If you are looking for cooking oil for a specific type of cooking then use this chart to filter suitable oils by type of cooking. As you can see, the background is fading from green to red – low temperature to high temperature. This represents the oil’s smoke point.
There are also colored bars in the chart to give you information about the price range of that specific type of oil. Keep in mind that this data is most reliable when used for purchasing oils in the USA because prices vary significantly between countries.
But how does the type of cooking affect the choice of cooking oil anyway? Well, you might think the opposite but the type of cooking that you will do will greatly affect the best oil for the job. If you are cooking with high heat you must use an oil with a high smoke point as this is the point at which the oil starts to break down and form toxins (which smoke). These toxins remain in the oil even after it cools. So basically once your oil is smokin’ hot it’s done for and you need to throw it away. Not only will your food taste lousy but it won’t do your body any good either.
