About Heat Levels: The Scoville Scale
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The "Scoville Organoleptic Test" was developed in 1912 by Wilbur
Scoville to measure the heat level of chili peppers. Pure ground chilies
were mixed with sugar water, and a group of "testers" would
taste the solution. The solution was diluted in equal increments until the “hotness” was
no longer detected.
As an example, lets say you have a chile rated 3000 Scoville units. This
means if you used 1 tablespoon of this chili, you would have to combine it
with 3000 tablespoons of sugar water to dilute the concoction to where you
no longer feel the heat!
Today, a lab test called High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) is used
to determine the hotness of peppers and the capsaicin level or Scoville units
of hot sauces. I guess it got too hot for human subjects to endure.
Below is a table showing the Scoville Heat Rating for various peppers.
| Peppers |
Scoville Heat Rating |
| Bell/Pimento |
0 |
| Cherry/Pepperoncini |
100 - 500 |
| New Mexico |
500 - 1000 |
| Poblano/Ancho/Pasilla |
1000 - 1500 |
| Rocotillo/Numex Big Jim |
1500 - 2500 |
| Jalapeno/Mirasol |
2500 - 5000 |
| Chipotle/Yellow Wax/Serrano | 5000 - 15000 |
| Manzano/De Arbol | 15000 - 30000 |
| Cayenne/Tabasco | 30000 - 50000 |
| Thai/Piquin | 50000 - 100,000 |
| Habanero/Scotch Bonnet/Birds Eye | 100,000 - 350,000 |
| Red Savina Habanero | 350,000 - 600,000 |
| Pure Capsaicin | 16 Million |
We at Hot Sauce Mall rate our products on a Heat Rating Scale of
1 to 10 ++++. While we realize heat is subject to an individuals taste and
tolerance, we try to give you an accurate basis to go by. After all one man's
rated 6 may be another man's rated 8! If we have a Scoville rating from the
manufacturer and feel like it is accurate, we provide it in the product description.
A heat rating of 9 is the highest we rate a hot sauce that is hot from
the chiles only. Once pepper extract, or capsaicin is added we rate the sauces
10 or above.
View the Hot Sauce Mall Guide below.
| Hot Sauce Mall Rating |
Scoville Rating |
| 1 |
0 |
| 2 |
0 - 100 |
| 3 |
100 - 500 |
| 4 |
500 - 1000 |
| 5 |
1000 - 3000 |
| 6 |
3000 - 5000 |
| 7 |
5000 - 10,000 |
| 8 |
10,000 - 25,000 |
| 9 |
25,000 - 50,000 |
| 10 |
50,000 - 100,000 |
| 10+ |
100,000 - 300,000 |
| 10++ |
300,000 - 500,000 |
| 10+++ |
500,000 - 1,000,000 |
| 10++++ |
1,000,000 and over |
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