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Oil Temperature Judgment Techniques and Common Temperature and Unit Conversion Table

  • Oil temperature between 120°C and 140°C: Suitable for soft frying[^1] and sliding stir-frying[^2]. When chopsticks are placed in the oil, there are basically no bubbles around them, no light blue smoke, no sound, and the oil surface is calm.
  • Oil temperature between 150°C and 160°C: Optimal cooking temperature. When chopsticks are placed in the oil, a few oil bubbles will appear around them, with a slight amount of light blue smoke, and the oil moves from the edges toward the center.
  • Oil temperature between 160°C and 180°C: Suitable for frying until golden and crispy. When chopsticks are placed in the oil, a large amount of light blue smoke rises, and the oil surface appears relatively calm.
  • (Note) It is best to buy an infrared thermometer gun and use a traditional thermometer with caution.

The so-called "X% oil temperature" mentioned in online video tutorials refers to a percentage of the full 100% oil temperature, which is 300°C. That is, n% oil temperature T_n = 30n [degree Celsius] Temperature conversion formula C = 5/9 * (F - 32) Or F = 9/5 * C + 32

Attached Oil Temperature Reference Table

The table is constructed based on the descriptions above. The errors are due to non-professional data.

Celsius °C Common Name Fahrenheit °F
-18±4 Quick Freeze (Frozen) -0.4±4
4±2 Fresh Keeping 40±4
30±10 Room Temperature 86±18
60±10 20% 140±18
90±10 30% 194±18
120±10 40% 248±18
150±10 50% 302±18
180±10 60% 356±18
210±10 70% 410±18
240±10 80% 464±18
270±10 90% 518±18
300±10 100% 572±18
  • ^1: Soft frying involves coating small pieces, slices, or strips of ingredients in batter, placing them in hot oil, and frying them until they are about 70-80% cooked.
  • ^2: Sliding stir-frying involves selecting tender animal-based ingredients, cutting them into shreds, slices, cubes, or strips, coating them with egg white and starch, sliding them in warm oil until separated, then pouring them into a colander to drain excess oil.