EVOO Smoke Point Predictor
Conservatively estimate a cooking range for extra virgin olive oil from reported chemistry. This is a scenario model, not a laboratory smoke-point measurement.
How it works
Smoke point is estimated from a fresh high-quality EVOO baseline of 210°C, then adjusted:
Smoke point ≈ 210°C − FFA impact − age impact − storage impact + a small phenolic adjustment
- Free fatty acids are the primary driver. Higher FFA lowers smoke point, with a non-linear penalty that grows toward the 0.8% extra-virgin chemistry limit.
- Polyphenols are a smaller illustrative thermal-stability adjustment, capped well below the FFA effect. This is not a health assessment.
- Age and storage apply smaller penalties for time since harvest and poor storage history.
- The conservative cooking band is 20°C below the scenario smoke point, rounded down to 5°C.
- Results are floored at 150°C.
IOC extra virgin is defined by FFA ≤ 0.8% plus sensory standards. This tool labels FFA bands inside that chemistry range. It does not assign IOC grades such as “Premium” or “Standard”.
Processing method is omitted: for extra virgin oil, “cold pressed” versus centrifuge extraction is not a useful smoke-point axis.
Limitations
- Individual oil composition varies significantly.
- Measured smoke point can vary by around ±10°C even within the same FFA band.
- This model is educational. For critical applications, use laboratory testing.
Even high-quality EVOO often has a lower smoke point than refined oils. For high-heat cooking above 200°C, consider whether a refined oil is more appropriate.
Related: Polyphenol degradation estimator.