Heating cooking oils to their smoke point can causes serious indoor air pollution. A kitchen stove hood/vent is a very good idea to help reduce this form of indoor air pollution in the home.

Another really good way to reduce smoke from burning cooking oils is to choose your oils carefully, so you cook with oils that can handle high heat without smoking. For example, refined avocado oil can be heated to just under 500 F before smoking, while unrefined safflower oil will smoke when heated to just under 225 F.

Below is a chart adapted from research published by oil manufacturer Spectrum Naturals, that gives the smoke point of many oils. Try to never heat oils to their smoke point. Even if you do get a stove hood, using the right oil for the right heat is important.

Below 212 F
–Cooking Methods
Boil, steam, scald, stew, simmer, steep, parboil, salad dressings
–Oils You Should Use
Unrefined canola oil (smoke point is below 225 F)
Unrefined flaxseed oil (smoke point is below 225 F)
Unrefined safflower oil (smoke point 225 F)
Unrefined sunflower oil (smoke point is below 225 F)

Below 320 F–Cooking Methods
Low-heat baking, light sauté, pressure cooking
–Oils You Should Use
Unrefined corn oil (smoke point is below 32 F)
Unrefined peanut oil (smoke point is below 320 F)
Semirefined safflower oil (smoke point is below 320 F)
Unrefined soy oil (smoke point is below 320 F)
Unrefined high-Oleic sunflower oil (smoke point is below 320 F)
Unrefined walnut oil (smoke point is below 320 F)

Below 375 F
–Cooking Methods Baking sauté, stir-fry, wok cooking
–Oils You Should Use
Semirefined canola oil (smoke point is below 350 F)
Refined canola oil (smoke point is below 400 F)
Refined corn oil (smoke point is below 450 F)
Unrefined olive oil (smoke point is below 320)
Refined peanut oil (smoke point is below 450 F)
Refined safflower oil (smoke point is below blow 450 F)
Unrefined sesame oil (smoke point is below 350 F)
Semirefined sesame oil (smoke point is below 450 F)
Semirefined soy oil (smoke point is below 350 F)
Refined soy oil (smoke point is below blow 450 F)
Semirefined sunflower oil (smoke point is below 450 F)
Refined high-oleic sunflower oil (smoke point is below 450 F)
Semirefined walnut oil (smoke point is below 400 F)

Below 500 F
–Cooking Methods
Sear, brown, deep-fry.
–Oils You Should Use
Refined avocado oil has a smoke point of below 520 F, the highest temperature of all the plant oils.