How Does the Scoville Scale Work?

Scoville Heat Units 16000000



16000000



16000000



9100000



8600000



7100000



5500000



5300000



4000000



2000000



1500000 - 2000000



1500000



1001304



1000000



1000000



923000



855,000 (reported)



800000



700000



600,000 - 900,000



600000



550000



500,000 - 750,000



400,000 - 500,000



357000



350,000 - 577,000



283000



250000



250000



234000



225000



225000



180000



175000



150000



125000



119700



100,000 - 350,000



100,000 - 325,000



100,000 - 225,000



100,000 - 200,000



100,000 - 125,000



95,000 - 110,000



90000



85,000 - 115,000



75,000 - 80,000



75000



50,000 - 100,000



50,000 - 100,000



49250



40,000 - 58,000



40,000 - 50,000



40,000 - 50,000



33390



30,000 - 49,999



30,000 - 50,000



30,000 - 50,000



15,000 - 30,000



15,000 - 29,999



12,000 - 30,000



11600



11000



8910



7,000 - 8,000



6,000 - 23,000



5790



5,000 - 10,000



5,000 - 10,000



3600



3400



2,500 - 8,000



2,500 - 5,000



2,500 - 5,000



2,500 - 5,000



2.085



2,000 - 2,500



1,200 - 1,800



1,500 - 2,500



1,000 - 2,000



1,000 - 2,000



1,000 - 2,000



1,200 - 1,800



747



700 - 1,000



600 - 800



500 - 2,500



500 - 1,000



450



400 - 700



100 - 600



100 - 500



100 - 500



0





Chilli Pepper / Hot Sauce

Pure capsaicin and Dihydrocapsaicin



Blair's 16 Million Reserve, from Gardner Resources, Inc.



Blair's 6 A.M., from Gardner Resources, Inc.



Nordihydrocapsaicin



Homodihydrocapsaicin and Homocapsaicin



The Source, from Original Juan Specialty Foods



Blair's 5 A.M., from Gardner Resources Inc. - No Longer available



Police grade Pepper spray



Blair's 4 A.M., from Gardner Resources Inc. - No Longer available



Common Pepper spray



Blair's 3 A.M., from Gardner Resources Inc.



Da' Bomb The Final Answer, from Original Juan Specialty Food



Naga-Bih Jolokia pepper



Cool Million Pepper Extract, from the Poison Pepper Co.



1 Million Scoville Pepper Extract, from Ashley Food Company, Inc.



The Dorset Naga Pepper, from Peppers by Post



The Naga Jolokia pepper (Capsicum frutescens), not confirmed



Satan's Blood, from Sauce Crafters Inc.



The Slap Heard Around the World, from Tiguana Flats



Blair's 2 A.M., from Gardner Resources, Inc.



Mad Dog 357 with Bullet Keychain, from Ashley Food Company



Blair's Mega Death Sauce, from Gardner Resources, Inc.



Dave's Insanity Private Reserve, from Dave's Gourmet (estimated)



Spontaneous Combustion Powder, from Southwest Specialty



Mad Dog 357 Hot Sauce, from Ashley Food Company



Red Savina habanero (Capsicum chinense Jacquin)



Blair's Possible Side Effects, from Gardner Resources, Inc.



Vicious Viper, from CaJohns Fiery Foods



Dave's Ultimate Insanity Sauce, from Dave's Gourmet (estimated)



Da' Bomb Ground Zero, from Original Juan Specialty Foods



Not Cool Chocolate Habanero from Bahama Specialty Foods, Inc.



You Can't Handle This Hot Sauce, from Peppers



Dave's Insanity Sauce, from Dave's Gourmet (estimated)



Predator Great White Shark, from Peppers



Mad Dog Inferno Reserve, from Ashley Food Company



Crazy Jerry's Mustard Gas, from Crazy Jerry's, Inc.



Da' Bomb Beyond Insanity, from Original Juan Specialty Food



Habanero (Capsicum chinense Jacquin)



Scotch bonnet (Capsicum chinense)



Birds Eye pepper



Jamaican Hot pepper



Carolina Cayenne pepper



Bahamian pepper



Mad Dog Inferno, from Ashley Food Company



Tabiche pepper



Red Amazon Pepper



Chile-Today Red Amazon Powder, from Chile Today-Hot Tamale



Thai pepper (Capsicum annuum)



Chiltepin pepper



Blair's After Death Sauce, from Gardner Resources, Inc.



Piquin pepper



Super Chile pepper



Santaka pepper



Endorphin Rush Beyond Hot Sauce, from Garden Row Foods



Lottie's Original Barbados Red Hot, from Lottie's Island Flavours



Cayenne pepper (Capsicum baccatum and Capsicum frutescens)



Tabasco pepper (Capsicum frutescens)



de Arbol pepper



Lottie's Traditional Barbados Yellow, from Lottie's Island Flavours



Manzano pepper



El Yucateco XXXtra Hot Habanero, from El Yucateco



Crazy Jerry's Brain Damage, from Crazy Jerry's, Inc.



El Yucateco Green Chile Habanero, from El Yucateco



TABASCO Â® brand Habanero Sauce



Serrano pepper



El Yucateco Red Chile Habanero, from El Yucateco



Hot Wax pepper



Chipotle, a JalapeÃ±o pepper that has been smoked.



Cholula Hot Sauce, from Jalisco Food Company



El Yucateco Chipotle Hot Sauce, from El Yucateco



Santaka pepper



JalapeÃ±o (Capsicum annuum)



Guajilla pepper



TABASCO Â® brand Pepper Sauce



FRANK'S Â® REDHOT Â® XTRA Hot, from Reckitt Benckiser Inc.



TABASCO Â® brand Chipotle Pepper Sauce, from McIlhenny Company



Tabasco Garlic sauce



Rocotilla pepper



Passila pepper



Ancho pepper



Poblano pepper



TABASCO Â® brand Garlic Sauce



Texas Pete Â®, from T.W. Garner Food Co.



Coronado pepper



TABASCO Â® brand Green Pepper Sauce



Anaheim pepper



New Mexico pepper



FRANK'S Â® REDHOT Â® Original, from Reckitt Benckiser Inc.



Santa Fe Grande pepper



TABASCO Â® brand SWEET & Spicy Pepper Sauce



Pepperoncini, pepper



Pimento



Sweet Bell pepper



Pure capsaicin and DihydrocapsaicinBlair's 16 Million Reserve, from Gardner Resources, Inc.Blair's 6 A.M., from Gardner Resources, Inc.NordihydrocapsaicinHomodihydrocapsaicin and HomocapsaicinThe Source, from Original Juan Specialty FoodsBlair's 5 A.M., from Gardner Resources Inc. - No Longer availablePolice grade Pepper sprayBlair's 4 A.M., from Gardner Resources Inc. - No Longer availableCommon Pepper sprayBlair's 3 A.M., from Gardner Resources Inc.Da' Bomb The Final Answer, from Original Juan Specialty FoodNaga-Bih Jolokia pepperCool Million Pepper Extract, from the Poison Pepper Co.1 Million Scoville Pepper Extract, from Ashley Food Company, Inc.The Dorset Naga Pepper, from Peppers by PostThe Naga Jolokia pepper (Capsicum frutescens), not confirmedSatan's Blood, from Sauce Crafters Inc.The Slap Heard Around the World, from Tiguana FlatsBlair's 2 A.M., from Gardner Resources, Inc.Mad Dog 357 with Bullet Keychain, from Ashley Food CompanyBlair's Mega Death Sauce, from Gardner Resources, Inc.Dave's Insanity Private Reserve, from Dave's Gourmet (estimated)Spontaneous Combustion Powder, from Southwest Specialty Foods Inc.Mad Dog 357 Hot Sauce, from Ashley Food CompanyRed Savina habanero (Capsicum chinense Jacquin)Blair's Possible Side Effects, from Gardner Resources, Inc.Vicious Viper, from CaJohns Fiery FoodsDave's Ultimate Insanity Sauce, from Dave's Gourmet (estimated)Da' Bomb Ground Zero, from Original Juan Specialty FoodsNot Cool Chocolate Habanero from Bahama Specialty Foods, Inc.You Can't Handle This Hot Sauce, from PeppersDave's Insanity Sauce, from Dave's Gourmet (estimated)Predator Great White Shark, from PeppersMad Dog Inferno Reserve, from Ashley Food CompanyCrazy Jerry's Mustard Gas, from Crazy Jerry's, Inc.Da' Bomb Beyond Insanity, from Original Juan Specialty FoodHabanero (Capsicum chinense Jacquin)Scotch bonnet (Capsicum chinense)Birds Eye pepperJamaican Hot pepperCarolina Cayenne pepperBahamian pepperMad Dog Inferno, from Ashley Food CompanyTabiche pepperRed Amazon PepperChile-Today Red Amazon Powder, from Chile Today-Hot TamaleThai pepper (Capsicum annuum)Chiltepin pepperBlair's After Death Sauce, from Gardner Resources, Inc.Piquin pepperSuper Chile pepperSantaka pepperEndorphin Rush Beyond Hot Sauce, from Garden Row FoodsLottie's Original Barbados Red Hot, from Lottie's Island FlavoursCayenne pepper (Capsicum baccatum and Capsicum frutescens)Tabasco pepper (Capsicum frutescens)de Arbol pepperLottie's Traditional Barbados Yellow, from Lottie's Island FlavoursManzano pepperEl Yucateco XXXtra Hot Habanero, from El YucatecoCrazy Jerry's Brain Damage, from Crazy Jerry's, Inc.El Yucateco Green Chile Habanero, from El YucatecoTABASCO Â® brand Habanero SauceSerrano pepperEl Yucateco Red Chile Habanero, from El YucatecoHot Wax pepperChipotle, a JalapeÃ±o pepper that has been smoked.Cholula Hot Sauce, from Jalisco Food CompanyEl Yucateco Chipotle Hot Sauce, from El YucatecoSantaka pepperJalapeÃ±o (Capsicum annuum)Guajilla pepperTABASCO Â® brand Pepper SauceFRANK'S Â® REDHOT Â® XTRA Hot, from Reckitt Benckiser Inc.TABASCO Â® brand Chipotle Pepper Sauce, from McIlhenny CompanyTabasco Garlic sauceRocotilla pepperPassila pepperAncho pepperPoblano pepperTABASCO Â® brand Garlic SauceTexas Pete Â®, from T.W. Garner Food Co.Coronado pepperTABASCO Â® brand Green Pepper SauceAnaheim pepperNew Mexico pepperFRANK'S Â® REDHOT Â® Original, from Reckitt Benckiser Inc.Santa Fe Grande pepperTABASCO Â® brand SWEET & Spicy Pepper SaucePepperoncini, pepperPimentoSweet Bell pepper

The Scoville Scale was created in 1912 by a man named Wilbur L. Scoville and was designed to measure the hotness from chili peppers or sauces derived from chilli peppers. Scientifically, the Scoville scale is used to measure the level of capsaicin found in a pepper. Capsaicin is the chemical compound that provides us as humans with the hot sensation. The Scoville test is done by diluting a pepper in sugar water.Whatever the Scoville rating of a pepper, that is the ratio of how many times the pepper needs to be diluted before the heat sensation is no longer noticeable to the human tongue. An examplewould be Jalapeno peppers; Jalapeno peppers range from 2500-5000 Scoville Units, which means for one part Jalapeno pepper, you would need 2500-5000 parts sugar water in order for the spiciness to be unnoticeable.The following list contains chili peppers as well as a selection of popular brand name hot sauces accompanied by their Scoville rating.