What Does First Cold Pressed Olive Oil Mean?

Walk into any market and you'll see "first cold pressed" printed on dozens of bottles of extra virgin olive oil. The phrase is often bolded or highlighted to draw attention. But what does it actually mean, and does it matter?

Today we unpack the term, explain where it came from, and tell you whether it should influence your buying decision.

First cold pressed means the extra virgin olive oil was made from the first milling of the olives. During the milling process, the olives were not exposed to excessive heat. The phrase breaks into two parts: "first pressed" and "cold pressed," each with its own history.

To understand why the term exists, you have to go back a few centuries.

The Origin of "First Cold Pressed"

The phrase was used widely before the 1960s, when production looked completely different than it does today.

What "Cold Pressed" Originally Meant

For centuries, producers used communal stone mills pulled by donkeys or oxen. As the stones ground olives throughout the day, friction caused them to heat up. What came out early in the morning, before the stones got hot, was noticeably better in flavor and quality. That early batch was called "cold pressed" because the stones were still cool.

What "First Pressed" Originally Meant

When olives are milled, what comes out is technically a juice. The fruit contains a high percentage of water alongside the fat. The very first pressing produced the finest product, with the best flavor and lowest acidity. Producers would then mill the remaining paste again and again to extract as much as possible. However, these later pressings produced inferior results.

So the highest quality product came from the first pressing, while the stones were still cold. Reserved for nobility, it became known as first cold pressed.

Why Do We Still Say First Cold Pressed?

After the 1960s, the industry went through a technological revolution. Companies like Pieralisi developed commercial decanters and centrifuges that completely mechanized milling. As a result, stone mills became obsolete almost overnight.

Today, virtually all producers, including us at EXAU, extract it mechanically. Olives are milled, not pressed. Furthermore, modern mills allow operators to set a maximum temperature, typically 27°C (80.6°F), so the product is always produced cold by definition.

The phrase has lingered because it sounds premium and works well for marketing. But technically, a more accurate term would be "cold milled." Better still, it should simply be retired.

Is All Extra Virgin Olive Oil First Cold Pressed?

Yes, and this is the most important thing to understand. In order to be legally classified as extra virgin, an olive oil must already meet strict standards that include cold extraction. In other words, saying an extra virgin olive oil is "first cold pressed" is redundant. It is like saying you drove to the store with a valid driver's license.

Organizations like the NAOOA and the International Olive Council set and enforce these standards. Every bottle of legitimate extra virgin must meet the cold extraction threshold. First cold pressed is not a mark of excellence. It is the bare minimum.

Related: Regular Olive Oil vs. Extra Virgin, What's the Difference?

What Should You Actually Look For on the Label?

Instead of "first cold pressed," here are the details that genuinely signal quality.

Harvest Date

Look for a harvest date, not just a best-by date. Fresh EVOO is better EVOO. At EXAU, every bottle lists the harvest year so you know exactly when the olives were picked.

Country of Origin

Single-origin products, made from olives grown in one specific region, offer transparency and traceability that blended products simply cannot. Our EVOO comes exclusively from family groves along the Ionian coast of Calabria, Italy.

Certifications, With an Important Caveat

Organic, DOP, and other certifications can signal quality. However, large brands can absorb certification costs far more easily than small farms can. For small family producers, the fees and paperwork are often prohibitive. That does not mean small producers are not farming organically. It often means the opposite.

Many small producers farm with more care and fewer chemicals than their certified counterparts. They simply cannot afford the label that says so. At EXAU, we farm 100% regeneratively and use exclusively organic products on our land. We do this not because a certification requires it, but because it is the right way to care for groves our family has tended since 1927. When in doubt, ask the producer directly about their farming practices.

Acidity, What It Means in Plain Terms

Acidity refers to the level of free fatty acids present in the product. Producers use this measurement to assess quality at harvest. The lower the number, the better. Extra virgin must measure below 0.8%, and the best options fall well under that. Furthermore, a producer who lists their acidity percentage on the label is confident enough to show you the data. That transparency matters.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is first cold pressed olive oil better for cooking?

All extra virgin olive oil is first cold pressed by definition, so the label tells you nothing about cooking performance. What matters is freshness and polyphenol content. Also, contrary to popular belief, extra virgin has a high enough smoke point for most everyday cooking.

Is cold pressed olive oil the same as extra virgin?

Essentially, yes. Cold pressed is a requirement built into the extra virgin standard. If you see a bottle labeled "cold pressed" but not "extra virgin," treat that as a red flag. It may be a lower grade product using premium-sounding language.

What is the difference between cold pressed and cold extracted?

"Cold extracted" is the more accurate modern term for how centrifuge-based mills produce EVOO today. The temperature stays below 27°C (80.6°F) during extraction. "Cold pressed" is an older term rooted in stone-mill production. In practice, both mean the same thing on a modern bottle.

Does first cold pressed mean the oil is unfiltered?

No. The term refers only to temperature and pressing sequence, not to whether the product is filtered or unfiltered. Unfiltered EVOO is a separate characteristic with its own pros and cons.

The Bottom Line on First Cold Pressed

First cold pressed is a historic term that no longer carries meaningful information for today's buyer. Every bottle of genuine extra virgin olive oil meets this standard. What separates a good bottle from a great one is harvest date, origin, acidity, polyphenol content, and the integrity of the producer.

If you want to understand what actually makes a great bottle, start with our guide to what extra virgin olive oil really is. We cover how it is made and what to look for.

Related: What is an Olive Press?

Shop 100% Calabrian extra virgin olive oil, single origin, harvest-dated, and family farmed since 1927.

We wrote a book called The Olive Oil Enthusiast. Order your copy today.

You may also like:

What is Extra Virgin Olive Oil?

How is Extra Virgin Olive Oil Made?

Understanding Olive Oil Acidity

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