What Does Cold Pressed Olive Oil Really Mean?
Cold Pressed Olive Oil — it sounds premium, artisanal, and crafted with care. It’s a term that appears on bottle after bottle, but how many brands actually explain what it means? Let's cut through the marketing buzz and get to the truth about cold pressing, extra virgin standards, and what you're really drizzling on your food.
Is Cold Pressed Just a Marketing Term?
Yes — and no. “Cold Pressed” refers to the process of extracting oil at a temperature below 27°C (80.6°F). This limit preserves the integrity of the oil, especially the polyphenols, antioxidants, and delicate aromas that define a high-quality extra virgin olive oil.
But here’s the catch: all true extra virgin olive oil is cold pressed by definition. It’s not a bonus feature — it’s a minimum requirement. According to the International Olive Council, extra virgin olive oil must be extracted by mechanical means without heat or chemical treatment.
Why Do Brands Say “Cold Pressed Extra Virgin” Then?
Because it sounds good. “Cold Pressed” makes a bottle feel premium, even if it’s stating the obvious. It taps into the romantic imagery of hand-picked olives, stone mills, and sun-drenched groves — but it doesn’t tell you anything new.
Want to know what really makes an olive oil special? Look for:
- High phenolic content – known to deliver health benefits backed by Harvard research.
- Harvest date and traceability
- Single origin or small batch production
- Well-known cultivars like Koroneiki or Coratina
Hot Pressed Olive Oil: What Is It?
Hot pressing is used to extract oil from low-grade remnants — like olive pomace. These oils are heavily refined, stripped of flavour and nutrients, and often used for industrial or non-culinary purposes. Pomace oil and lampante oil are not suitable for drizzling or dressing your meals.
If you're unsure about what's really in your bottle, check out the UC Davis Olive Center, one of the leading research institutes on olive oil authenticity and quality.
The Olive Oil Guy Standard
At The Olive Oil Guy, we don’t hide behind buzzwords. Every oil we offer is cold pressed — naturally — but more importantly, it’s certified extra virgin, traceable to the grove, and bursting with flavour and phenolic power.
So next time you see “cold pressed” on a bottle, ask: is that all they’re saying? Or is there more to the story?
Trust your taste. Read the details. And always go beyond the label.
