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 the truth about whether it should influence your buying decision.

What Does First Cold Pressed Mean?

First cold pressed means the extra virgin olive oil was made from the first milling of the olives, and that during the milling process, the olives and oil 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 prior to the 1960s, when olive oil production was an entirely different process than it is today.

What "Cold Pressed" Originally Meant

For centuries, olive oil was made using communal stone mills — large slabs of stone pulled by donkeys or oxen. As the stones ground olives throughout the day, friction caused them to heat up. The oil produced early in the morning, before the stones got hot, was noticeably better in flavor and quality. That oil 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 oil. The oil from the very first pressing was the finest, with the best flavor and lowest acidity. Producers would then mill the remaining olive paste again — and again — to extract as much oil as possible. These later pressings produced inferior oil.

The highest quality olive oil 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 olive oil industry went through a technological revolution. Companies like Pieralisi developed commercial decanters and centrifuges that completely mechanized the milling process. Stone mills became obsolete almost overnight.

Today, virtually all producers — including EXAU — extract oil mechanically. Olives are milled, not pressed. Modern mills allow operators to set a maximum temperature, typically 27°C (80.6°F), so the oil is always produced "cold" by definition.

The phrase first cold pressed has lingered because it sounds premium and it's good for marketing. But technically, a more accurate term would be "cold milled." Better still, the phrase 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 for an olive oil to be legally classified as extra virgin, it must already meet strict standards that include cold extraction. Saying an extra virgin olive oil is "first cold pressed" is redundant — like saying you drove with a valid driver's license.

Organizations like the NAOOA and the International Olive Council (IOC) set and enforce these standards. Every bottle of legitimate extra virgin olive oil — from every producer — must meet the cold extraction threshold.

First cold pressed is not a mark of excellence. It is the bare minimum. Any producer worth buying from meets this standard automatically.

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," these are the label details that genuinely signal quality:

Harvest Date

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

Country of Origin

Single-origin oils — produced from olives grown in one specific region — offer transparency and traceability that blended oils can't. Our oil comes exclusively from our family groves along the Ionian coast of Calabria, Italy.

Certifications — With an Important Caveat

Organic, DOP, and other certifications can be meaningful signals of quality — but only up to a point. Large brands can absorb the cost of certification programs. For small family farms, the fees, paperwork, and production restrictions that come with formal certification are often prohibitive. That doesn't mean small producers aren't farming organically or regeneratively — it often means the opposite.

Many small producers farm with more care, more intention, and fewer chemicals than their certified counterparts. They just can't afford to pay for the label that says so. At EXAU, we farm 100% regeneratively and use exclusively organic products on our land — not because a certification requires it, but because it's the right way to care for groves that have been in our family since 1927. Every one of our partner farms is certified organic under EU standards, but we'd be farming this way regardless.

When in doubt, ask the producer directly about their farming practices. A brand willing to answer that question in detail is almost always more trustworthy than one hiding behind a logo.

Acidity — What It Means in Plain Terms

You'll sometimes see acidity percentage listed on a bottle, and it's worth understanding what it signals. Acidity in olive oil refers to the level of free fatty acids present in the oil — a measurement producers use to assess quality at harvest. The lower the number, the better the oil. Extra virgin olive oil must measure below 0.8%. The best oils are well under that.

Free fatty acid percentage is a technical measurement used at the production level — it's not something most consumers need to calculate or obsess over. What it tells you simply is this: a producer who lists their acidity percentage on the label is a producer confident enough in their oil to show you the data. That transparency matters.

First Cold Pressed Olive Oil — Common Questions

Is first cold pressed olive oil better for cooking?

All extra virgin olive oil is first cold pressed by definition, so the label itself tells you nothing about cooking performance. What matters for cooking is the oil's polyphenol content, freshness, and your intended use. Contrary to popular belief, extra virgin olive oil 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" that is not also labeled extra virgin, treat that as a red flag — it may be a lower grade oil using premium-sounding language.

What is the difference between cold pressed and cold extracted olive oil?

"Cold extracted" is the more technically accurate modern term for how today's centrifuge-based mills produce oil. The temperature stays below 27°C during extraction. "Cold pressed" is an older term rooted in stone-mill production. Both mean the same thing in practice on a modern bottle.

Does first cold pressed mean the oil is unfiltered?

No. First cold pressed refers only to the temperature and pressing sequence, not to whether the oil is filtered or unfiltered. Unfiltered (cloudy) olive oil 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 olive oil from a great one is harvest date, origin, acidity, polyphenol content, and the integrity of the producer — not a phrase on the front label.

If you want to understand what actually makes olive oil worth buying, start with our guide to what extra virgin olive oil really is and how it's made.

Related: What is an Olive Press?

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

You may also like:

What is EVOO?

How is Extra Virgin Olive Oil Made?

How to Store Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Understanding Olive Oil Acidity

Olive Oil Smoke Point — What You Actually Need to Know

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