Smoke point

The smoke point refers to the temperature at which a cooking fat or oil begins to break down. The substance smokes or burns, and gives food an unpleasant taste. Beyond the smoke point is the flash point, the point at which combustion occurs.

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Here are some smoke points:

References

• Cooking For Engineers: Smoke Point of Various Fats - another list of smoke points along with some discussion on the subject
• Good Eats: Cooking Oil Smoke Points
• The Culinary Institute of America (1996). The New Professional Chef, 6th edition, John Wiley & Sons.