Smoke Point
The temperature at which a cooking oil begins to break down and visibly smoke.
Smoke point is the temperature at which a cooking fat begins producing a continuous visible smoke. It is not one fixed number for every bottle. UC Davis reports olive-oil smoke points ranging from about 347°F to 464°F (175°C to 240°C), depending on grade, quality, and freshness.
In Practice
Extra virgin olive oil can be used for many ordinary home-cooking methods, including sautéing, baking, and roasting. If the oil begins smoking continuously, lower the heat and move the pan off the burner for a moment. The food will usually taste better too.
Worth Knowing
Smoke point is useful, but it is not a complete ranking of cooking oils. Heat stability also depends on fatty-acid composition, antioxidants, oil quality, temperature, cooking time, and whether the oil is repeatedly reheated. A high smoke-point number does not make every oil equally stable under every cooking condition.