Pepper Comparison Tool
Select two peppers to compare heat, flavor, origin, and substitutes side by side.
How to use this tool
Pick any two peppers from the dropdowns above. The tool displays them side by side with heat ranges, flavor profiles, origins, and common uses. The heat ratio between the two is computed from typical SHU values and displayed between the cards. Click any substitute button to swap that pepper into the comparison.
The comparison is shareable. The URL updates as you select peppers, so you can bookmark a comparison or send it to someone. Try Ghost Pepper vs Carolina Reaper or Bell Pepper vs Pepper X for the full range of the Scoville scale.
Reading the Scoville range
Every pepper in this tool shows three numbers: a minimum, a maximum, and a typical SHU. The minimum and maximum represent the range of real measurements across different specimens, growing seasons, and testing labs. The typical value is a commonly cited midpoint. None of these are guarantees — the jalapeño you buy today might be 3,000 SHU or 7,000 SHU, and you will not know until you bite it.
The heat bars use a logarithmic scale because the Scoville range spans five orders of magnitude. On a linear scale, everything below habanero would be an invisible sliver. The logarithmic bars let you visually compare a jalapeño and a serrano in the same chart that shows a Carolina Reaper.
What heat ratios mean for cooking
When the tool says a habanero is 50× hotter than a jalapeño, that is a capsaicin concentration ratio, not a flavor equivalence. You cannot replace 50g of jalapeño with 1g of habanero and get the same dish. The heat perception is not linear — capsaicin receptors saturate, and the flavor profiles are completely different.
A practical approach to substitution: start with the inverse weight ratio (if pepper B is 10× hotter, use 1/10 the weight), then adjust. Taste as you go. The flavor notes in the comparison cards tell you whether the substitution will change the character of the dish, not just the heat level.
Beyond heat: flavor and context
Two peppers at the same SHU can taste entirely different. A Scotch bonnet and a habanero are both in the 100,000–350,000 range, but a Scotch bonnet has a distinctly tropical, apricot-like sweetness that habaneros only approximate. A cayenne and a tabasco pepper have similar heat, but cayenne is neutral and clean while tabasco is sharp and acidic.
The flavor notes, species information, and common uses in each card are there to help you make substitutions that work culinarily, not just mathematically. Heat is the easiest thing to measure, but flavor is what makes a dish.
Substitution basics
The substitutes listed for each pepper are based on a combination of heat proximity and flavor similarity. They are starting points. When our substitution calculator launches, it will give you precise quantity ratios. For now, use the heat ratio as a guide and lean on the flavor notes to check compatibility.
One rule of thumb: within the same species (Capsicum annuum, Capsicum chinense), substitutions tend to be more successful because the base flavor chemistry is closer. Crossing species — swapping a chinense habanero for an annuum cayenne — changes the flavor character more dramatically, even if the heat is adjusted.
Frequently asked questions
Why do the same peppers show different SHU numbers on different sites?
Pepper heat varies 2–5× within a single variety depending on growing conditions, soil, sun exposure, water stress, and ripeness at harvest. Different labs test different specimens using different methods. Published SHU numbers are always approximations. This tool shows the full range (min–max) plus a typical value so you can see the spread rather than relying on a single misleading number.
What does the heat ratio actually mean when cooking?
If a habanero is 50× hotter than a jalapeño by SHU, that does not mean you need 50× less. The perception of heat is not linear — doubling the capsaicin does not double the perceived burn. In practice, a rough starting point for substitution is to use the inverse ratio by weight: if pepper B is 10× hotter than pepper A, start with about 1/10 the weight and adjust to taste.
Can I substitute one pepper for another based on heat alone?
Heat is a starting point, not the full picture. A habanero and a Scotch bonnet have similar SHU, but a habanero is citrusy while a Scotch bonnet is fruity and tropical. A cayenne and a tabasco are close in heat but have very different flavor profiles. Check the flavor notes in the comparison and consider whether the pepper’s character matches the dish.
Why is the Scoville scale not linear?
The scale runs from 0 to over 2.6 million, which spans five orders of magnitude. Most peppers people actually cook with — jalapeños, serranos, cayenne — sit below 50,000 SHU. A linear chart would squash everything except the superhots into an indistinguishable sliver at the left. The logarithmic bars in this tool make the mild-to-hot range visible alongside the superhots.
Are dried peppers hotter than fresh?
Per gram, yes. Drying removes water, which concentrates capsaicin by weight. A typical fresh-to-dried ratio is about 3:1, meaning 30g of fresh pepper becomes roughly 10g dried with the same total capsaicin. The heat per gram is about 3× higher, but the total heat is unchanged. Recipes that call for dried peppers account for this concentration.
How do I compare peppers that are not in this database?
This database covers 15 of the most commonly used and searched peppers. We plan to expand it over time. If you know the SHU range of a pepper not listed, you can mentally place it on the scale between two known peppers to estimate how it compares. Send us a suggestion via the contact page and we will consider adding it.