Cold pressed oil is oil extracted from seeds, nuts, or fruits using mechanical pressure alone, without chemical solvents or high heat. To qualify as cold pressed, the temperature during extraction must stay below 49°C (120°F). This low-heat process preserves more of the oil’s natural flavor, color, and nutrients compared to conventional refining methods.
How Cold Pressed Oil Is Made
The process is straightforward: seeds or nuts are placed in a mechanical press that physically crushes them to squeeze out the oil. No chemicals are added at any stage. The two main types of presses used are hydraulic presses and screw presses (also called expeller presses).
A hydraulic press uses liquid pressure to crush the seeds, generating relatively little heat. A screw press uses a rotating metal shaft to continuously grind and squeeze the raw material, which creates more friction and therefore more heat. Screw presses extract oil more efficiently and have largely replaced hydraulic presses in commercial production, but the operator has to carefully manage conditions to keep temperatures under the 120°F threshold. If the seeds are too dry, for instance, the press head heats up quickly, making it difficult to stay within cold pressed limits.
After pressing, the oil is typically filtered or allowed to settle but is not further processed. This is what distinguishes cold pressed oil from refined oil: it skips the chemical steps entirely.
How It Differs From Refined Oil
Most cooking oils on supermarket shelves are refined. The standard industrial process starts by crushing seeds and then mixing them with an organic solvent, most commonly n-hexane, which dissolves the oil out of the seed material. The EPA classifies n-hexane as a hazardous air pollutant and regulates its emissions from vegetable oil production facilities. After the solvent does its job, the crude oil goes through additional steps: degumming, bleaching, and deodorizing at high temperatures to produce a neutral-tasting, clear oil with a long shelf life.
Cold pressed oil skips all of that. Because no solvent touches the oil and no extreme heat is applied, the final product retains compounds that refining strips away, including antioxidants, vitamins, and the distinctive flavor of the source ingredient. The tradeoff is a lower extraction yield (less oil per pound of seeds), which is why cold pressed oils cost more.
Nutritional Differences
The main nutritional advantage of cold pressed oils is their higher concentration of heat-sensitive compounds. Vitamin E, polyphenols, and carotenoids survive the gentle extraction process but break down during conventional high-heat refining. These compounds act as antioxidants in the body, helping to reduce oxidative stress at the cellular level.
Research on seed oils from sources like flaxseed, sesame, and canola shows they can positively influence cholesterol levels and blood sugar control. A study on white sesame seed oil found it helped lower blood glucose, reduced oxidative stress, and improved markers of liver and kidney function in people with type 2 diabetes. Seed oils rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as flaxseed and perilla oil, have also shown potential for reducing inflammatory markers when combined with regular exercise. In one clinical trial, participants who took perilla oil alongside an exercise program saw greater drops in cholesterol, triglycerides, and several inflammation markers compared to those who only exercised or only took the oil.
These benefits come from the fatty acid profile and bioactive compounds in the oil itself, not solely from the cold pressing method. But cold pressing preserves more of those beneficial compounds than refining does.
Common Types and Their Smoke Points
Not every cold pressed oil works for every cooking method. The smoke point, the temperature at which an oil starts to break down and produce visible smoke, determines how you can use it safely in the kitchen.
- Cold pressed olive oil: 375°F. Best for sautéing, salad dressings, and low to medium-heat cooking. This is essentially the same range as extra virgin olive oil.
- Unrefined coconut oil: 350°F. Works well for baking and medium-heat cooking but not ideal for high-heat frying.
- Cold pressed sunflower oil: Around 440°F when minimally processed. Handles higher cooking temperatures well.
- Unrefined avocado oil: 480°F. One of the highest smoke points among unrefined oils, making it versatile for roasting and stir-frying.
Heating any oil past its smoke point damages its beneficial compounds and produces unpleasant flavors. If you’re paying a premium for cold pressed oil, using it within its smoke point range preserves the qualities you’re paying for.
Storage and Shelf Life
Cold pressed oils are less shelf-stable than their refined counterparts. Without the bleaching and deodorizing steps that strip reactive compounds from refined oils, cold pressed oils are more vulnerable to oxidation, the chemical process that makes oil go rancid.
The speed of oxidation depends heavily on the oil’s fatty acid makeup. Oils high in polyunsaturated fats, like flaxseed and walnut oil, go rancid faster than oils dominated by monounsaturated fats, like olive oil. For context, even refined oils stored in plastic bottles at room temperature with light exposure lose about 30% of their oxidative stability within 12 months. Cold pressed oils, with more reactive compounds intact, generally have shorter windows.
To get the most life out of your cold pressed oil, store it in a dark glass bottle, keep it away from heat sources, and seal it tightly after each use. Refrigeration extends shelf life for most varieties, though coconut oil and olive oil may solidify in the fridge (they’ll liquefy again at room temperature with no harm to quality). Most cold pressed oils are best used within three to six months of opening.
Labeling: What to Watch For
In the United States, there is no formal FDA definition for “cold pressed” in food labeling regulations. The term does not appear in the federal code that governs food labels (21 CFR Part 101). This means manufacturers can use the phrase without meeting a standardized legal threshold. The European Union is stricter, generally recognizing the 49°C limit as part of its food quality standards.
For U.S. shoppers, this gap means the label alone isn’t a guarantee. Look for brands that specify extraction temperatures or carry third-party certifications. Oils labeled “expeller pressed” were mechanically extracted but may have exceeded the cold pressed temperature limit during processing. “Unrefined” is another useful indicator, as it confirms the oil wasn’t chemically treated after extraction, though it doesn’t speak to temperature.
Price can also be a rough signal. Genuine cold pressing yields less oil per batch and requires more careful handling, so authentically cold pressed oils typically cost noticeably more than refined versions of the same oil.