Choosing Oil

• Food fried in hot oil creates a crispy outside and keeps the oil from soaking into the food. Because the smoke point of oil is lowered each time it is heated, choose an oil with a higher smoke point if you plan to reuse it.

Smoke Point Factors

• The smoke point of oil depends on its purity and age. Combining with other oils or adding salt also lowers the smoke point. How long the oil is heated, to what temperature and how it is stored all affect an oil's smoke point.

Temperatures

• The "Joy of Cooking" cookbook recommends frying at 365 degrees Fahrenheit for best results. Oils with smoke points above 365 degrees that work best for frying include grapeseed -- 392 degrees -- canola -- 400 degrees -- and corn, peanut, safflower, soybean and sunflower oil, all with a smoke point of 450 degrees Fahrenheit.