26/07/2025
"The smoke point of an oil is defined as the temperature at which the fat produces a thin, continuous stream of bluish smoke under controlled circumstances. Although it had been assumed that smoke point indicated an oil’s safety and suitability for cooking, new research has shown that is not the case. An oil’s smoke point does not correlate to its performance and stability when heated. Rather, the factors that predict an oil's safety and stability at high heat are the percentage of polyunsaturated fats (the lower the better), and the extent to which the oil has been refined (the less the better). Extra virgin olive oil, which has a low concentration of polyunsaturated fat, and is not refined at all, proved the best oil for cooking. "
Smoke point isn’t the best measure of oil stability. Studies show extra virgin olive oil is the most stable cooking oil, even at high temperatures.