Smoke point is the temperature at which an oil starts to give off visible smoke and break down. Refined oils usually smoke at higher temperatures than cold pressed oils. Tadka, sabzi and shallow frying stay below the limit of cold pressed groundnut, sesame or mustard oil, while deep frying leaves less margin.
Last updated: 6 Oct 2026 | Shop cold pressed groundnut oil
“Can I fry in cold pressed oil?” is one of the most common questions we hear from people switching from refined oil, and it usually comes with a half-remembered rule that unrefined oil “cannot take heat”. The real picture is more useful than the rule. This page puts the smoke point of common cooking oils in one table, explains why the numbers differ, and then translates them into what you actually do in an Indian kitchen.
We press oil at our own wooden ghani mill in Nagpur and cook with it every day, so we have a view. We have tried to keep the numbers to published reference values and to say clearly where they are only approximate.
What is smoke point, and why does it matter?
When oil is heated, it eventually reaches a temperature where it begins to smoke continuously. That is its smoke point. Beyond it the oil breaks down faster, gives off an acrid smell that catches the throat, and forms compounds that taste bitter and are best not eaten regularly. Smoke is the practical warning sign: if the pan is smoking, the oil is too hot.
Smoke point is useful, but it is not the whole story. It is a single reading taken on a fresh sample of oil. The same oil smokes at a lower temperature after it has been used for frying, because food particles and breakdown products build up in it. So the number tells you how an oil starts out, not how it behaves on its third round in the kadhai.
Smoke point of common cooking oils
The table gives approximate published reference values in degrees Celsius. Real figures vary with the oil’s free fatty acid content, how it was made and how it was tested, so read them as a guide and not as a guarantee:
| Oil | Form | Approx. smoke point (°C) |
|---|---|---|
| Groundnut (peanut) | Unrefined | 160 |
| Groundnut (peanut) | Refined | 232 |
| Sesame | Unrefined | 177 |
| Sesame | Semi-refined | 232 |
| Mustard | Reference value | 250 |
| Coconut | Virgin | 177 |
| Coconut | Refined | 204 |
| Sunflower | Unrefined | 107 |
| Sunflower | Refined | 252–254 |
| Flaxseed | Unrefined | 107 |
| Olive | Extra virgin | 190 |
| Ghee | Clarified butter | 250 |
Two things stand out. Refined oils sit at the top of each oil’s range, and unrefined seed oils such as sunflower and flax sit at the bottom. Flax oil is the clearest case, and it is a finishing oil, not a frying oil. Groundnut, sesame and coconut are in the middle, which is why they have been used for cooking for generations.
Why cold pressed oils usually smoke at a lower temperature
Refining removes free fatty acids, gums and fine particles, and those are the things that make an oil start to smoke early. A cold pressed oil is only filtered and rested, so some of those components remain. That is also where much of the flavour and many of the natural plant compounds live, which is the trade-off we describe in cold pressed oil vs refined oil.
A lower smoke point does not mean an oil is unsafe to cook with. It means the margin between cooking temperature and smoking temperature is narrower, so you need to watch the heat. For most home cooking that margin is comfortable.
How hot does Indian cooking actually get?
Most deep frying is done at roughly 170 to 190°C. Tadka and shallow frying usually run lower and for much shorter times, because the oil is heated, the spices go in, and the pan is taken off or the next ingredient is added within a minute or so.
- Tadka, sabzi, dal and curry bases: short, moderate heat. Cold pressed groundnut, sesame, mustard or coconut oil all work well.
- Rotis, parathas and shallow frying (tikkis, cutlets, omelettes): moderate heat for a few minutes. Cold pressed groundnut oil is a good all-rounder.
- Deep frying (pakoras, puris, samosas): sustained heat at the top of the range, for longer. This is the one case where the smoke point and the way you manage the oil really matter.
- Raw and finishing use: a drizzle of sesame oil, mustard oil in pickles, flax oil on salads. No heat, so smoke point is irrelevant.
Can you deep fry with cold pressed oil?
Yes, for home frying, but with less margin than a refined oil gives you. Most deep frying is done at roughly 170 to 190°C, while the reference value for unrefined groundnut oil is around 160°C and for unrefined sesame oil about 177°C. In practice that means frying at the lower end of the range, in small batches, and watching the pan. We would choose cold pressed groundnut oil for this at home, because its flavour is mild enough not to dominate the food and it is widely used for frying across India. The points that matter are these:
- Aim for the lower end of the range, roughly 160 to 175°C, using a thermometer or the batter-drop test. Foods that cook through quickly, such as pakoras and puris, suit this well.
- Heat gradually. Bring the oil up over a medium flame rather than blasting it, and turn the heat down at once if you see a thin haze rising.
- Do not overcrowd the pan. Too much cold food drops the temperature, the food soaks up oil, and you tend to turn the flame up in response.
- Filter the oil after use, while it is still warm, to remove crumbs and batter bits that burn on the next round.
- Limit reuse. This is covered in the next section.
If you deep fry for large gatherings on a regular basis, a refined oil with a higher smoke point is the more economical and heat-stable choice, as we explain in our comparison of cold pressed and refined oil. For ordinary household frying, cold pressed groundnut oil does the job.
How many times can you reuse frying oil?
Repeated heating is a bigger problem than the choice of oil. Every round of frying lowers the smoke point and increases the share of degraded compounds in the oil. FSSAI’s guidance on used cooking oil says oil should be discarded once its total polar compounds, a measure of breakdown, exceed 25 per cent, and advises avoiding repeated use of cooking oil for frying altogether.
For households, the same guidance suggests a simple rule: filter the oil after one round of frying and reuse it for cooking a curry, rather than frying again. A practical version of that rule is to treat deep-frying oil as single-use for frying, and to use up the leftover within a day or two instead of storing it for long.
Throw the oil away, and do not pour it down the drain, when you see any of these signs:
- it has turned dark brown or looks thick and sticky
- it smokes at a lower temperature than it used to, or foams heavily
- it smells acrid, rancid or like burnt food even before heating
- food fried in it tastes bitter or leaves a harsh feeling at the back of the throat
A note on mustard oil
Mustard oil is handled differently in many kitchens. It is traditionally heated until it just begins to smoke and then allowed to cool before cooking, which softens its raw pungency. If you follow that tradition, treat it as a brief, deliberate step and take the pan off the heat. It is not a reason to leave any oil smoking on the stove. Reference smoke points for mustard oil are listed high in the table above, but published figures vary, so watch the pan and not the number.
Matching the oil to the method
| Cooking method | Good choices | Handling tip |
|---|---|---|
| Tadka and curry bases | Cold pressed groundnut, sesame, mustard, coconut | Heat the oil, add spices, move on quickly |
| Rotis and parathas | Cold pressed groundnut, sesame, ghee | Moderate heat is enough |
| Shallow frying | Cold pressed groundnut or coconut oil | Stop short of heavy smoking |
| Deep frying (home) | Cold pressed groundnut oil | Stay at the lower end, about 160–175°C, in small batches; filter after use |
| Deep frying (large volume) | Refined oil is more economical | Monitor and discard as oil darkens |
| Pickles, chutneys, dressings | Cold pressed mustard, sesame or flax oil | No heat needed |
For help choosing between oils for specific dishes, see our guide to cooking oils for Indian cooking. If you are working out how much oil your household needs, how much cooking oil a family of four uses per month gives a realistic range.
What to buy for everyday frying
If you want one cold pressed oil that covers tadka, shallow frying and the occasional deep fry, cold pressed groundnut oil is the practical choice. Households that fry often can buy the 5 litre or 10 litre pack and decant into a smaller bottle for the kitchen shelf. Sesame oil and mustard oil are better kept for the dishes they are traditionally used in.
Because “cold pressed” is not a tightly regulated term, check who actually presses the oil before you buy. Our guide to testing cold pressed oil at home explains what each test can and cannot tell you. We press our own oil on a wooden ghani at our Hudkeshwar mill, which you can see on our Nagpur oil mill page, and the method is described in what is lakdi ghani oil.
Frequently asked questions
What is the smoke point of cold pressed oil?
It depends on the oil. Published reference values put unrefined groundnut oil at around 160°C, unrefined sesame oil at about 177°C and virgin coconut oil at about 177°C. Those are lower than refined versions of the same oils, but ordinary tadka, sabzi and shallow frying stay comfortably below them.
Can I deep fry with cold pressed groundnut oil?
Yes, for home frying, with less margin than refined oil. Fry at the lower end of the usual range, around 160 to 175°C, in small batches, and lower the heat if the pan smokes. Filter after use and do not reuse repeatedly. For large-volume frying, refined oil is more heat-stable.
What happens when oil goes past its smoke point?
The oil begins to break down faster, gives off visible smoke and an acrid smell, and forms compounds that taste bitter and are best not eaten regularly. If the pan is smoking, take it off the heat, let it cool and discard the oil if it smells burnt.
How many times can I reuse frying oil?
FSSAI advises avoiding repeated use of oil for frying and says oil should be discarded once total polar compounds pass 25 per cent. For households, a practical rule is to filter after one round of frying and use the leftover for a curry within a day or two.
Is a higher smoke point always better?
No. It matters for sustained high-heat frying, but much Indian cooking is brief and moderate, where flavour matters more. An oil with a high smoke point can still break down if it is reused repeatedly. Matching the oil to the dish and managing the heat matters more than the number alone.
Why does my oil smoke sooner the second time I use it?
Frying leaves food particles and breakdown compounds in the oil, and these lower its smoke point with every use. The more hours an oil has been heated, the lower the temperature at which it starts to smoke. That is why filtering helps and why repeated reuse is discouraged.
Written by Dushyant Waghmare, founder — Parampara Naturals, who operates a wooden ghani oil mill in Nagpur.
Last updated: 6 Oct 2026