AbstractThe effect of different factors affecting the slip melting point of palm oil has been evaluated. The most important factor appears to be the difference in tempering temperatures. The influence of different tempering temperatures on slip point values is, however, dependent on the nature of the sample. For hydrogenated oils and for some high‐melting palm stearins, tempering has no effect. For palm oil and palm olein, higher melting points were obtained when tempering at the higher temperatures in the range of 4–15 C. For some soft stearins, however, lower melting points were obtained at the higher tempering temperatures. These effects are investigated with differential scanning calorimetry and an explanation is offered, based on phase diagrams. A secondary effect on the slip melting point was the height of fat in the capillary tube. Effects of using different methods of determination are also shown. Collaborative trials on a standard testing procedure, AOCS Cc3‐25, revealed the inadequacy for palm oil of the temperature range of 4–10 C specified in the procedure and its fractions. Strict adherence to a fixed tempering temperature produced better precision and reproducibility among laboratories. Tempering at 10±1 C is recommended.