6 Best oils for high heat cooking for home and fastfoods
I have always struggled with choosing the best oils for high heat cooking. Because it is difficult to choose and the oils in the market are also expensive. I worked in fast food for many years and now after 7 years, I have a small fast food. I have used many oils in preparing fried potatoes and fried chicken and now I want to share my experience with you, so stay with me until the end of this article.
Of course, there are different ways to prepare this type of food; Roasting and shallow frying are among them. In fact, each of these methods has its own effect on the taste of food. But the important point is the oil that you use.
Today, there is a huge variety of oils in supermarkets and stores, and choosing between them takes almost half an hour of the customer’s time; From organic oils such as rapeseed and corn oil to flavored oils such as odorless and odorless olives.
But this is not the whole story, because there are a series of very specialized oils such as grape seed oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, etc., and if we know how to use them, it is much easier to consume or produce the oil.
As you know, fried foods have become an integral part of today’s tables and it is rare to find a meal that does not use fried foods. The popularity of fried food has led to the production of special oils for this task, which structure is designed for deep frying with high heat and can withstand the highest temperatures of the pan.
Deep frying or high heat is a type of frying where food is immersed in oil. This type of frying, which is done with high heat, needs the right oil to withstand this heat and to be able to fry the food well. In this article, we are going to introduce you the best oils for deep frying or high heat so that you don’t have to use any oil for this type of frying. So stay with us.
What is deep frying?
Deep frying is the exact opposite of roasting. In frying, you use a small amount of oil and fry the food at a low temperature and slowly (sauté). The opposite is deep frying, by which the food is immersed in a large amount of oil and fried at high heat. Therefore, deep frying means that the food is immersed in oil and fried at high heat.
Deep frying is a method that has recently become popular among cooks, and in many sandwiches and restaurants, this method is used to present fast food. In this method, you need a large volume of liquid oil so that the food floats well in the oil.
For this case, the choice of the best oils for high heat cooking is very important. On the other hand, the temperature of the oil must be very hot to fry the food quickly.
Pros and Cons of deep frying
Pros:
- Food tastes good
It is very clear that fried foods taste better than other foods. Fried foods are very delicious and this makes them very attractive for many people.
Deep frying doubles the taste of food and makes your cooked food more satisfying to consumers. The fatness is the factor that make the food cooked by deep frying delicious. These two factors make fried foods attractive with this method.
Cons:
- high fat
At the same time, the food cooked by deep frying method is very greasy and has a very attractive taste, this high fat is the first enemy of human heart and health. Many patients currently suffer from fat and heart problems, one of the causes of which is fried foods. Naturally, such problems cause you to limit the consumption of these types of foods.
- Cancer and various diseases
Another factor that causes restrictions on the consumption of deep-fried foods is the development of various diseases such as cancer, many of which are caused by the consumption of fast foods and the use of transgenic and unhealthy oils.
Due to the fact that many foods are fried with transgenic and unhealthy oils, this factor has caused various diseases, including cancer, in humans today. Also, on the day of deep frying, the food suffers a lot of heat and changes its state quickly, which causes the health of the food to change and sometimes the food becomes harmful to humans.
- High consumption of oil
It is known that frying food requires a lot of oil. Even some dry foods attract oil and whatever oil you pour in the pan will be swallowed by them. Deep frying is the best of all these and to benefit from it, you have to pour a can of oil in the pan so that you can cook a meal.
The best oils for high heat cooking
The frying oil is suitable for deep frying. Deep frying your food requires special frying oil to withstand this amount of heat. Ordinary liquid oils cannot withstand such heat and lose their stability and undergo chemical reactions when exposed to this heat.
In the topic of best oils for high heat cooking, there is a component called smoke point, which is actually the main rating indicator of frying oils.
What is the smoke point of oil?
One of the first steps in learning how to fry food properly at home is understanding the smoke point. The smoke point is the temperature at which the oil begins to decompose and oxidize.
So the first rule is that when cooking at higher temperatures, you should choose an oil with a high smoke point. Otherwise, the oil will taste sour and unpleasant. Also, this process destroys the taste of the food that is being fried.
Of course, the worst thing that happens in this process is not the bad taste of the food. By passing the smoke point and oxidation of the oil, toxic and carcinogenic elements enter the food and turn it into a harmful substance for your health.
Researchers believe that 180 degrees Celsius or 350 degrees Fahrenheit is a suitable temperature for deep frying food. At this temperature, the food absorbs less oil and remains crispy. Also, this temperature is not so high that the outer layer burns before the internal parts of the food are cooked.
Of course, you may need higher temperatures to cook a special dish. Therefore, it is necessary to know the smoke point of different oils, in order to know at which temperature each one is suitable for cooking.
Smoke point of different oils:
1. Sesame Oil
Smoke point: 437 degrees Fahrenheit or 225 degrees Celsius
Best way to use: Any type of frying
2. Sunflower oil
Smoke point: 450°F or 232°C
Best way to use: Any type of frying
3. canola oil
Smoke point: 400°F or 200°C
Best way to use: Any kind of shallow to mild frying
What is canola oil?
Canola (Brassica napus L.) is an oilseed crop that was created in Canada through crossbreeding of the rapeseed plant. The name “canola” comes from “Canada” and “ola,” denoting oil.
Ever since the canola plant was created, plant breeders have developed many varieties that improved seed quality and led to a boom in canola oil manufacturing.
Most canola crops are genetically modified (GMO) to improve oil quality and increase plant tolerance to herbicides (1, 2).
In fact, over 90% of the canola crops grown in the United States are genetically modified for herbicide resistance, according to an older 2011 study (3Trusted Source).
sourced: https://www.healthline.com/
4. soy oil
Smoke point: 450°F or 232°C
Best way to use: deep frying
5. Peanut oil
Smoke point: 450°F or 232°C
Best way to use: deep frying
6. corn oil
Smoke point: 450°F or 232°C
Best way to use: deep frying
7. Cottonseed or linseed oil
Smoke point: 420 degrees Fahrenheit or 215 degrees Celsius
Best way to use: deep frying
How to understand that the oil has reached the smoke point?
Regarding the smoke point, one issue is how to know when the oil has reached the smoke point. It’s not that complicated to figure this out. It was mentioned earlier that when the oil reaches the smoke point, it burns and emits a burning smell.
Well, this is a very good and understandable sign for this matter. We have other components, that are mentioned below. If you choose the best oils for high heat cooking, you must follow this point
1. Burning smell
The easiest way to find out if the oil has burned is to smell it. When the oil reaches the smoke point and burns, it emits a burning smell and this smell quickly spreads in the air.
It has definitely happened to you many times that you feel that the smell of burnt oil has filled the whole house. This is exactly what we say. When this smell is felt, everyone says that the oil is burnt.
2. Color darkening
Another sign for this is oil smoking. When the oil heats up a lot and reaches the smoke point, it always smells burnt and then its color changes. This change in color is towards darkness, that is, the oil becomes dark, and anyone who sees it will understand that the oil is burnt.
3. Create a floor on it
If you have noticed, when the pan containing the oil is placed on the gas heat, after a short period of time it is well heated, small bubbles will appear in it. This is the beginning of oil heating, and if this condition continues, foam will form on the oil. This floor means burning oil and reaching smoke temperature.
4. Smoking oil
The signs and symptoms of burning oil were mentioned one by one from the beginning. After the above symptoms, the last symptoms of oil burning and reaching the smoke point is the oil smoking.
Of course, as mentioned, this is the last sign and it is when the smoke point has been reached. In any case, oil smoking is exactly the main indication for liquid oil smoke point.
5. Condensation
Another last sign of oil burn is its concentration. When the oil reaches the smoke point and burns, its concentration or viscosity increases. This sign may not be very useful for you while frying, but it is very suitable for after frying.
If you want to store the oil after removing it from the heat and when it cools down, make sure that its concentration is not too high.
What is the best oils for high heat cooking?
In the rest of the article about best oils for high heat cooking, we got to the point. Deep frying means immersing food in hot oil. The ideal temperature for this is around 350 to 375 degrees Fahrenheit or 176 to 190 degrees Celsius. Immersing food in oil at this temperature causes its surface to fry quickly.
In this process, a layer is formed on the food that oil cannot penetrate. Meanwhile, in this method, the moisture inside the food turns into steam and cooks the food from the inside. Steam also helps prevent oil from escaping the food. The right oil for this frying method is the oil with the highest smoke point.
Corn oil (North American) or maize oil (British) is oil extracted from the germ of corn (maize). Its main use is in cooking, where its high smoke point makes refined corn oil a valuable frying oil. It is also a key ingredient in some margarines. Corn oil is generally less expensive than most other types of vegetable oils.
Corn oil is also a feedstock used for biodiesel. Other industrial uses for corn oil include soap, salve, paint, erasers, rustproofing for metal surfaces, inks, textiles, nitroglycerin, and insecticides. It is sometimes used as a carrier for drug molecules in pharmaceutical preparations.
sourced: https://en.wikipedia.org/
Corn oil and sunflower oil are the best oils for high heat cooking. At the same time, you should also consider the proper temperature of deep frying. If the temperature is too low, the oil will seep into the food and make it greasy. If the flame temperature is high, the food will dry and the oil will oxidize.
Conclusion for best oils for high heat cooking
You have learn which oils are suitable for deep frying and which ones should not be used for this purpose.
Note that in general, fried foods are harmful to human health, so do not overdo them. In the end, we advise you to use natural oils for your own purposes to ensure the health of you and your family.
I have also shared my experience of choosing the best oils for high heat cooking for home and fast food apps. I am ready to comment on any questions you may have and we can discuss and exchange ideas together.
