Chili Heat Table

The official measure of chili hotness is the Scoville Unit, which ranges from 0 (green bell pepper) to 16,000,000 (pure capsaicin). The hottest actual chili peppers right now top out at about 2,200,000 Scoville (Carolina Reaper).

Remembering big numbers is difficult and the chilis don't cooperate either, forcing you to remember a range of big numbers. A single variety can show wide variation in heat depending on soil, weather and the chili plant's mood at the time.

Here we use a simple 0 to 10 hotness scale with the 10 spot held by the Habanero family. "Close enough for government work", as the saying goes. OK, we've been forced to add 11 to the scale. Keep in mind the wide variation and the fact that when dried, ripe red chilis will lose some hotness. Some hotness is also lost in cooking.

Nightshades Chilis Search CloveGarden SAFARI Users

Scale Description and Chilis at this level H0 No heat (or trace - even some bell peppers have trace heat) Bell Pepper, Green, Red, Orange, Purple and Yellow; Pimiento; Sweet Banana; U.S. Paprika; Peproncini (most); Cherry (low end); Aji Dulce (low end) - (Scoville 0 to 100) H1 Detectable Heat to the average palate Cherry (hot end); Peproncini (hot end); Aji Dulce (high end) - (Scoville 100 to 500) H2 Only a Canadian could call these "hot" Aleppo Mild; Hungarian Hot Paprika; El Paso; Anaheim, California; New Mexico, Santa Fe, Coronado; Poblano (mild end) chili powder (California and New Mexico). - (Scoville 500 to 1000) H3 Heat, but comfortable Aleppo Extra Hot, Poblano (hot end); Mulato; Ancho; Pasilla; Juanita; - (Scoville 1000 to 1500) H4 "Entry level" hot chilis Cascabel; Sandia; Yellow Hot Wax - (Scoville 1500 to 2500) H5 The Mexican border Jalapeno (mild end); Fresno (low end), Mirasol; Guajillo; Louisiana hot sauce - (Scoville 2500 to 5000) H6 Starting to sweat Serrano (low end); Jalapeno (high end); Fresno (high end); Hot Wax; Hidalgo; Tabasco Sauce, Aji (low end); - (Scoville 5000 to 15,000) H7 The weak have fallen by the wayside Serrano (high end); (Aji mid range); Manzano; De Arbol; habanero sauce - (Scoville 15,000 to 30,000) H8 OK, that's quite hot enough now. Cayenne; Tabasco; Piquin; Super Chile; Sanaka; Aji (hot end); Thai (mild end) - (Scoville 30,000 to 50,000) H9 Fire and Damnation! Thai (hot end); Bahamian; Yatsafusa; Haimen - (Scoville 50,000 to 100,000) H10 Hotter than the hearth grates of Hades Habanero (family); Scotch Bonnet; Chinenses (South America); Birdseye (Africa); Jamaican Hot; Kumataka; Carolina Cayenne - (Scoville 100,000 to 500,000) H11 Completely Absurd Red Savina, Naga Jolokia, Carolina Reaper - (Scoville greater than 500,000)