What is the smoke point of extra virgin olive oil?

Extra virgin olive oil is commonly measured between about 190 and 207 degrees Celsius, roughly 375 to 405 Fahrenheit. Refined olive oil sits higher, generally around 240 degrees Celsius, because refining removes the free fatty acids that lower the number.

Why do published smoke points for olive oil vary so much?

Because the oils tested were different. Smoke point is driven mainly by free fatty acid content, which varies between oils, and many published figures do not state the acidity of the sample. Test methods also differ, and some figures are repeated from older sources without retesting.

What lowers the smoke point of olive oil?

Free fatty acids, reported as free acidity on a certificate of analysis. The more free fatty acids present, the lower the temperature at which the oil starts to smoke. Acidity rises as oil ages and as fruit degrades before pressing, so fresher oil generally performs better. Repeated heating also lowers it in use.

Is smoke point the best measure of how an oil performs under heat?

Not on its own. For sustained heat, oxidative stability matters more: how the oil holds up over time and repeated heating cycles. Polyphenols contribute to that stability and are largely removed by refining, which is why a good extra virgin can outperform a refined oil with a higher published smoke point over a long production run.

The Smoke Point of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Smoke point is the temperature at which an oil begins to break down visibly and give off smoke. It is one of the first questions a food manufacturer or kitchen asks before specifying an oil, and one of the most inconsistently reported. This page sets out what the number actually depends on, why published figures vary so widely, and what to ask a supplier.

Written by OLYFO in Tunisia. Last reviewed 28 August 2026.

The short answer, and why it comes with a range

Extra virgin olive oil is commonly measured somewhere between about 190°C and 207°C (roughly 375°F to 405°F). Refined olive oil sits higher, generally around 240°C, because refining removes the compounds that lower the number.

That is a wide range for a single product category, and the width is the interesting part. Two extra virgin olive oils can differ by 15°C or more. The difference is not random.

What actually determines it

Smoke point is driven mainly by free fatty acid content, the same measurement reported as free acidity on a certificate of analysis.

Free fatty acids have a lower smoke point than the intact triglycerides that make up most of the oil. The more free fatty acids present, the lower the temperature at which the oil starts to smoke. So:

Lower free acidity means a higher smoke point. This is the single biggest factor within the extra virgin category.
Fresher oil generally performs better, because free acidity rises as oil ages and as fruit degrades before pressing.
Refining raises it substantially by stripping out free fatty acids, along with the polyphenols and aromatics.
Repeated heating lowers it in use, as frying breaks down the oil over successive cycles.

Why this matters when you are buying

The legal ceiling for extra virgin is 0.8% free acidity. An oil sitting near that ceiling and an oil sitting at a quarter of it are both legally extra virgin, and they will not behave the same way in a fryer or on a production line.

This is a good reason to look past the grade on the label. Ask for the free acidity of the actual lot. It tells you more about how the oil will perform under heat than the words “extra virgin” do.

For reference, our recent lots measured:

Lot TLHP26-000146.001, SGS Tunisia, January 2026 — free acidity 0.29%
Lot TLHP26-000255.001, SGS Tunisia, February 2026 — free acidity 0.20%
Lot 2026B2230, ONH Sousse, March 2026 — free acidity 0.35%

All well under the 0.8% ceiling. We publish the measured figure per shipment rather than only the specification. How to read a certificate of analysis.

Smoke point is not the whole story

Smoke point gets quoted more often than it deserves, because it is easy to put on a spec sheet. For anything involving sustained heat, oxidative stability matters more: how the oil holds up over time and over repeated heating cycles, rather than the single temperature at which it first smokes.

Polyphenols contribute to that stability. They are natural antioxidants present in virgin oils and largely removed by refining. It is one reason a good extra virgin can outperform a refined oil with a higher published smoke point over a long production run, even though the refined oil looks better on paper.

If oxidative stability matters to your application, ask for the polyphenol content alongside the free acidity. Our oils carry up to 400 mg/kg, and up to 500 mg/kg for OLYFO Gold Organic.

Why published figures disagree

If you compare sources you will find smoke points for extra virgin olive oil quoted anywhere from 160°C to 210°C. Three reasons:

The oils tested were different. Free acidity varies, so smoke point varies. Many published figures do not state the acidity of the sample.
Test methods differ. Smoke point is determined by observation under specified conditions, and results shift with the method and the observer.
Some figures are simply repeated from older sources without retesting, including some that pre-date modern milling.

So treat any single published number, including the range on this page, as indicative. The figure that matters is the one for the oil you are actually buying.

What to ask your supplier

Free acidity for the specific lot, not the company specification.
Polyphenol content, if the oil will be heated repeatedly or held hot.
Harvest date and pressing gap. Fresher oil, lower acidity, better performance.
Storage conditions between pressing and shipping, since heat and light raise acidity over time.