The Meaning of Cold Pressed
"Cold pressed" is one of the most frequently used — and most frequently misunderstood — terms in olive oil marketing. For a complete overview, see our Extra Virgin Olive Oil guide.Most consumers associate it with quality, and in most cases they are right. But the term itself has a specific technical meaning that doesn't necessarily guarantee what most people think it means.
What it technically means: Olive oil produced without the application of heat to the olive paste during the extraction process, specifically maintaining the temperature of the olive paste below 27°C (80°F) throughout milling and pressing.
What it doesn't mean: That no heat was involved anywhere in the process, that the oil is necessarily higher quality than all non-cold-pressed oils, or that it guarantees the oil hasn't degraded during storage.
The 27°C threshold matters because above this temperature, the enzymes in the olive paste (particularly polyphenol oxidase) begin to significantly degrade the polyphenol content and the volatile aromatic compounds that give fresh olive oil its character. Below this temperature, these compounds are better preserved1.
How Cold Pressing Works
The traditional cold pressing method:
1. Olives are cleaned and sorted — leaves, stems, and damaged fruit removed
2. Olives are crushed — traditionally with stone wheels, now with hammer mills or blade crushers. The crushing breaks the olive cells and releases the oil.
3. The paste is malaxated — slowly stirred to allow small oil droplets to coalesce into larger ones. This step generates some heat from friction, and cold-press systems use careful temperature control to keep below 27°C.
4. The oil is pressed — traditionally through a hydraulic press using fiber discs (叠). Modern systems use continuous centrifuge (decanter) systems, but can maintain the cold-press standard if temperature is controlled.
5. The oil is filtered and stored — typically in stainless steel tanks under nitrogen at 15–18°C.
Why the Temperature Threshold Matters
The polyphenol content of olive oil is the feature most affected by temperature during extraction. Polyphenol oxidase and other enzymes are active in the olive paste at temperatures above 27°C, and they begin to degrade the very compounds that give olive oil its health benefits and distinctive flavor.
High-phenol oils — those with the most documented health benefits — are almost always cold-pressed because the temperature management preserves the polyphenols that would otherwise be degraded.
At temperatures above 30–35°C, the degradation of polyphenols becomes significant. At temperatures above 40°C, the oil begins to lose its extra virgin character entirely — the sensory panel would detect the difference, and the chemical markers would no longer meet EVOO standards.
The Modern Production Reality
Most commercial olive oil production today uses decanting centrifuges rather than traditional presses. Decanters separate oil from the olive paste using centrifugal force rather than hydraulic pressure. This is faster, more efficient, and produces consistent quality.
"Decanter cold-pressed" or "cold-extracted" are terms used by producers who maintain the 27°C threshold in their centrifuge production. The result is functionally equivalent to traditional cold pressing in terms of temperature control, but the terminology differs.
What Cold Pressing Doesn't Guarantee
Freshness: Cold-pressed oil can be old and degraded. The term describes the production method, not the age of the oil. An oil pressed at 27°C but stored for two years at warm temperatures has no more quality than a conventionally extracted oil of the same age.
Origin or quality beyond the method: Cold pressing is a production technique, not a quality grading system. A low-quality olive pressed cold is still a low-quality olive oil — it just didn't have heat applied during extraction.
Polyphenol content: While cold pressing generally preserves polyphenols better, an oil can be cold-pressed from low-phenol olives (wrong variety, wrong Harvest timing) and still have low polyphenol content. Cold pressing protects what is there — it doesn't create it.
How to Find Genuine Cold Pressed Oil
Look for:
- "Cold pressed" or "Cold extracted" on the label
- A harvest date within 12 months
- IOC or COOC certification
- If available, polyphenol content on the producer's website
The combination of cold pressing, recent harvest, and documented polyphenol content is the best indicator of genuinely high-quality, health-active olive oil.
The Bottom Line
Cold pressing is a meaningful quality indicator — it means the producer took care to preserve the polyphenol content and volatile aromatic compounds through careful temperature management. But it is not a standalone guarantee of quality. A cold-pressed oil that is old, improperly stored, or made from low-quality olives will still be disappointing.
The term is most meaningful when combined with other quality markers: harvest date, polyphenol content, and producer identity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does cold pressed mean?
"Cold pressed" means the olive oil was extracted at temperatures below 27°C (80°F), preserving the maximum polyphenol fraction and aromatic compounds. The temperature limit preserves the phenolic compounds that are otherwise degraded by heat. Modern centrifugal extraction systems that maintain temperatures below 27°C use the term "cold extracted" rather than "cold pressed" — technically accurate but less familiar. The key distinction is temperature during extraction, not press type. Well-operated modern systems produce oil of equivalent or superior quality to traditional presses, provided temperature is controlled.1
Is cold pressed olive oil better?
Cold pressed (or cold extracted) olive oil has higher polyphenol content on average than oil extracted at higher temperatures — which translates to better flavor, more nutritional value, and a more stable oil for cooking. However, "cold pressed" alone is not a quality guarantee — a cold-pressed oil from low-quality olives or with high initial FFA will still be lower quality than a correctly-produced oil from high-phenol cultivars. The combination of cold pressing (correct temperature) + high-quality fruit (low FFA, high phenol content at harvest) + careful processing produces the best olive oil. "Cold pressed" indicates one quality parameter, not the complete picture.1
How does temperature affect olive oil quality?
Temperature during extraction directly affects polyphenol retention — each degree above 27°C causes measurable polyphenol degradation. Temperature during storage affects oxidative stability — warm temperatures accelerate degradation. Temperature during cooking affects both nutrient retention and smoke point. The practical takeaway: choose cold-extracted EVOO for maximum polyphenol content, store in a cool location to preserve quality, and use appropriate temperatures for the intended application. Temperature is one of the most controllable quality variables in olive oil production and storage.1