Oils
Wood-Pressed vs Cold-Pressed Oil
4 min read · Published 7 Jun 2026
"Wood-pressed" and "cold-pressed" are often used interchangeably, but they aren't the same.
Wood-pressed (ghani)
A wooden ghani turns slowly, pressing seeds with a wooden pestle. The wood and slow speed keep temperatures moderate and impart the traditional character.
Cold-pressed
Cold-pressed usually means a steel expeller run at controlled temperatures. It's still an improvement over refined oil, but the equipment and speed differ from a ghani.
Which should you choose?
Both are unrefined and preferable to chemically refined oil. Wood-pressed is the traditional choice; pick based on flavour and what your recipes call for.
Frequently asked questions
Both are unrefined and retain nutrients. Wood-pressed uses a traditional wooden ghani; cold-pressed typically uses a steel expeller. Preference is largely about flavour and tradition.
Unrefined oils retain more natural compounds than chemically refined oils, which are stripped and deodorised.
