The fast food industry, forced by do-gooders to give up relatively safe beef tallow, found the recommended vegetable oils to unstable to use and went to partially hydrogenated oils known as Trans Fats. These very dangerous unnatural oils were do-gooder approved because they were made from vegetable oils promoted by the American Heart Association.

Now, unable to return to beef tallow for fear of the do-gooders, the fast food industry now has nowhere to turn except possibly dangerous genetically engineered "high oleic" vegetable oils that mimic the composition of Olive Oil. These "high oleic" oils are not available to the general public, but real olive oil is.

The fast food industry found these totally unusable because they become rancid immediately and completely unusable within a few hours (beef tallow was so stable it lasted a month). Products of rancidity are suspected carcinogens. If these oils aren't good enough for Burger King why would you use them?

• Corn Oil   -   oxidation index 6.2
• Safflower Oil   -   oxidation 7.6
• Soybean Oil   -   oxidation 7.0
• Sunflower Oil   -   oxidation 6.8
• Canola Oil   - oxidation 5.5 - highly controversial.
• "Vegetable Oil"   -   (whatever oil is cheapest at the time)
• Other oils high in polyunsaturated fats.

All these oils will go to at least 450°F/235°C safely and are resistant to rancidity. All oils safe at these temperatures are refined oils except Avocado which may be virgin.

• Olive Pomace Oil   -   affordable and excellent, with very low polyunsaturated content. Oxidation 1.5.
• Avocado Oil   -   Very excellent but less available and less economical.
• Almond Oil   -   expensive.

• Rice Bran Oil.
• Peanut Oil   -   oxidation 3.7.

These oils will go safely to at least 400°F/200°C and again are all refined oils.

• Pure Olive Oil   -   (not virgin) - oxidation 1.5.
• Palm Oil   -   (not coconut).
• Mustard Oil   -   labeled "for massage only" due lack of FDA certification, but used for cooking anyway.
• Beef Tallow   -   oxidation 0.86.
• Any of the higher temperature oils.

All these oils will go safely to at least 350°F/175°C.

• Pure Olive Oil   -   (not virgin) - oxidation 1.5.
• Coconut Oil   -   considered by some the most healthy oil - oxidation 0.24.
• Ghee   -   highly clarified butter.
• Lard   -   pig fat - oxidation 1.7.
• Goose, Duck and Chicken fat.
• Any of the higher temperature oils.

These oils will all go safely to 300°F/150°C but may loose flavor before they reach that temperature so 275°F/135°C is a good target maximum. Flavor is generally a major feature (and justification for higher price) with low temperature oils so you don't want to loose it.

• Virgin Olive Oil.
• Butter.
• Sesame Oil   -   (unrefined).

• Grapeseed Oil.
• Pure Olive Oil   -   (virgin may be too strongly flavored).

• Virgin Olive Oil
• Pure Olive Oil   -   not strongly flavored like virgin.
• Grapeseed Oil
• Sesame Oil   -   (light and dark)
• Various "Natural", "Cold Pressed" and "Virgin" oils sold for their unique flavors.

Oils with a low oxidation index (1.5 and lower) can be reused several times provided they have not been overheated (to smoking or higher), they are filtered clean after use, and not too much time passes between uses. Oils with a higher oxidation index (polyunsaturated oils) should not be reused as they degrade rapidly.

After using oil for deep frying I often re-use it a bit at a time for pan frying (if the flavor remains neutral). Oil used to fry fish should not be reused for any other purpose because it will become strongly flavored from dissolved fish oils.

To filter oil, line a strainer with a non-colored paper towel and pour the oil through it. Preferably it should still be fairly hot so it filters quickly. In some cases the filter will clog and have to be replaced before all the oil is filtered.

Often problem foods that stick to the pan with most oils will not stick if fried in Lard. Yes, the AHA has vilified lard and made you fear it, but in the 19th century America practically lived on pig fat and congestive heart disease was almost unknown. Populations using a lot of lard and people on the Atkins diet have not experienced an elevated incidence of heart disease. There seems to be something amiss with AHA "science".

It is best to grease baking pans and the like with lard or beef tallow. Vegetable oils dry quickly to varnish and become very difficult to clean off. If oil is not baked on too hard, paint thinner may be useful for removing it - but be very cautious of the fire hazard.

• Oils & Fats.
• Smoke Temperatures and Composition - Chart
• Oils, Fats & Health - the raging controversy.