The Honest Truth About Extra Virgin Olive Oil For Cooking

We invite you to picture something with us. You’re standing in your kitchen, the heart of your home. You’re about to prepare a simple, wholesome meal for yourself or for those you love. You reach for your bottle of beautiful, golden-green extra virgin olive oil… and you pause.

A little whisper of doubt creeps in. “Can I actually cook with this? Shouldn’t I use something else for the pan?”

We’ve heard that question many times. For years, a persistent myth has circulated in the food world, suggesting that the purest olive oil, the extra virgin kind, is only for drizzling on salads or dipping bread. It’s a story that says its quality is too delicate for heat.

Today, we want to clear up that confusion with a simple, honest truth: using high-quality  extra virgin olive oil for cooking  is not only perfectly safe, but it is one of the most wholesome, healthy and delicious ways to prepare your food.

At Evie, our world revolves around the simple, beautiful gifts from nature. Inspired by our founder’s great-grandmother, Evie Fields, who cooked with ingredients straight from her garden, we believe in the pure, unvarnished goodness of things. And that goodness shouldn't be reserved for a special occasion. It should be part of the everyday warmth of your kitchen, from the first sizzle in the pan to the final, happy bite.

So, let’s explore this together, and bring confidence and joy back to your cooking.

The main reason for the confusion comes down to two little words: “smoke point.” What is a smoke point? It’s simply the temperature at which an oil stops shimmering and starts to smoke. The myth says that extra virgin olive oil’s smoke point is very low, and that heating it past this point makes it unhealthy.

Here is the simple, honest truth: this is only half a story. The most important part is often left out.

The smoke point of an olive oil depends entirely on its quality and purity. Heavily processed, old, or low-quality olive oils can indeed have a low smoke point. But a true, high-quality extra virgin olive oil—the kind we lovingly bottle here at Evie—is a different story altogether.

High-quality extra virgin olive oil for cooking has a smoke point that is much higher than most people think, typically ranging from 375∘F to 420∘F (190∘C to 215∘C). FYI: Our Evie extra virgin olive oils have a smoke point of 410 F (210 C) 🙂

What do those numbers mean for your kitchen? They mean that a pure, fresh extra virgin olive oil is a wonderful partner for nearly all of your daily cooking.

•  Sautéing vegetables  on the stovetop? The typical temperature is around 320∘F (160∘C).

•  Roasting potatoes or broccoli  in the oven? A common temperature is 400∘F (200∘C).

•  Gently pan-frying  a piece of fish or chicken? You’ll be well within the safe and happy range.

The oil in your Evie bottle is more than sturdy enough for these daily, joyful acts of cooking. Its purity is its strength.

But the story gets even better. Smoke point isn’t the only thing that matters when you warm an oil. What’s even more important is something called oxidative stability.

This sounds like a complicated term, but the idea behind it is wonderfully simple. Oxidative stability is an oil’s natural ability to resist breaking down when it’s heated. It’s a measure of how well the oil stays wholesome and good, protecting its flavor and health benefits.

And here is where extra virgin olive oil truly shines. Pure extra virgin olive oil is full of two things that make it incredibly stable:

1.  Good Fats:  It is primarily made of a monounsaturated fat called oleic acid. This type of fat is very sturdy and doesn't change easily when warmed.

2.  Nature’s Protectors (Polyphenols):  This is the real magic. True extra virgin olive oil is packed with natural compounds called polyphenols. These are the very same things that give fresh EVOO its robust, bold flavor and that gentle, peppery tingle in the back of your throat. They are nature’s protectors, and their main job is to keep the oil from harm.

When you gently heat a high-quality extra virgin olive oil, these polyphenols get to work, protecting the oil and keeping it stable and good. They are a gift from the olive tree, ensuring the oil stays as pure in your pan as it was in the bottle.

Interestingly, many highly refined seed oils (like canola, soy, or sunflower oil) have a high smoke point, but they lack these natural protectors. They are stripped of their natural goodness during processing, which can make them less stable when you cook with them. It's a beautiful lesson from nature: what is most pure is often strongest.

Knowing that using  extra virgin olive oil for cooking  is good and safe is one thing. Feeling the joy of it is another. We believe cooking should be a happy, sensory experience, and the right olive oil makes all the difference.

Here are a few of the simple ways we love to use our EVOO, filling our homes with warmth and wonderful smells.

1. The Gentle Sauté

This is perhaps the most fundamental act of cooking. Imagine thinly sliced garlic and onions, hitting a warm pool of olive oil in your skillet. The gentle sizzle, the fragrant aroma that begins to fill the air—that’s the start of a beautiful meal. Sautéing vegetables like zucchini, bell peppers, or mushrooms in EVOO doesn’t just cook them; it coats them in deliciousness that brings out their natural flavor. The oil doesn't overpower; it harmonizes.

2. The Golden Roast

Roasting brings a touch of magic to the humblest of vegetables. Take a bowl of chopped potatoes, carrots, or broccoli. Drizzle them generously with Evie olive oil, sprinkle with a little salt, and toss them with your hands. You’re giving them everything they need to become golden and delicious in the oven. As they roast, the oil helps them become wonderfully crispy and caramelized on the outside while staying soft and tender on the inside. It’s simple comfort food at its best.

3. The Surprise of Baking

This is a secret that we love sharing. Have you ever tried baking with olive oil? It’s a truly wonderful experience. You can swap it for butter or other oils in many recipes for cakes, muffins, and quick breads. An olive oil cake is a revelation—impossibly moist, with a delicate, tender crumb. It brings a subtle, fruity character to the bake for a dessert that feels both wholesome and special.

4. The Simple Pan-Fry

There’s no need to fear pan-frying a beautiful piece of fish or a thin chicken cutlet. A generous layer of EVOO in your pan creates the perfect medium for a crisp, golden-brown crust. The oil’s pure flavor complements the delicate taste of the fish or chicken beautifully, never masking it. It’s a simple, elegant way to prepare a protein that feels both light and satisfying.

And of course, extra virgin olive oil is still the undisputed friend of the finished dish. That final, joyful drizzle over a bowl of soup, a plate of pasta, or a simple dish of fresh tomatoes…🤌. It’s in this final touch that you can taste the pure, unadulterated spirit of the olive—bright, grassy, and full of life. Its versatility, from the hot pan to the cool plate, is what makes it such a trusted friend in our kitchens.

At Evie, our connection to our oil is simple and direct. We work with a small, family-owned farm in California where the olives are tended with care, harvested at just the right moment, and pressed quickly to capture all their natural goodness. This commitment to quality and purity is why our oil is so rich in the polyphenols that make it a perfect partner for your cooking.

Great-grandmother Evie Fields knew that food made with love starts with simple, honest ingredients. She trusted the goodness that came from the earth. We carry that same belief in every bottle we share with you.

So, the next time you are in your kitchen, reaching for your Evie bottle, we hope you do so with confidence and happiness. Don’t just save the good stuff. Let its wholesome flavor be the start of your meal, and let its simple goodness bring a little more joy to your table 🫶