What Does Cold Pressed Actually Mean?

Cold pressed olive oil is oil extracted from olives mechanically, without added heat, so the temperature during processing stays low. Under EU rules, which the UK retains, "cold extraction" and "first cold pressing" may only be used on a label when the oil was produced below 27°C.

What does "cold pressed" mean for olive oil?

Making olive oil is a physical process. The olives are washed, crushed into a paste, gently mixed so the tiny droplets of oil join together, and then the oil is separated from the water and solids. At each stage, warmth would make the process faster and give a bigger yield, but it would also cost the oil some of its aroma and its natural compounds.

"Cold pressed" means the producer has kept the temperature low throughout, accepting a smaller yield in return for a better oil. Nothing is added, and no chemicals or solvents are involved.

What is the legal definition of cold extraction?

EU marketing rules for olive oil, which were carried into UK law, set out two optional terms:

• "First cold pressing" may be used only for extra virgin or virgin olive oil obtained below 27°C from a first mechanical pressing of the olive paste, using a traditional extraction system with hydraulic presses.
• "Cold extraction" may be used only for extra virgin or virgin olive oil obtained below 27°C by percolation or centrifugation of the olive paste.

In everyday speech, "cold pressed" is used to cover both. The important point is the temperature: below 27°C.

Is all extra virgin olive oil cold pressed?

Not necessarily. Extra virgin olive oil must be produced by mechanical means only, without chemical treatment, and it must pass laboratory and taste tests. But the rules do not set a maximum processing temperature for the extra virgin grade itself. A producer could warm the paste a little to extract more oil and still meet the extra virgin standard, especially if the fruit was in good condition.

That is why "cold pressed" or "cold extraction" on a label is a meaningful extra, and why lab results are useful too. They show you whether the care in production has actually translated into a fresh, high-quality oil.

Does cold pressing make a difference to the taste?

Yes. Keeping temperatures low helps preserve the volatile compounds responsible for the oil's aroma: the green notes of cut grass, tomato leaf and fresh herbs. It also helps retain more of the olive's natural polyphenols, which give good oil its bitterness and peppery finish. Oils produced at higher temperatures tend to taste softer and flatter.

If you have ever tasted a really fresh oil and felt a tickle at the back of your throat, that is partly the result of careful, cool processing. Our article on high-polyphenol olive oil explains more about those compounds.

Is "first pressing" still meaningful?

Much less than it used to be. Most modern mills use centrifuges rather than hydraulic presses, and there is no "second pressing" in the traditional sense. The phrase is now largely a historical one. What matters is that the oil is extra virgin, extracted mechanically at a low temperature, from fruit that was processed quickly after picking.

How can you check an oil was made with care?

Labels can only tell you so much. The most reliable signs are:

• the extra virgin grade, with a named origin
• a mention of cold pressing or cold extraction
• independent lab data showing low free acidity, a low peroxide value and good polyphenol levels
• a fresh, green, peppery taste when you try it

Our guide to spotting real extra virgin olive oil covers these checks in more detail.

How ours compares

Our extra virgin olive oil is cold pressed, unfiltered and bottled at source on a single estate in the hills between Puglia and Basilicata. It is made mainly from Coratina olives, a variety known for its naturally high polyphenol content.

Its January 2026 analysis by Studio Analisi Chimiche e Ambientali, an ISO 9001-certified laboratory, showed polyphenols of 687 mg/kg, free acidity of 0.36% and a peroxide value of 7.06, all comfortably within extra virgin limits. Every figure is on our lab results page.

Quick answers

Is cold pressed olive oil better for cooking?
It can be used for cooking just like any extra virgin oil. Its biggest advantage is flavour, so many people also keep it for dressing and finishing.

Does cold pressed mean unfiltered?
No. They are separate steps. Cold pressing is about extraction temperature; filtering happens afterwards. Our oil happens to be both.

Why is cold pressed oil more expensive?
Keeping temperatures low produces less oil from the same olives, so each litre costs more to make.