>i was always on the verge of the smoke point of the oil and it still took way longer than suggested. So I used to struggle with this exact thing as well, and

>i was always on the verge of the smoke point of the oil and it still took way longer than suggested. So I used to struggle with this exact thing as well, and this is how I solved it. You have to remember that when you add the protein to the pan the temperature is going to drop by a large amount. So for me, as soon as I saw the first whisps of smoke off the oil, I would crank the heat up a bit and toss in the protein (or whatever I was starting with). You will be amazed what a difference in makes.