Which oil for frying? Good question! We show you which oils are best used for cooking and which should rather end up on the salad.
When frying vegetables and meat in a pan, it can get hot. Terribly hot. Up to 200 degrees within a very short time. Not every cooking oil can withstand the high temperatures.
The oil may break down and lose its flavor. However, if certain oils are heated too hot, they can also produce dangerous substances for our body.
Therefore, we have taken a close look and reveal which oil is suitable for frying and which is not.
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2 factors show which oil is good for frying
You know the situation: You are hungry, standing in the kitchen. The pan is already on the stove. The temperature is turned up, the vegetables are already waiting to sizzle in the pan.
What's missing now is the right oil. Which oil ends up in the pan? Olive oil for frying? Coconut oil* for cooking? Or butter? The decision is not easy.
Butter, olive oil, Coconut oil* or would you prefer margarine? The ingredients are very important!
There are two factors that determine whether you can reach for the oil or grease, or whether you should leave it alone.
Fatty acids in oil and fat
In particular, the fatty acids. They determine whether the fat or oil is suitable for frying and whether it forms hazardous substances at hot temperatures. Each oil is composed of a certain proportion of these three fatty acids:
- saturated fatty acids
- Monounsaturated fatty acids
- Polyunsaturated fatty acids
The smoke point decides
The smoke point shows at what temperature oil and grease can be used. It tells us at what point fat and oil begin to smoke.
The smoke, by the way, is produced by oxidizing and breaking down the individual fatty acids. This is also the toxic part of frying with oil. The smoke produces the toxic acrolein.
fat and oil for frying at medium temperature
For gentle and light frying of vegetables, eggs or fish is Olive oil perfect. However, olive oil is not so suitable for hot frying. Depending on the quality, it has its smoke point at 130 to 175 degrees. So as long as this temperature is not reached, you can fry food with it.
But clarified butter can also be used.
Those who wish can resort to butter. Butter begins to smoke at about 150 degrees. This is due to the milk proteins it contains.
Clarified butter can also withstand temperatures of up to 205 degrees. This is because clarified butter is pure butterfat. The impurities of milk protein have already been removed.
Fat and oil for frying at high temperatures
Frying meat is usually done at very high temperatures. Hot frying should only be done with really very heat-resistant oils and fats.
Those looking for a good oil for frying meat should go to refined oils and fats. They have a high proportion of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. The smoke point is over 200 degrees.
A good oil for frying at high temperatures is Rapeseed oil. It can be heated up to 200 degrees without smoking. Also clarified butter can be used.
Not yet very widespread is Avocado oil*. It can even be heated up to 260 degrees. It has a high content of monounsaturated fatty acids. Avocao oil is very tasteless and therefore perfect for dishes of all kinds.
The only catch to the Avocado oil* is the price. You can spend up to 8 euros for 250 ml.
High-oleic oils (HO oils) are somewhat less expensive. These are special cultivated sunflower and thistle varieties. They have a high content of oleic acid (i.e. monounsaturated fatty acids). Up to 60-90%. Instead of the conventional 15-20%. Their smoke point is 210 degrees.
Saturated fatty acids in oils and fat
Saturated fatty acids are found primarily in animal foods such as sausage, meat or industrially produced baked goods. In fats and oils, the proportion of saturated fatty acids is high in butter, clarified butter or lard.
The special thing about saturated fatty acids is that they are more heat-stable than all other fatty acids. An oil that contains a large proportion of saturated fatty acids has a high smoke point.
However, saturated fatty acids are repeatedly associated with cardiovascular diseases. Like atherosclerosis or also diabetes type 2.
Polyunsaturated oils for frying
Depending on the oil or fat, there are different applications. Some fatty acids already start to smoke at low temperatures. Typical examples are polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Thus, if an oil contains many unsaturated fatty acids, the smoke point will be low.
Note: The more polyunsaturated fatty acids an oil has, the less suitable it is for frying.
Especially oils that are considered healthy usually contain a lot of polyunsaturated fatty acids such as omega 3 or omega 6.
These fatty acids are very healthy and important for our body. For example, they lower our cholesterol level, strengthen the cells and make the blood more fluid. However, they begin to smoke at less than 150 degrees Celsius. And that makes them unsuitable for frying and cooking.
Monounsaturated oil for frying
It is different with monounsaturated fatty acids. They hardly split at all, even at very high temperatures. Or at least only at very high temperatures.
If more than half of an oil consists of monounsaturated fatty acids, it is perfect for frying. These oils then have a smoke point that is usually above 200 degrees. These oils are heat resistant and healthy.
Olive oil for frying
Perfect for cooking is olive oil for frying. Namely, olive oil contains 72% monounsaturated fatty acid. But rapeseed oil is also well suited for frying. Rapeseed oil scores with 62 %.
Whoever reaches for olive oil for frying is well advised. Because the oil from the olives is very suitable for vegetables, meat and fish.
However, you have to differentiate here as well. Whether your olive oil for frying is the right choice depends on the production. Cold pressed olive oil (virgin, vergine) has a smoke point at 160 degrees.
Refined olive oil, on the other hand, undergoes more processing and treatment. Pollutants are removed in the process. As a result, the smoke point of the olive oil becomes higher. You can heat it to 200 degrees without any problems.
Coconut oil for frying
Solid fats such as coconut oil are very heat-stable. The reason for this is the high proportion of saturated fatty acids. The disadvantage with Coconut oil* for frying, however, is that it is said to increase cholesterol levels.
What oil is not good for frying
Typical salad oils are not suitable for frying vegetables, fish and meat. They are usually cold-pressed and consist of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Therefore, they have a very low smoke point. Walnut oil, pumpkin seed oil, linseed oil or safflower oil should only be used on salads.
They are also sensitive to light and should be stored in a cool place, otherwise they can become rancid. On the labels of these oils is usually written that you should not heat them to high temperatures.
Also soybean oil, Grape seed oil*Corn oil, corn oil or sunflower oil are not good for frying. Their high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (60% or more) makes them unsuitable for cooking. Substances that are hazardous to health can be produced in the pan at temperatures as low as 175 degrees.
Our conclusion:
Which oil is suitable for frying decides the temperature to which you want to heat it. At medium temperatures olive oil is well suited. At high temperatures you reach for refined oil from thistle or cold-pressed Avocado oil*.
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