When it comes to different types of hot sauce, you will want to get well acquainted with the Hot Sauce Scoville scale. This is your guide to how hot a hot sauce is. What Is Hot Sauce?
Hot sauce is made using chili peppers. These chili peppers vary significantly in their heat levels. While some are more subdued and will provide a small kick, others will be eye wateringly hot, and even painful to consume. While you may be able to handle the heat, if you unwittingly dab wings in a sauce at the top of The Hot Sauce Scoville Scale, you may instantly regret this decision.
Why Is The Hot Sauce Scoville Scale Important?

The Hot Sauce Scoville Scale is important. Given this, it is useful to have a better idea of this scale, and how it is relevant to the hot sauces you try. This scale will allow you to gauge the type of heat you can handle, and it helps you to figure out your hot sauce preferences.
When looking at the Hot Sauce Scoville Scale, it measures a sauce by how strong it is, and also the amount of capsaicin. This then translates into how hot the sauce is in Scoville Heat Units. You may often see this abbreviated to SHU.
The higher, the number of SHU, the spicier and hotter the sauce will be. If you are purchasing a hot sauce, it can be easy to get carried away by the flavors, and the packaging, especially if it sounds tasty.
By looking at the scale in more depth, you will be able to find the sauce you are considering purchasing and work out whether you will be able to handle the heat. Even if you can handle the heat, some sauces are only intended to be used in small portions, whereas others can be used liberally.
Different Strengths Of Hot Sauce
Following on from the different types of hot sauce, before we jump into the Hot Sauce Scoville Scale, let’s have a look at some different types of hot sauce, and their SHY levels. Tabasco is a type of hot sauce that the vast majority of people have heard of. While it does provide a kick to wings and other recipes, some of their sauces are not too overpowering. It can be used fairly liberally without too many issues.
This is because it is fairly low on the Hot Sauce Scoville Scale. Both the Sweet and Spicy Pepper, and the Raspberry Chipotle Sauce are 300 SHU. This is a heat that the majority of people would be okay with. At the top of the scale, we have Blair’s Halloween Reserve 2005.
This comes in at a whopping 16,000,000 SHU! This hot sauce is not for the faint hearted, and we certainly would not recommend using too much of it on hot wings. It is one of the hottest sauces you can purchase!
Here is the Hot Sauce Scoville Scale:
Scoville Heat Units | Scoville Level | Hot Sauce | Producer |
---|---|---|---|
16,000,000 SHU | 10+++ | Blair's 16 Million Reserve (Pure Capsaicin crystals) | Blair's Sauces and Snacks |
16,000,000 SHU | 10+++ | Blair's 6 A.M. (Pure Capsaicin crystals) | Blair's Sauces and Snacks |
16,000,000 SHU | 10+++ | Blair’s Halloween Reserve 2009 (Extract) | Blair's Sauces and Snacks |
14,725,000 SHU | 10+++ | Blair's Holiday Reserve 2005 (Extract) | Blair's Sauces and Snacks |
14,200,000 SHU | 10+++ | Meaty Vegan’s Experiment 1064 (Extract) | Meaty Vegan |
14,100,000 SHU | 10+++ | Blair's Holiday Reserve 2004 (Extract) | Blair's Sauces and Snacks |
14,000,000 SHU | 10+++ | Blair's Holiday Reserve 2006 (Extract) | Blair's Sauces and Snacks |
13,500,000 SHU | 10+++ | Blair's Halloween Reserve 2006 (Extract) | Blair's Sauces and Snacks |
10,000,000 SHU | 10+++ | Blair’s Caldera Hot Sauce Top (Extract) | Blair's Sauces and Snacks |
9,600,000 SHU | 10+++ | Texas Creek | |
9,000,000 SHU | 10+++ | Ashley Food Company | |
7,100,000 SHU | 10+++ | Spicin Foods (Original Juan) | |
6,000,000 SHU | 10+++ | Bumblefoot’s Bumblef**kd | Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal (Distributed by CaJohns Fiery Foods Co.) |
6,000,000 SHU | 10+++ | Crazy Uncle Jester’s - The Jester | Crazy Uncle Jester's Inferno World |
6,000,000 SHU | 10+++ | CaJohns Fiery Foods Co. | |
6,000,000 SHU | 10+++ | Ashley Food Company | |
6,000,000 SHU | 10+++ | Ashley Food Company | |
5,500,000 SHU | 10+++ | Blair's 5 A.M. | Blair's Sauces and Snacks |
5,000,000 SHU | 10+++ | Blair’s Caldera Hot Sauce Middle | Blair's Sauces and Snacks |
4,000,000 SHU | 10+++ | Blair's 4 A.M. | Blair's Sauces and Snacks |
4,000,000 SHU | 10+++ | CaJohns Magma 4 Hot Sauce | CaJohns Fiery Foods Co. |
4,000,000 SHU | 10+++ | CaJohns Fiery Foods Co. | |
4,000,000 SHU | 10+++ | Ashley Food Company | |
3,500,000 SHU | 10+++ | Pepper Palace - The Hottest Sauce in the Universe | |
3,000,000 SHU | 10+++ | CaJohns Fiery Foods Co. | |
3,000,000 SHU | 10+++ | ||
2,500,000 SHU | 10+++ | CaJohns Fiery Foods Co. | |
2,000,000 SHU | 10+++ | Blair's Sauces and Snacks | |
2,000,000 SHU | 10+++ | CaJohns Fiery Foods Co. | |
2,000,000 SHU | 10+++ | CaJohns Fiery Foods Co. | |
2,000,000 SHU | 10+++ | Demon Ichor | |
2,000,000 SHU | 10+++ | Heatonist | |
2,000,000 SHU | 10+++ | Ashley Food Company | |
1,560,000 SHU | 10+++ | ||
1,500,000 SHU | 10+++ | Spicin Foods (Original Juan) | |
1,500,000 SHU | 10+++ | Pyro Diablo | |
1,500,000 SHU | 10+++ | Smack My Ass and Call Me Sally – Chet’s Gone Mad | |
1,400,000 SHU | 10++ | Blair’s Le Million Reserve | Blair's Sauces and Snacks |
1,200,000 SHU | 10+ | Crazy Uncle Jester’s Spontaneous Combustion | Crazy Uncle Jester's Inferno World |
1,200,000 SHU | 10+ | ||
1,100,000 SHU | 10+ | Crazy Uncle Jester’s Select Reserve | Crazy Uncle Jester's Inferno World |
1,000,000 SHU | 10+ | Blair’s Caldera Hot Sauce Bottom | Blair's Sauces and Snacks |
1,000,000 SHU | 10+ | CaJohns Magma Hot Sauce | CaJohns Fiery Foods Co. |
1,000,000 SHU | 10+ | First We Feast and 88Rising | |
1,000,000 SHU | 10+ | Cool Million – One Million Scoville Units | |
1,000,000 SHU | 10+ | ||
1,000,000 SHU | 10+ | Gold Cap | |
1,000,000 SHU | 10+ | Hell’s Inferno Naga Bhut Jolokia Sauce | |
1,000,000 SHU | 10+ | Ashley Food Company | |
1,000,000 SHU | 10+ | Ashley Food Company | |
1,000,000 SHU | 10+ | Ashley Food Company | |
1,000,000 SHU | 10+ | Pepper Palace - The Hottest Sauce in the World | |
800,000 SHU | 10 | Blair's Sauces and Snacks | |
800,000 SHU | 10 | ||
750,000 SHU | 10 | Blair’s 2 A.M. | Blair's Sauces and Snacks |
750,000 SHU | 10 | Blair’s Jersey Death Sauce | Blair's Sauces and Snacks |
750,000 SHU | 10 | Ashley Food Company | |
750,000 SHU | 10 | Habanera 750 | |
750,000 SHU | 10 | Unbearable | |
700,000 SHU | 10 | ||
669,000 SHU | 10 | Burn After Eating Hot Sauce | Karma Sauce |
690,000 SHU | 10 | Puckerbutt Chocolate Plague Hot Sauce | |
650,000 SHU | 10 | Dave's Gourmet | |
600,000 SHU | 10 | Ashley Food Company | |
600,000 SHU | 10 | ||
600,000 SHU | 10 | ||
577,000 SHU | 10 | Melinda's | |
550,000 SHU | 10 | Blair's Sauces and Snacks | |
500,000 SHU | 10 | ||
500,000 SHU | 10 | Dave’s Private Reserve Insanity Hot Sauce | |
500,000 SHU | 10 | ||
500,000 SHU | 10 | Quaker Steak and Lube Triple Atomic Sauce | Quaker Steak and Lube |
357,000 SHU | 10 | Ashley Food Company | |
305,500 SHU | 10 | Danny Cash’s Jolokial Havoc | |
300,000 SHU | 10 | ||
283,000 SHU | 10 | Blair’s Possible Side Effects Hot Sauce | Blair's Sauces and Snacks |
250,000 SHU | 10 | ||
100,000 - 250,000 SHU | 10 | ||
234,500 SHU | 9 | ||
234,000 SHU | 9 | Spicin Foods (Original Juan) | |
225,000 SHU | 9 | Not Cool Chocolate Habanero | |
180,000 SHU | 9 | ||
175,000 SHU | 9 | Predator Great White Shark | |
162,300 SHU | 9 | Habanero Punch T.K.O. Hot Sauce | |
150,000 SHU | 9 | Ashley Food Company | |
150,000 SHU | 9 | Ashley Food Company | |
150,000 SHU | 9 | Ashley Food Company | |
150,000 SHU | 9 | Quaker Steak and Lube Atomic Wing Sauce | Quaker Steak and Lube |
135,000 SHU | 9 | Spicin Foods (Original Juan) | |
134,000 SHU | 9 | ||
125,000 SHU | 9 | Crazy Jerry’s Mustard Gas Hot Sauce | Crazy Jerry’s |
116,000 SHU | 9 | Aka Miso Ghost-Reaper Hot Sauce | Bravado Spice Company |
116,000 SHU | 9 | ||
105,000 SHU | 9 | Blair's Sauces and Snacks | |
104,000 SHU | 9 | ||
100,000 SHU | 9 | Dead Heat Limited Edition Hot Sauce | |
100,000 SHU | 9 | Ashley Food Company | |
100,000 SHU | 9 | Ashley Food Company | |
99,760 SHU | 8 | Blair's Sauces and Snacks | |
90,000 SHU | 8 | Ashley Food Company | |
90,000 SHU | 8 | ||
80,000 SHU | 8 | ||
77,000 SHU | 8 | Adoboloco Fiya! Fiya! Hot Sauce | |
66,000 SHU | 8 | ||
67,582 SHU | 8 | TorchBearer #42 Slaughter Sauce | |
57,000 SHU | 7 | Dave's Gourmet | |
52,000 SHU | 7 | Torchbearer Headless Horseradish Hot Sauce | |
50,000 SHU | 7 | Blair’s After Death Hot Sauce with Chipotle | Blair's Sauces and Snacks |
50,000 SHU | 7 | McIlhenny | |
49,250 SHU | 7 | Blair's Sauces and Snacks | |
45,000 SHU | 7 | ||
44,100 SHU | 7 | Spicin Foods (Original Juan) | |
42,000 SHU | 7 | Dead Heat Hot Sauce | |
40,600 SHU | 7 | Spicin Foods (Original Juan) | |
40,000 SHU | 7 | Spicin Foods (Original Juan) | |
38,202 SHU | 7 | TorchBearer #37 Tarnation Sauce | |
36,000 SHU | 7 | Hot Ones - Los Calientes Hot Sauce | |
35,000 SHU | 7 | Blair's Sauces and Snacks | |
33,390 SHU | 7 | ||
33,390 SHU | 7 | Endorphin Rush Hot Sauce | |
30,000 SHU | 6 | Blair's Sauces and Snacks | |
30,000 SHU | 6 | ||
29,800 SHU | 6 | Lucky Dog - Year of The Dog Thai Chile Pineapple Hot Sauce | |
30,000 SHU | 6 | Quaker Steak and Lube SuperCharged Wing Sauce | Quaker Steak and Lube |
25,000 SHU | 6 | ||
21,540 SHU | 6 | Naga Sabi Bomb Hot Sauce | |
20,000 SHU | 6 | Blair's Sauces and Snacks | |
20,000 SHU | 6 | ||
15,100 SHU | 6 | Spicin Foods (Original Juan) | |
14,000 SHU | 5 | Big Daddy Jake’s Texas Pit Smoked Hot Sauce | |
14,000 SHU | 5 | ||
12,200 SHU | 5 | Heartbeat Pineapple Habanero Hot Sauce | |
11,700 SHU | 5 | Quaker Steak and Lube Dusted Ghost Pepper | Quaker Steak and Lube |
11,600 SHU | 5 | El Yucateco | |
11,000 SHU | 5 | ||
10,950 SHU | 5 | Spicin Foods (Original Juan) | |
10,100 SHU | 5 | Shaquanda's Hot Pepper Sauce | |
10,000 SHU | 5 | Fire and Spice | Spicin Foods (Original Juan) |
9,450 SHU | 5 | ||
9,410 SHU | 5 | Spicin Foods (Original Juan) | |
8,910 SHU | 5 | El Yucateco | |
8,560 SHU | 5 | Spicin Foods (Original Juan) | |
8,000 SHU | 5 | Flying Goose | |
8,000 SHU | 5 | McIlhenny | |
6,240 SHU | 5 | Crazy Mother Pucker’s Liquid Lava Sauce | |
6,000 SHU | 5 | ||
5,800 SHU | 5 | El Yucateco | |
5,400 SHU | 5 | El Yucateco | |
5,000 SHU | 5 | Quaker Steak and Lube | |
4,000 SHU | 4 | ||
3,880 SHU | 4 | Spicin Foods (Original Juan) | |
3,870 SHU | 4 | Quaker Steak and Lube Cajun Sauce | Quaker Steak and Lube |
3,600 SHU | 4 | ||
3,400 SHU | 4 | El Yucateco | |
3,300 SHU | 4 | Flying Goose | |
3,000 SHU | 3 | ||
3,000 SHU | 3 | Flying Goose Sriracha Lemongrass Sauce | Flying Goose |
3,000 SHU | 3 | Flying Goose Sriracha Onion Sauce | Flying Goose |
3,000 SHU | 3 | ||
3,000 SHU | 3 | Quaker Steak and Lube Hot Sauce | Quaker Steak and Lube |
2,800 SHU | 3 | ||
2,750 SHU | 3 | The Lube's Sriracha | Quaker Steak and Lube |
2,550 SHU | 3 | Dusted Mango Habanero | Quaker Steak and Lube |
2,500 SHU | 3 | ||
2,500 SHU | 3 | McIlhenny | |
2,200 SHU | 3 | ||
2,200 SHU | 3 | Trappey’s INDI-PEP Pepper Sauce | |
2,200 SHU | 3 | ||
2,100 SHU | 3 | ||
2,050 SHU | 3 | Quaker Steak and Lube | |
2,030 SHU | 3 | Quaker Steak and Lube | |
2,000 SHU | 2 | ||
2,000 SHU | 2 | McIlhenny | |
2,000 SHU | 2 | McIlhenny | |
2,000 SHU | 2 | Trappey’s Chef Magic Jalapeno Sauce | |
1,935 SHU | 2 | Quaker Steak and Lube Haute Parm | Quaker Steak and Lube |
1,850 SHU | 2 | Quaker Steak and Lube | |
1,800 SHU | 2 | Hot Ones - The Classic Hot Sauce | |
1,600 SHU | 2 | McIlhenny | |
1,600 SHU | 2 | ||
1,500 SHU | 2 | Quaker Steak and Lube Dusted Salt & Vinegar | Quaker Steak and Lube |
1,440 SHU | 2 | Quaker Steak and Lube | |
1,400 SHU | 2 | Thaisian | Quaker Steak and Lube |
1,400 SHU | 2 | ||
1,400 SHU | 2 | ||
1,250 SHU | 2 | El Yucateco | |
1,250 SHU | 2 | Quaker Steak and Lube | |
1,220 SHU | 2 | Quaker Steak and Lube | |
1,1180 SHU | 2 | Spicin Foods (Original Juan) | |
1,130 SHU | 2 | Boom Boom | Quaker Steak and Lube |
1,000 SHU | 1 | ||
1,000 SHU | 1 | ||
1,000 SHU | 1 | McIlhenny | |
1,000 SHU | 1 | ||
930 SHU | 1 | Asian Sesame | Quaker Steak and Lube |
900 SHU | 1 | ||
900 SHU | 1 | Dusted Chipotle BBQ | Quaker Steak and Lube |
870 SHU | 1 | Parmesan Pepper Sauce | Quaker Steak and Lube |
900 SHU | 1 | ||
851 SHU | 1 | Spicin Foods (Original Juan) | |
800 SHU | 1 | Taco Bell Lava Sauce | |
750 SHU | 1 | ||
725 SHU | 1 | ||
700 SHU | 1 | ||
600 SHU | 1 | ||
600 SHU | 1 | McIlhenny | |
450 SHU | 1 | ||
450 SHU | 1 | ||
425 SHU | 1 | ||
300 SHU | 1 | McIlhenny | |
300 SHU | 1 | McIlhenny | |
110 SHU | 1 | Quaker Steak and Lube Kentucky Bourbon | Quaker Steak and Lube |
100 SHU | 1 | Dusted Tex Mex Ranch | Quaker Steak and Lube |
90 SHU | 1 | Quaker Steak and Lube |