smoke point

noun

variants or smoking point

plural smoke points or smoking points

: the temperature at which an oil or fat (especially one used for cooking) begins to emit smoke

When choosing an oil, you want one with a higher smoke point than your cooking temperature … since surpassing the smoke point "can cause undesirable burnt aroma and flavors," says [Jason] Ginsberg, in addition to filling your kitchen with smoke.

—Laurel Randolph

Cold-pressed oils have a smoking point of less than 300°F and should not be used for high-heat cooking.

—Jane Salzgass Freiman

Film the pan with peanut oil or canola oil (which have higher smoke points than other vegetable oils).

—Harvey Steiman

Examples of smoke point in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Oils with a high smoke point, like avocado, grapeseed, canola, and peanut oil, hold up well at grill temperatures without breaking down. — Bridget Shirvell, Martha Stewart, 28 July 2026

Lex uses a mixture of butter and olive oil (which has a higher smoke point) in the pan to discourage the butter from burning. — Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026

That high smoke point is part of why tallow has gained traction with home cooks who want a fat that holds up to high-heat frying and roasting without breaking down. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 19 May 2026

For high-heat work — frying, searing, roasting potatoes, finishing a crust on a steak — beef tallow has real advantages over butter in smoke point, stability and crisp texture. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 18 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1863, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for smoke point

• counterpoint
• disappoint
• multipoint
• needlepoint
• reappoint
• adjoint
• anoint
• appoint
• checkpoint
• conjoint
• disjoint
• endpoint