Cold Pressed Olive Oil
Fresh oil. Made by people who give a damn.
We grow and mill our estate oils, make oils with KATZ Farm, and select a few others worth sharing.
Shop Cold Pressed Olive Oil
The good stuff. Pick a bottle.
What does cold pressed mean?
The wooden press had a good run.
“Cold pressed” is the phrase people know. Cold extracted is the process.
Modern extra virgin olive oil is not pressed. The olives are crushed into a paste, gently mixed so tiny oil droplets can gather, then separated in a horizontal decanter centrifuge. The entire process is mechanical, without solvents or added heat. Industry definitions use a temperature below 27°C (80.6°F), often rounded to about 82°F in consumer explanations.
“First cold press” made sense when olive paste was stacked on fiber mats and pressed more than once. The language stuck. The equipment got better.
Extra virgin olive oil is a grade of oil determined by sensory analysis and chemical testing, not simply words we put on the label because we didn't add heat during milling. It must meet established standards for free acidity and sensory quality. Cold extraction helps preserve characteristic flavors and aromas, but it is only one part of the bigger picture.
Oils carrying the California Olive Oil Council seal undergo chemical analysis and blind sensory evaluation. Origin, harvest information, certification and any batch specific laboratory results belong with the individual oil, not in one sweeping claim about every bottle.
The ceiling for oil quality is set in the grove. Variety, soil, weather, crop load and harvest timing all shape the fruit before it reaches the mill. For our estate oils, we make those decisions in our own grove; for partner oils, we work with growers whose fruit and standards we trust. In either case, healthy, intact olives moved promptly to the mill give us the best raw material to work with.
01
Olives
Fruit grown in healthy trees, harvested gently to prevent damage, and milled promptly, sets the ceiling for every oil that follows.
The hammer mill prepares the olive paste for separation. By adjusting the speed and fineness of the crush, we can influence how pigments and polyphenols are extracted and how the oil’s aromas develop.
02
Crush
A hammer mill crushes the whole olive: skin, flesh, and pit, into a fresh paste ready for mixing.
We slowly mix, or "malax" the paste for 30–45 minutes, allowing tiny oil droplets to join while enzymes develop the aromas we prize. Commercial mills may stretch this step to two hours to maximize yield, but extra time also means more oxidation and less freshness.
03
Mix
The paste is mixed slowly so tiny oil droplets can gather, with time, temperature and oxygen carefully managed.
Inside the spinning bowl, lighter oil gathers near the center and flows forward over adjustable weir plates. A slightly slower internal screw works the heavier water, flesh and pit fragments toward the opposite end, a delicate balancing act that continuously separates clean oil from the paste.
04
Separate
A horizontal decanter spins the paste, separating oil from water and olive solids by density.
As the oil enters our sealed tanks, we sparge it with nitrogen, a process we developed that strips dissolved oxygen rather than simply shielding the surface. It remains cool, dark and under nitrogen until the tank is emptied, with each batch’s origin, harvest and certifications kept intact.
05
Olive oil
Fresh oil is evaluated, finished for the individual lot and protected from heat, light and oxygen.
Benefits of Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil
It's FRESH.
Great olive oil begins in the grove. Living soil, balanced nutrition, healthy roots and active biology help trees produce complex fruit and natural protective compounds. Harvesting at the right time and milling with control, managing time, temperature and oxygen, then preserves that potential. The mill cannot manufacture quality, but it can develop it carefully or squander it.
Earlier harvest fruit often produces less oil, but it can contribute more bitterness, pungency and polyphenols. Actual polyphenol levels vary with cultivar, ripeness, growing conditions, milling and batch, so measurements should follow the specific oil rather than become a permanent promise for the whole collection.
Fresh extra virgin olive oil can be vibrant, complex and more stable, with flavors shaped by variety, harvest timing and origin. “Fresh” and “extra virgin” are related, but they are not the same thing: freshness is about time and handling; extra virgin is a defined chemistry and sensory grade.
How to Use Cold Pressed Olive Oil
Put it on dinner.
Drizzle it on beans, vegetables, soup, pasta, pesto, bread or tomatoes. Use it for finishing, and don’t be afraid to cook with it, extra virgin olive oil can handle the heat.
Real food tastes better with good olive oil.
Good olive oil is food, not a museum piece.
What to Expect From Cold Pressed EVOO
The fruit gets the last word.
To taste an oil on its own, pour a little into a small glass, warm the bowl in your hand and smell before you sip. Move it around your mouth (or give it a little chew) to release more aroma. Fresh cut grass, artichoke, green almond, tomato leaf, herbs, ripe fruit and flowers can all show up in the glass.
Fruitiness, bitterness and pungency are positive attributes in extra virgin olive oil. That peppery catch at the back of your throat is not a defect, and its intensity will vary with cultivar, ripeness, harvest timing and polyphenols.
Fresh olive oil can be grassy and peppery, soft and floral, or somewhere in between. Variety, harvest timing and milling all leave their mark.
How to Use Fresh Olive Oil
Open it. Use it. Don’t put it on a pedestal.
Olive oil is at its best when it’s fresh. Look for the harvest date on each bottle and enjoy it while it’s vibrant. Keep the cap closed, store it in a cool, dark place, and limit heat, oxygen and light.
There’s no need to save it for a special occasion, use it in your everyday cooking.
Your sunny windowsill is not helping.
About Our California Olive Oils
Real people. Real places. Really good oil.
Our estate oils are grown and milled at Frantoio Grove. We also make oils with our longtime partners at KATZ Farm and occasionally invite in a guest oil that earns its place.
Different groves. A brighter tomorrow.
Cold Pressed Olive Oil FAQs
What does cold pressed olive oil mean?
“Cold pressed” means the oil was extracted mechanically at a controlled temperature, without solvents or added heat. Modern mills usually crush, mix and separate the olive paste in a centrifuge rather than using a literal press.
Is cold pressed olive oil the same as extra virgin olive oil?
Not exactly. Cold pressed describes how the oil is made; extra virgin is a chemistry and sensory grade. Careful cold extraction can help produce extra virgin oil, but the words “cold pressed” alone do not guarantee the grade, or good flavor.
Can you cook with cold pressed extra virgin olive oil?
Yes. Extra virgin olive oil works for everyday sautéing, roasting and baking as well as finishing. Save a particularly delicate or intensely aromatic oil for the places where you will notice it most, but do not be afraid of the stove.
Why does fresh olive oil taste bitter or peppery?
Bitterness and the peppery catch in your throat are positive sensory attributes in fresh extra virgin olive oil. Their intensity varies with olive variety, ripeness, harvest timing and naturally occurring polyphenols.
How should I store cold pressed olive oil?
Keep it tightly closed in a cool, dark place away from the stove and sunny windows. Heat, light and oxygen speed oxidation. Unlike wine, olive oil does not improve while you wait, open it and use it while the flavors are vibrant.
Does “cold pressed” automatically mean high quality?
No. Sound fruit, fast processing, careful storage and clear labeling all matter. Look for a harvest date, protective packaging, honest origin information and a producer willing to explain how the oil was handled.