About ScovilleIndex

ScovilleIndex exists because "it's spicy" is not data — and pepper names lie more than any ingredient.

The Scoville scale measures capsaicin concentration in Scoville Heat Units — originally by dilution-and-tasting, now by lab chromatography converted to SHU. The numbers are ranges (a jalapeño can run 2,500 or 8,000 SHU depending on its summer), but the ORDERING is reliable, and ordering is what a pepper buyer actually needs.

The database covers 18 peppers from bell to Carolina Reaper, each with its SHU range, a jalapeño comparison, honest flavor notes, and the dishes each pepper was born for.

We are eaters and educators, not a seed company. Nothing here sells peppers, and the heat table works offline in your browser.

What makes ScovilleIndex different

• Your numbers never leave your browser. Every calculator on ScovilleIndex runs entirely on your device. We never see, store, or transmit the figures you enter — there are no accounts and no server-side processing of your inputs.
• Published methodology. Each calculator page explains the exact formula it uses and the assumptions behind it, so you can check our work or reproduce it in a spreadsheet.
• Free, forever, without a paywall. ScovilleIndex is supported by advertising. There is no premium tier, no email gate, and no upsell.

Independence

ScovilleIndex is an independent educational project. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of any government agency, lender, insurer, or the organizations whose formulas and public data we reference (such as published Scoville laboratory ranges and pepper-trial data). All trademarks and referenced standards belong to their respective owners.

Questions, corrections, or suggestions are genuinely welcome — get in touch.