The Cooking Oil That Has A Higher Smoke Point Than Avocado

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You've probably heard of avocado, corn, olive, and maybe even safflower oils — but what about algae oil? It's one of the lesser-known cooking oils that you can add to your kitchen cabinet. Algae oil has health benefits and works for a variety of cooking techniques. Another standout quality of algae oil is its high smoke point, which goes even beyond the capabilities of popular avocado oil.

An oil's smoke point is the maximum temperature it can withstand without burning. Avocado oil has a high smoke point, around 520 degrees Fahrenheit, but algae oil beats out avocado oil and the rest with a smoke point of around 535 degrees Fahrenheit. Algae oil's high smoke point makes it ideal for any high-heat cooking method, like sautéing, searing, and roasting. It's also good for deep-frying if you want to skip vegetable oil, a common ingredient for the cooking technique. 

You can also use algae oil to season your cast-iron pan or whip up your next homemade vinaigrette because it has a light and neutral flavor profile. It's also packed with omega-3s, which are healthy fats that your body relies on, but you will only reap this nutritional benefit of algae oil if you consume it unheated. 

Algae oil doesn't come from an actual body of water like you might assume. It's made of microalgae produced in factories. At these facilities, large tanks full of tiny microalgae undergo a fermentation process in which they are given sugar, causing them to grow. Eventually, oil is pressed from the fermented microalgae, and the result is a product that you can use for cooking. This process also makes algae oil more sustainable than other oils because it requires less water, land, and therefore less carbon emissions than the oils that might already be in your kitchen.

When it comes to pricing, a 16-ounce bottle of algae oil from the brand Algae Cooking Club with a 4.6-star rating on Amazon is priced at $20.69, which breaks down to $1.29 per fluid ounce. To test your new bottle of algae oil, use it in a classic beef stir fry recipe. For home cooks who really want to put its high smoke point to the test, give it a try with our crispy fried chicken or breaded pan-fried cod recipes.