The idea that you shouldn’t heat olive oil has been circulating for years, but it’s essentially a myth. You can safely heat it up to 207 degrees Celsius—and it’s even healthy at that point. That said, we only recommend deep-frying with lower-quality olive oil. Why? Because we think it’s a shame to use high-quality extra virgin olive oil for frying. Either way, let’s get into frying with olive oil!
Heating olive oil: how to do it right!
Extra virgin olive oil is the purest and most natural type of olive oil. It’s very healthy thanks to its high content of unsaturated fats and antioxidants. Because there are no chemical processes involved, this oil has a distinct flavor and aroma. It shines in cold dishes, but using it warm is absolutely fine too—you can heat it up to around 207 degrees Celsius without the quality deteriorating. Curious about recipes with extra virgin olive oil? Feel free to browse through all our olive oil recipes.
Since we’re on the topic of heating, here’s a handy tip. For those who cook or sear regularly, pomace olive oil is a great option. It has an even higher smoke point and a more neutral taste, making it perfect for heavy use in the kitchen. Want to know more? Check out our pages on cooking with pomace olive oil and what is pomace olive oil. Or head straight to our pomace olive oil shop, where you’ll find both the 1-liter pomace olive oil can and the 5-liter pomace olive oil can. You can also find our pomace olive oil at Albert Heijn.
Here in the Netherlands, we’re used to cooking with butter or animal fat. But cooking with olive oil is just as sensible—and often even the healthier choice. Scientific research, such as Effect of cooking on olive oil quality attributes, shows that olive oil retains many of its healthy properties even when heated. Still, it’s important to keep an eye on the temperature: when heated above 207 degrees Celsius, PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) can be released, which may have unhealthy effects. This applies specifically to extra virgin olive oil, because it’s unrefined. With regular (refined) olive oil and pomace olive oil, the smoke point is higher (up to 230 degrees Celsius), so this risk is lower at high temperatures.
Frying with olive oil
Olive oil contains many monounsaturated fats, which have only one double bond. Like saturated fats, monounsaturated fats are quite resistant to heat. One study even found that olive oil can be used in a deep fryer for over 24 hours before it starts to oxidize significantly. In theory, then, olive oil is perfectly suitable for frying, even with repeated use. However, it’s important to note that the flavor and aroma of extra virgin olive oil may change or fade after prolonged exposure to high heat. This can result in a bitter or stale aftertaste.
Still want to fry with olive oil but prefer a more neutral taste? Then it’s best to go for a milder option like pomace olive oil, which holds up better to long cooking times and remains more stable in terms of flavor and smell.
