The Heat Rule You Should Follow When Cooking With Coconut Oil

If you cook with coconut oil, you'll know it can impart a rich, slightly sweet and nutty flavor to whatever you're making. But you also might notice that one jar of the stuff smokes more easily on a hot skillet than another. What gives? It's likely the type of coconut oil you're using. There are two main kinds: refined and unrefined. And it might not seem like there's a huge difference between them, but there is when it comes to cooking.

You see, refined coconut oil has a higher smoke point of between 400 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. This makes it great for medium to high heat applications, like this easy sesame bok choy stir-fry recipe. On the other hand, unrefined coconut oil has a lower smoke point, of about 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

If you tried to stir-fry with the unrefined kind, you would likely run into one of the mistakes everyone makes when cooking with oil – that is, using too high a heat for the wrong kind of oil. But unrefined coconut oil is terrific for baking with, and it can even be used as a substitute for butter to make baked goods vegan.

While all coconut oil basically gets processed the same way to start, refined coconut oil receives further treatment which bleaches and deodorizes the oil (among other things). This is why the refined variety has a higher smoke point, and why it's mostly neutral in smell and taste. 

In contrast, unrefined coconut oil's processing stops after the oil is extracted  — and if no heat is used, it's called cold-pressed. Because it doesn't go through any other steps, the flavor and aroma of coconuts is more pronounced, and it shows up more prominently in foods. If you don't want to keep two jars of different coconut oil in your pantry, the title of "all-purpose" coconut oil for cooking goes to the refined variety, which not only tends to be less expensive, it can also keep longer. 

Refined coconut has less robust coconut essence than the unrefined type, but because it has a higher smoke point anyway, it can still be used in a pinch for baking. Keep in mind that it won't imbue the same richness of flavor, however, so if that's important to you, perhaps get a smaller jar of unrefined coconut oil, too. You could also use either when making popcorn, depending on how strong a coconut taste you like — but always keep the refined oil for cooking at higher temperatures. Whether you choose to store coconut oil in the fridge or pantry depends on what you'll be using it for.