HEAT LEVEL SCALE
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 |
| Ghost Pepper/Naga Jolokia | 855,000-1,041,427 |
| 7 Pot Primo | 800,000-1,473,480 |
| Trinidad Scorpion | 1,200,000-2,000,000 |
| Carolina Reaper | 1,400,000-2,200,000 |
| 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. Occasionally a sauce is so hot naturally from just peppers it may received a rating of 10 or above also.
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 |