Whether you’re sautéing, stir-frying or skillet roasting, the oil you use is critical to the success of each technique. The oil needs to withstand medium-high or high heat without smoking. With the wide selection of oils sold in supermarkets, which ones are up to the task?

Knowing smoke points (the temperature at which various oils begin to smoke and give off a harsh smell) can provide some insight into the best choices. No oil should be heated to the point of smoking. Not only is this dangerous, it adversely affects the taste of the dish and your health. Once oil begins to smoke, it breaks down and forms potentially carcinogenic compounds. Typical frying temperatures are around 375ºF., so the smoke point of any oil used for these purposes should be considerably higher.

With smoke points ranging from 400ºF. to 500ºF., most refined vegetable oils are good choices for sautéing. (Vegetable oils sold in supermarkets are refined unless labeled “unrefined” or “cold-pressed.”) The flavor of these oils is neutral, making them suitable for all-purpose cooking. Oils labeled “vegetable oil” (typically the least expensive option) are usually made from soy or a blend of oils.

Olive oil has a distinctive flavor that works well in Mediterranean cooking. However, intensely flavored, cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil has a relatively low smoke point (about 320ºF.), so it’s best used in salads and marinades or as a finishing drizzle. Although blander in taste, the less expensive “pure” olive oil, often labeled simply “olive oil,” may actually be a better choice for sautéing because refinement increases the smoke point to about 410ºF.

Canola oil is the darling of nutritionists becuse it contains mostly monounsaturated fat. It’s fine for most cooking, but with a smoke point of 400ºF., refined canola oil is less heat-tolerant than the other common refined oils. Among the boutique oils, grapeseed oil has a relatively high smoke point (420ºF.) and a light, fruity flavor.