This quick guide answers all your questions about cooking with olive oil! Can you cook with extra virgin olive oil? What about the smoke point? Is it good for baking? When should you choose a different oil? Plus a few tips you need to keep in mind when cooking with EVOO!
A few weeks ago, we talked about my favorite Mediterranean pantry staple, and the one ingredient I reach for daily: extra virgin olive oil (EVOO for short). One of the biggest questions people ask is whether they can cook with olive oil.
Let’s dive a bit deeper into some common concerns specifically around cooking with olive oil, as well as reasons why extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is both safe to cook with and my cooking oil of choice.
Can you cook with olive oil?
I’ve heard false rumors stating that olive oil is not safe to cook because of its low smoke point or because heating it causes the oil harmful compounds and more trans fats forming. These are myths that research has busted time and time again. While the smoke point of olive oil is lower than other cooking oils, it is actually able to remain stable at high heat, and thats the important thing to focus on (more on this later).
One of the main concerns surrounding the question, “Can you cook with olive oil” is its smoke point. The smoke point of an oil is the temperature at which it starts to smoke. In the case of olive oil, that is between 374 and 405 degrees F (190 to 207 degrees C). Here’s how it compares to the smoke point of common cooking oils:
- Sunflower oil – 440 degrees F
- Vegetable oil – 400 to 450 degrees F
- Canola oil – 400 degrees F
- Peanut oil – 450 degrees F
- Unrefined coconut oil – 350 degrees F
- Refined coconut oil – 450 degrees F
- Avocado oil – 570 degrees F
- Grapeseed oil – 420 degrees F
- Corn oil – 450 degrees F
But when cooking with oil, it is the oxidative stability that one should focus more on. Olive oil is more stable to cook with than many other oils.
According to the North American Olive Oil Association, the smoke point of a cooking oil should not be the top concern, but rather the oxidative stability levels. Oxidative stability has to do with how resistant the oil fats are to reacting when exposed to oxygen, heat, and light.
Even though olive oil has a lower smoke point than other cooking oils, quality extra virgin olive oil is still a good option option for cooking. The main thing that happens when olive oil is heated is that some of the flavor compounds will evaporate. This means that some of the rich, pungent flavor is lost in the cooking process, however, in most cases, the oil remains stable and retains most of its beneficial nutrients.
This is because of EVOOs antioxidant properties and its fat composition. I’m about to get into some food science here, but bear with me. Extra virgin olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats (MUFAs), which are quite heat stable and a bit less likely to undergo oxidization (unless under extreme conditions, perhaps). Some examples of monounsaturated fats are oleic acid, palmitic acid, and linoleic acid. MUFAs are also considered to be healthy fats, and are anti-inflammatory, heart healthy, and may help with weight loss.
The type of fat that we should be concerned about are polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs), which are unstable under high heat. A 2018 study exposed a range of oils to different levels of heat to determine their rate of degeneration. They found that oils higher in PUFAs (such as corn oil) produced twice the amount of harmful compounds of extra virgin olive oil – despite corn oil having a much higher smoke point than EVOO.
Antioxidant levels also play a role in oxidative stability. Put simply, antioxidants help protect against oxidation — so the more antioxidants an oil has, the better. Extra virgin olive oil and virgin olive oil have high levels of antioxidants because they are not refined, which means they are better equipped to protect against oxidation. Vegetable oils and other refined oils have very low antioxidant levels, and therefore have lower oxidative stability.
Where to find the best olive oil for cooking?
- If you like a fruity olive oil with medium intensity, try our Italian Nocellara EVOO. To many who are not big users or olive oil, this is a good one to try because it is mild and not too peppery, it is also delicious with aromas of freshly-picked tomatoes and vegetables.
- If you like a moderately intense olive oil with a slight bitterness and a bit of peppery finish, our Spanish Hojiblanca EVOO and our Private Reserve Greek EVOO are good options, and I use them regularly in most of my cooking.
- Our Early Harvest Greek EVOO is likely the most intense of the olive oils we carry, it is a prized oil from early picked olives and has a bold finish. You can certainly use it when cooking, but I do especially love it on salads, as a dip, or in my olive oil pasta where the sauce is just warmed.
COOKING WITH OLIVE OIL? – You need to know THIS!!
Can you cook with extra virgin olive oil?
Most people say extra virgin olive oil is not suitable to cook with because of its supposedly low smoke point—that is, the temperature at which the oil stops shimmering and starts smoking. The smoke point is also the temperature at which unwanted flavors and unhealthy compounds can start to develop. But guess what?
Is regular olive oil as healthy as extra virgin olive oil?
Normal olive oil is as healthy as extra virgin olive oil, the latter is simply purer since it has a production process that eliminates more impurities.
Is extra virgin olive oil good for heating?
Wang references a 2018 study that compared olive oil with other oils during heating. It clearly showed that extra virgin olive oil is the most stable when heated, and produces the least amount of polar compounds (the harmful by-products that come from heating oils).
Is extra-virgin olive oil better than regular olive oil?
A lot of these studies looked at both extra-virgin olive oil and regular olive oil, and both performed well. On and on, most scientific studies I read gave olive oil high marks for its ability to retain its nutritional properties and resist deterioration despite high heat.