Why Is Cold Pressed Oil Expensive? The Truth Behind Every Drop

Why Is Cold Pressed Oil Expensive?

Walk into any grocery store and you'll notice one thing immediately—cold pressed oil is significantly more expensive than regular refined oil.

Naturally, the first question that comes to mind is:

"Why should I pay ₹300–₹500 for a litre of cold pressed oil when refined oil costs nearly half as much?"

It's a fair question.

The answer isn't branding, fancy bottles, or marketing.

The price reflects the way the oil is made.

For centuries, oil wasn't treated as an industrial commodity. It was considered food—made slowly, carefully, and locally. Today's refined oils are built for efficiency and mass production. Cold pressed oils are built for preserving quality.

Understanding this difference helps explain why genuine cold pressed oil costs more—and why many families are choosing to switch back.

A Look Back: How Oil Was Extracted 100 Years Ago

A hundred years ago, almost every village in India had a Ghani (also known as Kolhu or Chekku).

Farmers brought freshly harvested mustard, sesame, groundnut, or coconut seeds to the local oil presser. The seeds were cleaned and slowly crushed using a large wooden or stone press powered by bullocks.

There were:

• No high-speed industrial machines

• No chemical solvents

• No artificial refining

• No bleaching agents

• No deodorization

The extraction was slow, sometimes taking hours to produce what modern factories make in minutes.

The oil retained its natural aroma, flavour, antioxidants, and nutrients because excessive heat was never generated during extraction.

The leftover oil cake wasn't waste either—it became nutritious cattle feed or natural fertilizer, making the process nearly waste-free.

This traditional method remained India's primary way of extracting edible oils for generations.

What Changed?

As India's population grew and demand increased, the edible oil industry transformed.

Instead of producing small batches, manufacturers needed to produce thousands of litres every day.

The focus shifted from:

• Quality → Quantity

• Nutrition → Production Efficiency

• Traditional methods → Industrial processing

Modern refining plants now process enormous quantities of oil every hour.

This makes oil cheaper—but it also changes how the oil is produced.

How Refined Oil Is Made Today

Most refined vegetable oils follow an industrial process designed to maximize output.

Although exact processes vary by manufacturer, large-scale refining generally includes several stages such as:

• High-pressure extraction

• Mechanical processing

• Degumming

• Neutralization

• Bleaching

• Deodorization

• Filtration

• Packaging

Many commercial oils are also extracted using food-grade solvents before being refined to remove impurities, odours, colours, and other naturally occurring compounds.

These steps improve shelf life, consistency, and production efficiency.

However, the final product is very different from oil obtained through traditional slow extraction.

How Cold Pressed Oil Is Different

Cold pressing follows a much simpler philosophy.

Instead of forcing maximum oil out of every seed, the goal is to preserve the oil's natural character.

Good cold pressed oil is extracted:

• At low temperatures

• Without chemical solvents

• Without bleaching

• Without deodorization

• With minimal processing

This allows the oil to retain much of its natural flavour, aroma, and naturally occurring plant compounds.

Every batch reflects the quality of the seeds used.

Why Is Cold Pressed Oil Expensive?

The higher price isn't because the oil is "premium."

It's because producing genuine cold pressed oil costs significantly more.

1. High-Quality Seeds Cost More

Cold pressing cannot hide poor-quality seeds.

If inferior or old seeds are used, the taste, aroma, and quality become immediately noticeable.

That's why responsible producers invest in carefully selected, high-grade seeds.

Better raw materials always increase production costs.

2. The Oil Yield Is Lower

Industrial extraction is designed to recover as much oil as possible from every kilogram of seed.

Cold pressing intentionally leaves behind some oil in the oil cake because excessive pressure and heat are avoided.

That means:

• More seeds are required

• Less oil is produced

• Production becomes more expensive

This lower extraction efficiency is one of the biggest reasons cold pressed oils cost more.

3. Production Is Slow

Large refining plants can process enormous quantities of oil continuously.

Traditional cold pressing takes much longer.

Many authentic producers manufacture in small batches to maintain consistency rather than maximizing daily output.

Small-batch production naturally increases labour and operating costs.

4. Minimal Processing Means Greater Responsibility

Refining removes many inconsistencies created by lower-quality raw materials.

Cold pressing doesn't.

Every step—from seed sourcing to cleaning, storage, and extraction—must be carefully managed because there are very few opportunities to "correct" the oil later.

Quality has to be built into the process from the beginning.

5. Better Ingredients, Not Better Marketing

The biggest cost isn't advertising.

It's maintaining traditional production standards.

Using better seeds, slower extraction, careful storage, and smaller batches all contribute to a higher production cost long before the bottle reaches the customer.

Does Expensive Always Mean Better?

No.

Not every expensive oil is genuinely cold pressed.

Unfortunately, terms like "natural," "wood pressed," and "cold pressed" are sometimes used loosely.

When buying any edible oil, look beyond the front label.

Check for information about:

• Extraction method

• Seed sourcing

• Processing practices

• Batch transparency

• Manufacturer credibility

The more transparent a producer is about their process, the easier it becomes to understand what you're paying for.

Why We Continue Making Oil the Traditional Way

At Organic Murli, we haven't adopted shortcuts simply because they are faster.

Since 1984, our focus has remained the same:

• Carefully selected mustard seeds

• Slow traditional cold pressing

• Small batch production

• No chemical extraction

• No unnecessary processing

Our objective isn't to produce the maximum amount of oil.

It's to produce oil that we proudly use in our own homes.

Because we believe the quality of cooking oil should begin with how it is made—not how it is marketed.

The Real Cost of Cheap Oil

Every bottle of oil carries a price.

Sometimes you pay less at the checkout because the manufacturing process has been optimized for scale.

Sometimes you pay more because the process prioritizes craftsmanship, careful sourcing, and minimal processing.

Neither bottle became what it is by accident.

The difference lies in the choices made long before the oil reaches your kitchen.

When you understand why cold pressed oil is expensive, you begin to see that you're not simply paying for oil.

You're paying for better seeds, slower extraction, smaller batches, and a process that values quality over quantity.

And in a world where almost everything is produced faster than ever before, perhaps some foods are still worth making the old-fashioned way.

Because good oil isn't expensive. Compromises are simply hidden somewhere else.