<div><p>Olive oil has many known benefits, from the subtle taste it imparts to food to its status as a heart-healthy food. In recent months, due to weather-related shortages, the <span><a data-ga="[[&quot;Embedded Url&quot;,&quot;External link&quot;,&quot;https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/22/business/olive-oil-price.html&quot;,{&quot;metric25&quot;:1}]]" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/22/business/olive-oil-price.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">cost of olive oil has more than doubled.</a></span> Given the rising prices, and the scarcity of it, you might be wondering when it’s OK to substitute in a cheaper oil, such as vegetable or canola.</p><p>Replacing olive oil with a different oil requires taking two main factors into consideration: taste and smoke point. Olive oil has its own unique taste, one that doesn’t always lend well to substitution, while substitutes may or may not complement the original recipe. For other recipes, the <span><a data-ga="[[&quot;Embedded Url&quot;,&quot;External link&quot;,&quot;https://www.seriouseats.com/cooking-fats-101-whats-a-smoke-point-and-why-does-it-matter&quot;,{&quot;metric25&quot;:1}]]" href="https://www.seriouseats.com/cooking-fats-101-whats-a-smoke-point-and-why-does-it-matter" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">smoke point</a></span>, which is the temperature at which oil starts to smoke, which will set off your fire alarm and lead to a bitter, burnt taste.</p><h2 id="h79869"><a id=""></a>Consider whether you need it for the taste</h2><p>For recipes where the taste of olive oil is an important aspect of the finished product, such as <span><a data-ga="[[&quot;Embedded Url&quot;,&quot;External link&quot;,&quot;https://lifehacker.com/why-you-should-know-your-finishing-oils-1849417143&quot;,{&quot;metric25&quot;:1}]]" href="https://lifehacker.com/why-you-should-know-your-finishing-oils-1849417143" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">being used as a finishing element</a></span>, drizzled on top to complement the taste, it’s probably best to splurge on the real deal, and to use it in judicious amounts.</p><p>When taste is an important element of the dish, another option may be to <span><a data-ga="[[&quot;Embedded Url&quot;,&quot;External link&quot;,&quot;https://lifehacker.com/how-to-choose-the-right-cooking-oil-or-butter-1850863098&quot;,{&quot;metric25&quot;:1}]]" href="https://lifehacker.com/how-to-choose-the-right-cooking-oil-or-butter-1850863098" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">substitute butter for olive oil</a></span>, which can be used in baking and cooking. The end result won’t be quite the same, but it’s guaranteed to be delicious. </p><p>However, if the taste of olive oil isn’t a prominent feature of a dish, then it can work to substitute a relatively neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola oil, which are cheaper and more readily available. This includes using vegetable or canola oil in <span><a data-ga="[[&quot;Embedded Url&quot;,&quot;External link&quot;,&quot;https://lifehacker.com/why-olive-oil-isnt-always-the-best-oil-for-vinaigrette-1834552898&quot;,{&quot;metric25&quot;:1}]]" href="https://lifehacker.com/why-olive-oil-isnt-always-the-best-oil-for-vinaigrette-1834552898" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">salad dressings</a></span> or when sauteing.</p><h2 id="h79870"><a id=""></a><strong>Consider the smoke point</strong> </h2><p>The <span><a data-ga="[[&quot;Embedded Url&quot;,&quot;External link&quot;,&quot;https://www.aboutoliveoil.org/olive-oil-smoke-point&quot;,{&quot;metric25&quot;:1}]]" href="https://www.aboutoliveoil.org/olive-oil-smoke-point" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">smoke point of olive oil depends on the type of oil</a></span>, with extra virgin olive oil having a lower smoke point than refined olive oil. Extra virgin olive oils tend to have a smoke point between 350â° to 410â° F, while refined olive oils range between 390â° to 470â° F. The smoke point of vegetable oil ranges between 400â° to 450 â° F, while canola oil has a smoke point of 400â° F, which is slightly above most extra virgin olive oils, and within the range of refined olive oil.  </p></div>