Cooking Louisiana  -  Cooking Oil Smoke Point

Below is a simple list of the most commonly used oils for frying. Each has what is called a "smoke point" which means the temperature at which is begins to smoke. When the oil begins to smoke it has reached the temperature at which it breaks down and consequently begins to taste bad. I stole this from Wikipedia and modified it. Temperatures are from high to low.

Oil Quality   Smoke Point  
Canola oil Refined 470°F
Olive oil Extra light 468°F
Corn oil Refined 450°F
Peanut oil Refined 450°F
Soybean oil Refined 450°F
Cottonseed oil   420°F
Olive oil Virgin 420°F
Olive oil Extra virgin 375°F
Lard   370°F
Vegetable shortening   360°F