150°C | Low / no heat | baking, low-heat cooking |
| Flaxseed oil | 225°F | 107°C | Low / no heat | dressings only — never heat |
One caveat: extra virgin olive oil’s smoke point varies by quality, from about 325°F to 410°F — the 375°F in the chart is the widely cited midpoint. High-polyphenol EVOOs test hotter; cheap ones test cooler. When in doubt, treat your EVOO as a medium-heat oil and keep the finishing pour for the end.
Output · formula · meaning: how to read the chart
| Column | What it lists | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Oil | the fat, refined or unrefined | Refined versions smoke hotter — refining strips the impurities that burn first. |
| Smoke point | °F and °C | The temperature where the oil visibly smokes and breaks down — e.g. refined avocado oil: 520°F (271°C). |
| Heat zone | high / medium / low | High (≥450°F): searing and deep-frying. Medium (350–449°F): everyday sautéing. Low (<350°F): dressings and finishing. |
| Best uses | cooking methods | Where each oil earns its place — e.g. peanut oil for deep-frying, butter for low-heat baking. |
The danger zone: what happens past the smoke point
The smoke point isn’t a suggestion — it’s the temperature where the oil’s structure breaks down. Past it, the oil gives off acrid blue smoke, the food takes on bitter, burnt flavors, and the breakdown produces free radicals and harmful compounds you don’t want in dinner. A smoking pan also means the oil has lost its protective qualities — it stops being a cooking medium and starts being a chemistry experiment. The rule is simple: keep the heat below the smoke point, with margin. For deep frying (usually 350–375°F at the oil), choose a 400°F+ oil so normal temperature swings don’t push you over. And never “rescue” badly smoked oil — once it’s broken down, the damage is in the food. Start fresh.
Who uses this
- Home cooks: picking the right oil before the pan gets hot — the number one use is “can I sear with this?”
- Deep-fryers: turkey, tempura, and fried chicken all need 350–375°F oil — they check the chart for 400°F+ oils first.
- Bakers: choosing between butter (302°F) and refined coconut oil (450°F) for high-heat baking.
- Students and the curious: why refined oils smoke hotter than unrefined ones — and what “smoke point” actually means.
Accuracy & limitations
Smoke points are ranges, not constants — they shift with the oil’s brand, refinement level, age, and how many times it’s been heated. The chart uses consensus midpoints cross-checked across multiple published charts; treat each number as “about”, not laboratory-exact. Extra virgin olive oil is the wild card (325–410°F by quality). Your stovetop’s “medium-high” is also approximate — an infrared thermometer or the water-drop test beats guessing. When the number matters (deep frying), pick an oil with at least 25–50°F of margin above your target temperature.
Cite this reference chartBright Side Kit. “Cooking Oil Smoke Point Chart.” brightoolbox.com, 2026.
Bright Side Kit. "Cooking Oil Smoke Point Chart." https://brightoolbox.com/cooking-oil-smoke-point-chart/ Accessed October 22, 2026.Frequently asked questions
What cooking oil has the highest smoke point?
Refined avocado oil at 520°F (271°C) — the highest of any common cooking oil. Refined safflower (510°F) and rice bran oil (490°F) follow. That’s why avocado oil is the default pick for searing and deep-frying: even a hot cast-iron pan rarely pushes past 500°F.
Can I use extra virgin olive oil for high-heat cooking?
Carefully. EVOO’s smoke point varies from about 325°F to 410°F depending on quality — high-polyphenol oils test hotter. It’s fine for light sautéing, but for searing or deep frying, light/refined olive oil (465°F) is the safer olive-oil pick. And EVOO’s delicate flavors burn off well before it smokes — save the good bottle for finishing.
What happens if oil goes past its smoke point?
The oil breaks down: acrid blue smoke, bitter burnt flavors in the food, and the formation of free radicals and harmful compounds. A smoking pan also means the oil has lost its protective qualities. Don’t try to rescue it — dump it, wipe the pan, and start fresh with a higher-smoke-point oil from the chart.
Why do refined oils have higher smoke points?
Refining strips out the impurities — free fatty acids, proteins, and plant particles — that burn at lower temperatures. That’s why refined avocado oil smokes at 520°F while unrefined avocado oil smokes at 375°F, and why refined coconut oil (450°F) outruns virgin coconut oil (350°F). The trade-off: refined oils are more neutral in flavor and lower in antioxidants.
What oil should I use for deep frying?
Pick an oil with at least 400°F of smoke point — deep frying runs 350–375°F, and you want margin for temperature swings. The classics are refined peanut oil (450°F), refined avocado oil (520°F), and canola oil (400°F). Enter 375°F in the temperature lookup above to see every oil that qualifies. The turkey cooking time calculator pairs well with a fried-turkey plan.
Can I reuse frying oil?
Yes, within limits. Strain it through a fine mesh or cheesecloth, store it cool and dark, and reuse it a few times for similar foods. Stop reusing it when it darkens, smells off, foams, or smokes below its usual point — those are signs it has broken down. Never mix old and new oil, and never reuse oil that badly smoked.