Quick answer: Kachi ghani, cold pressed and wood pressed all describe oil that is pressed from seeds without chemical solvents and without refining. Kachi ghani is the traditional Indian name, cold pressed is the English term for pressing without added heat, and wood pressed (lakdi ghani) means the press itself is made of wood. All three are very different from refined oil, which is extracted with heat and solvents and then bleached and deodorised.
Oil labels in India are full of words that sound the same — kachi ghani, cold pressed, wood pressed, chekku, ghani, filtered, virgin. If you are trying to choose a healthier groundnut oil (singtel) for your family, it helps to know what each one really means. This guide explains the terms in plain language.
Key takeaways
- Kachi ghani = cold pressed. They are the Indian and English names for the same idea: oil pressed out of seeds without added heat.
- Wood pressed is a type of cold pressing in which the ghani (press) is made of wood — it is slower and traditional.
- None of these are refined. No hexane, no bleaching, no deodorising.
- The real choice is pressed vs refined — not between the three pressed names.
- Always read the label and ask the maker how the oil is pressed.
Kachi ghani vs cold pressed vs wood pressed: comparison table
| Term | What it means | Heat | Chemicals / refining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kachi ghani | Traditional Indian name for oil pressed raw (“kachi”) in a ghani (press) | No added heat | None |
| Cold pressed | Oil pressed mechanically without added heat | No added heat; press friction only | None |
| Wood pressed (lakdi ghani / chekku) | Cold pressing in a press made of wood, usually slow | Very low, from friction | None |
| Expeller pressed | Pressed in a steel screw press; may be cold or hot depending on the process | Varies — ask the maker | None, if not refined afterwards |
| Refined | Extracted with heat and usually a solvent, then refined | High heat | Solvent extraction, bleaching, deodorising |
What does “kachi ghani” mean?
Kachi means raw and ghani means the press used to crush oilseeds. So kachi ghani oil is oil pressed out of raw seeds without cooking or heating them first. It is the name your grandparents used, and it is still printed on many Indian oil bottles today, especially mustard and groundnut oil.
In Gujarat, people often skip the term and simply ask for ghani nu singtel — groundnut oil from the ghani. In Hindi it is kachi ghani mungfali ka tel. In South India the same idea is called chekku or marachekku (wood press) oil.
What is cold pressed oil?
Cold pressed is the English term for oil that is pressed mechanically without adding external heat and without chemical solvents. The press naturally warms up a little from friction, but the seeds are not cooked or roasted to squeeze out more oil. After pressing, the oil is settled and filtered — not refined.
So in practice, cold pressed oil and kachi ghani oil are the same thing described in two languages. Read our earlier guide on cold pressed vs refined groundnut oil to see how this compares with refined oil.
What is wood pressed (lakdi ghani) oil?
Wood pressed oil is cold pressed oil made in a press whose mortar and pestle are made of wood. Traditionally, bullocks turned the wooden ghani; today most wooden ghanis run on a small motor. The wooden press moves slowly, so the oil stays cool, and the yield is low.
Wood pressed oil is a traditional method, and many people like its taste and story. But it is still cold pressed oil. A well-made oil from a modern cold press and one from a wooden ghani are far closer to each other than either is to refined oil.
What about “expeller pressed” and “filtered” oil?
- Expeller pressed means the oil was squeezed out by a mechanical screw press. It may or may not be “cold” — some expellers run hot to get more oil. If a label says only “expeller pressed”, ask whether heat was used and whether the oil was refined afterwards.
- Filtered oil is pressed oil that has only been filtered to remove solid particles. Filtered groundnut oil is not refined.
- Double filtered simply means it was filtered twice. It says nothing about whether heat or solvents were used.
So which one should you buy?
Don’t get stuck on the name. Check these four things instead:
- Process: pressed (kachi ghani / cold pressed / wood pressed) — not refined.
- Ingredients: groundnuts only. No blending with palm, cottonseed or other oils.
- Freshness: a recent packing date and enough shelf life left.
- Transparency: a maker who can tell you exactly how the oil is pressed.
At Root & Press we make cold pressed (kachi ghani) groundnut oil in Ahmedabad from groundnuts only, in small batches. You can see every step on our how we make our oil page, or message us on WhatsApp and ask anything about our press.
Frequently asked questions
Is kachi ghani oil the same as cold pressed oil?
Yes. Kachi ghani is the traditional Indian name and cold pressed is the English term. Both mean oil pressed from seeds without added heat and without chemical solvents.
Is wood pressed oil better than cold pressed oil?
Wood pressed oil is a traditional type of cold pressed oil made in a wooden ghani. Both are unrefined and solvent-free. The bigger difference is between any pressed oil and refined oil, not between wood and other cold presses.
What is ghani nu singtel?
Ghani nu singtel is the Gujarati name for groundnut oil pressed in a ghani — in other words, cold pressed or kachi ghani groundnut oil.
Is expeller pressed oil cold pressed?
Not always. Expeller pressing only describes the machine. Some expellers run hot to increase yield. Ask the maker whether heat was used and whether the oil was refined afterwards.
Is filtered groundnut oil refined?
No. Filtered groundnut oil has only been filtered to remove particles after pressing. It is not bleached or deodorised like refined oil.
Sources
- Organic Mandya, Kachi ghani names in English, Hindi and Indian languages
- ThePrint (brand feature), Cold pressed vs wood pressed vs refined oil
Written by the Root & Press team, Ahmedabad. Last updated: November 2026.