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Chili Oil Layering Calculator

Aromatic top oil vs sediment layer, plus shelf life and the order of oil temperature for each addition.

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How to use this tool

Enter the total oil volume, the weight of your chili flakes, and the style you want. The card shows oil temperature, grams of oil to pour over the chili, expected sediment weight at the bottom of the jar, and shelf life.

What this solves - and what it doesn't

Most home chili-oil recipes give vague "heat the oil and pour" instructions. The temperature, the two-pour schedule, and the order of additions change the result three-fold. Burning the chili at 200 degC instead of 170 degC turns it from bright red to brown and acrid; pouring it all at once burns the bottom while the top stays under-extracted.

What this tool doesn't solve is your specific chili flake variety. Korean gochugaru is finer and burns faster than Sichuan erjingtiao. Use the temperature as a starting point and adjust visually.

Who this is for

Home cooks who have tried making chili oil and got a bitter, dark result. People adjusting commercial chili crisp recipes (Laoganma, Momofuku Chili Crunch) for home scale. Restaurant owners developing house chili oil.

How to read the result

Oil temperature is the variable you cannot see. 170 degC is bright red and fragrant; 200 degC is brown and acrid; 150 degC is pale and under-extracted. The two-pour method prevents the chili at the bowl bottom from burning while the top gets enough heat. Sediment weight is what you see at the bottom after 24 h - it should be roughly one-third of your chili weight for Sichuan-style.

Honest limitations

Chili flake variety matters. Korean gochugaru is finer and burns faster; Sichuan erjingtiao is coarser and tolerates higher heat. The numbers assume a medium-coarse flake. Humidity in your chili flakes will produce cloudier oil - dry them in a 100 degC oven for 10 minutes first if you want crystal-clear layers.

Common questions

Frequently asked questions

What are the common mistakes when using Chili Oil Layering Calculator?
Most common mistakes come down to four habits: entering 20 when the field expects 0.2 because the field is a percentage; leaving a field blank and accepting the default without checking what it stands for; changing one input and reading a result that was calculated before the change; and quoting the output as an exact figure when the page describes it as a reference estimate. Press calculate again after any edit, and treat the number as a reference point rather than a final answer.
How do I read the result from Chili Oil Layering Calculator?
Read the final figure first, then come back to this section for the conditions behind it: Oil temperature is the variable you cannot see. 170 degC is bright red and fragrant; 200 degC is brown and acrid; Keep two things apart: the number itself, which comes from the values you typed, and the assumptions it depends on, which decide whether that number is meaningful. The page sets out what a higher or lower result means for your case, so check that direction as well as the magnitude.
Can I act on the Chili Oil Layering Calculator result directly?
Treat it as one reference sheet before you decide, rather than as the answer itself: Chili flake variety matters. Korean gochugaru is finer and burns faster; The output describes a magnitude under the conditions you entered. It does not include what it actually costs to act, what might change while you act, or how the other side behaves. Before you commit, compare the result against reality and note which assumptions do not hold where you are.
What inputs does Chili Oil Layering Calculator need?
Chili Oil Layering Calculator takes 2 inputs: Total oil (ml)、Chili flake weight (g). They are listed in the order they feed the calculation, so an earlier value can change a later one. Do not skip a field you do not recognise - work out what it means first, because a silently guessed value produces a number that looks reasonable and is not. Before typing anything, make sure every figure uses the same unit and the same time period.

Why two pours? Single pour burns the bottom. Two pours blooms color then extracts aroma. The first 1/3 hits the chili and the second 2/3 finishes the extraction.

Can I reuse the infused oil? The first batch holds the most aroma; reserve for finishing only. A second batch of oil over the same chili will be milder.

Why is my chili oil cloudy? Water in the chili flakes. Dry them in a 100 degC oven for 10 minutes first, then cool before pouring oil.

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