The best chili seeds, compared.
Top pick: Trinidad Scorpion Yellow Best value: Piri Piri – Highest score among the £3.45 packets, at 74, with 4.5 from 16 reviews that mention plants, on a different ASIN from the top pick. Updated 21 October 2026.
Chili seeds are packets for a UK season that is too short to start outdoors in the cold. You sow them indoors from late winter to mid-spring, because the fruit needs a long warm spell. Heat and habit change the choice more than a few pence. A usable listing names one variety, states the seed count, and has reviews you can read. Five stars from two people are not that sample. No lab grew these packets, and this page does not call any of them organic. Kitchen herbs beyond chillies sit in the wider [herb seeds](/hub/herb-seeds/herb-seeds) comparison. The Royal Horticultural Society germinates seed at about 21°C and keeps plants inside until nights stay at least 12°C, usually late May or early. A chilli seed packet is seed for a tender crop. The checks that change the order are the heat you will actually eat, whether the listing contradicts itself, the seed count against the price, and the habit against your space. What to read before a row can rank is set out in the [chilli seed buying guide](/hub/herb-seeds/chili-seeds/sub/chili-seeds-buying-guide).
Chili seeds are packets for a UK season that is too short to start outdoors in the cold. You sow them indoors from late winter to mid-spring, because the fruit needs a long warm spell.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What heat will you use?
Trinidad Scorpion Yellow from SPECIALITYSEEDS.COM is 10 seeds at £3.45, listed at 10/10 with a seller figure around 1,600,000 Scoville units. Amazon.co.uk shows 5.0 from 8 reviews, but the only review body in the file is the single word Good, so those stars do not describe plants or fruit. The listing describes medium bushes and short lantern-shaped peppers that ripen from green to bright yellow, with a floral, fruity flavour for hot sauces. Germination is printed as 8–21 days at 22–28°C, and outdoor temperatures only above 15°C. A seller figure in that range is a handling hazard, and it is not the 2017 Guinness average of 1,641,183. Buy it only if you already want a yellow superhot and will treat eight stars with almost no text as a thin sample.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a yellow superhot for sauce and will germinate it warm without relying on the star line.
Less suitable: You wanted a jalapeño for the kitchen, or a review that describes the plant.
Specifications
Common questions
What do Trinidad Scorpion Yellow chillies taste like?
The listing says they are known for a floral, fruity flavour and are commonly used in hot sauces.
How long do these seeds take to germinate?
The listing gives 8–21 days at 22–28°C.
Can these seeds be grown indoors?
The listing asks this and requires a sunny protected place with at least 6 hours of direct sun. Outdoor moves only when temperatures stay above 15°C. No pot size is stated.
Trinidad Scorpion Chocolate from SPECIALITYSEEDS.COM is 10 seeds at £3.45, listed at 10/10 with a seller figure around 1,200,000. Amazon.co.uk shows 5.0 from 2 reviews. The only review body says the packet arrived on time and as described, that patience is required, and that a heated tray helps. That is not a trial of flavour or yield. The listing describes medium bushes, short lantern fruit ripening to dark chocolate, and a floral, fruity, smoky flavour. Germination is printed as 8–21 days at 22–28°C, with outdoor moves only above 15°C. A two-review five-star line should not outrank a packet with dozens of reviews. Take it only if you want that chocolate superhot and will germinate it warm, not because of the stars.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a chocolate Scorpion at the £3.45 price and will use a heated tray.
Less suitable: You are ranking packets by stars, or you wanted a cooking chilli.
Specifications
Common questions
What do Trinidad Scorpion Chocolate chillies taste like?
The listing says floral, fruity and smoky, reminiscent of other chocolate chillies.
How long do these seeds take to germinate?
The listing gives 8–21 days at 22–28°C. One review says patience and a heated tray help.
Can these seeds be grown indoors?
The listing asks this and gives sunny, protected, 6-hour sun guidance, with outdoor moves only above 15°C.
Piri Piri from PRIMERASEMILLAS.COM is 10 seeds at £3.45, and amazon.co.uk shows 4.5 from 16 reviews, the largest sample among the 10-seed packets here. The seller prints over 100,000 Scoville units and 5/10, with fruit at 3–4 cm that ripens dark red on a very tall slender plant. One reviewer reported sturdy plants and a yield they called lovely after only a few seeds sprouted. Another said the plants were growing well after potting on. The title also says “Grow Tabasco Birds Eye Chillies”, so the contents line is Piri Piri and the title is not a single variety. Outdoor moves are listed above 12°C, which is the seller’s line, and the listing does not say the seed is organic. In this set it is the best value among the £3.45 packets you can read a plant review about, if a tall plant and that heat are what you wanted.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a named hot sauce chilli at £3.45 and a review sample larger than four people.
Less suitable: You need one variety name on the title, a dwarf plant, or jalapeño heat.
Specifications
Common questions
Can these seeds be grown indoors?
The listing asks this. Care text is a sunny sheltered spot with at least 6 hours of direct sun, and outdoors only when temperatures stay above 12°C.
What dishes use piri piri chillies?
The listing says they are best known for use in sauces such as Piri-Piri and Tobasco.
Are these seeds organic?
The listing asks this. The file does not say the seed is organic.
Scotch Bonnet Red from SPECIALITYSEEDS.COM is 10 seeds at £3.45, with a seller heat of about 300,000 and a 7/10 extra-hot line. The listing describes medium bushes and short, rounded peppers that turn from green to dark red, with a sweet, spicy flavour for Caribbean cooking and hot sauces. Amazon.co.uk shows 4.4 from 4 reviews, and the file has no review text, so you cannot see what those four people grew. Germination is printed as 8–21 days at 22–28°C, with harvest through late summer and outdoor moves only above 15°C. No days from sowing to harvest and no height in centimetres are given. It is the Caribbean-heat row in this set if you accept a four-review sample with no written comments.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a Scotch bonnet for Caribbean food and will accept a four-star sample with no comments.
Less suitable: You wanted mild everyday heat, or a written account of germination.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it be grown indoors?
The listing asks this and gives the same sunny, protected, 6-hour sun guidance, with outdoor moves only above 15°C.
What dishes is it good for?
The listing says Scotch Bonnet Red is typically used in Caribbean cooking and hot sauces.
How long does it take to grow?
The listing does not give days to harvest. It says germination is 8–21 days and harvest is through late summer.
Tabasco from SPECIALITYSEEDS.COM is 10 seeds at £3.45, and amazon.co.uk shows 4.4 from 4 reviews. The one review text says germination was very slow and that 8 of 10 seeds were later up and growing well. The title also says “Grow Piri Piri Birds Eye Chillies”, and the body repeats the Piri Piri listing’s African-origin and sauce sentences, so the two ASINs are not carefully separated descriptions. The seller prints over 100,000 Scoville units and 5/10, with 3–4 cm dark red fruit on a very tall slender plant, and outdoor moves above 12°C. Germination is given as 8–21 days at 22–28°C. A published 30,000–50,000 band for the name Tabasco is not a test of this packet. Buy it only if you can live with a copied description and a single written review.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the Tabasco contents line at £3.45 and will ignore the copied title.
Less suitable: You need a listing that describes only one variety, or a short plant.
Specifications
Common questions
Can these seeds be grown indoors?
The listing asks this. Care text is a sunny sheltered place with at least 6 hours of direct sun, and outdoors only above 12°C.
What dishes use Tabasco chillies?
The listing says they are best known for sauces such as Piri-Piri and Tobasco.
How long does it take to grow?
The listing gives germination of 8–21 days. It does not give days from sowing to harvest. One review says patience was needed before seedlings appeared.
JustSeed’s Jalapeno is the only 60-seed packet in this set, at £4.35, which is about 7p a seed against 34.5p on the £3.45 rows of ten. Amazon.co.uk shows 4.2 from 61 reviews, the only count in the dozens. The file contains both strong germination reports, including six of six sown and claims that all or a vast majority came up, and weak ones, including three of 24 and a very low rate. One indoor grower in a flat reported two small harvests on each of four plants and described pollination, not the seed, as the limit. The listing in this comparison does not print a Scoville figure, a habit, or a germination window. A product description on the live page says medium heat, green maturing to red, and emergence in up to 35 days at 30°C, which is not the RHS figure of about 21°C. A material line mentions organic registration numbers, and this comparison does not call the packet organic. It is the top pick when you want a cooking chilli and a review sample you can read, and a poor match if you needed a stated height or a superhot.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a cooking jalapeño and the only large review sample in this twelve.
Less suitable: You wanted Scotch bonnet heat, a superhot, or a printed height for a windowsill.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it be grown indoors?
The listing asks this. One review describes keeping plants indoors in a flat, with a pollination problem and two small harvests. The seller bullets do not state an indoor method.
What sort of soil does it need?
The listing asks this. The file does not name a compost or soil.
Does it need a lot of sunlight?
The listing asks this. The file does not state hours of sun.
Bolivian Rainbow from PRIMERASEMILLAS.COM is 10 seeds at £3.45, described as a small compact dwarf bush with hundreds of very small fruit that turn from purple to yellow and then red. The seller prints 4/10 and 30,000–50,000 Scoville units. A Sea Spring HPLC figure of 62,000 is for the name, not a test of this ASIN. Amazon.co.uk shows 4.0 from 7 reviews. One reviewer planted two seeds, got one up, and potted it on, which matched their aim of one plant. The other wrote that it did not grow at all. Germination is given as 8–21 days at 22–28°C, with outdoor moves only above 15°C, and no height in centimetres. The dwarf wording is why it belongs on a short list for a sill, with that failed sowing as the limit.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You have a windowsill and want the compact wording at the £3.45 packet price.
Less suitable: You need a stated height in centimetres, or a large review sample of ripe fruit.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it be grown indoors?
The listing asks this. Care text is a sunny protected place, at least 6 hours of direct sun, and outdoors only above 15°C. The plant is described as a small dwarf bush.
What colour are the peppers?
The listing says peppers turn from purple, to yellow, and then red. The colour attribute is Red.
How tall do the plants grow?
The listing says small, compact dwarf bushes. No height in centimetres is given.
Carolina Reaper Yellow from SPECIALITYSEEDS.COM is 10 seeds at £3.95, with a seller figure around 2,000,000 and a 10/10 line. Amazon.co.uk shows 3.8 from 8 reviews, and both review texts in the file report no growth. One reviewer soaked the seed in tea, sowed it in sterile compost held at 30°C, and still saw nothing, noting a 2024 date on the seed. The second reported no signs of growth since sowing on receipt. The listing describes medium bushes and short lantern peppers with a spiked tail that turn from green to bright yellow, in a seller window of 8–21 days at 22–28°C. That 2,000,000 figure is seller copy, not the 2017 Guinness average of 1,641,183. The country-of-origin field says España. It is the yellow Reaper row only if you accept two written germination failures against the printed window.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You specifically want a yellow Reaper label and will test a few seeds warm before relying on the packet.
Less suitable: You wanted evidence of germination, or a chilli you can cook with every week.
Specifications
Common questions
What do Carolina Reaper Yellow chillies taste like?
The listing does not describe flavour. It describes heat, lantern shape, a spiked tail, and a change from green to bright yellow.
How tall do the plants grow?
The listing says medium sized bushes. No height in centimetres is given.
Can these seeds be grown indoors?
The listing asks this and gives sunny, protected, 6-hour sun guidance, with outdoor moves only above 15°C.
The SPECIALITYSEEDS.COM Thai Dragon packet is 10 seeds at £3.45, and amazon.co.uk shows 3.2 from 10 reviews. The spice line says 5/10, but the bullet that prints about 800,000 Scoville units describes Bhut Jolokia Chocolate, so that figure is not a Thai Dragon measurement. The plant is described as a tall bush you can train to one stem or leave large, with fruit turning from green to bright red. The seller prints 12–21 days at 22–28°C, and outdoor moves only above 15°C. Of the two review texts in the file, one reports a large share of the seeds germinating and suggests a propagator or a large poly bag, and the other calls the packet a little pricey. No height in centimetres is given. It is a weak choice if you needed a heat number that matches the variety on the title.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a named Thai-type plant and will ignore the copied heat bullet.
Less suitable: You need a Scoville figure that belongs to this variety, or a compact windowsill plant.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it be grown indoors?
The listing asks this and says plants need a sunny, protected place with at least 6 hours of direct sun, and should go outdoors only when temperatures stay above 15°C. It does not state a windowsill pot size.
What colour are the peppers?
The listing says Thai Dragon peppers are harvested when they turn from green to a bright red colour. The colour attribute is Red.
How tall do the plants grow?
The listing says they grow on tall bushes that can be trained to a single stem or left as a large bush. No height in centimetres is given.
Basket of Fire from PRIMERASEMILLAS.COM is 10 seeds at £3.95, described as a small compact dwarf bush with hundreds of very small fruit that change from purple to yellow and then red. The seller prints about 80,000 Scoville units and 5/10, with germination in 12–21 days at 22–28°C. The title says heirloom and a feature says open pollinated. Neither is a legal seed grade, and the packet does not say F1, so centimetre heights from F1 shop pages do not belong here. This capture stored no star rating and no review text, so there is no buyer account of germination. The listing says seeds are regularly tested and does not name a percentage or a guarantee. It is the other dwarf description in the set, at 50p more than the £3.45 packets, and you would be buying the wording rather than a review sample.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the dwarf wording and will accept a packet with no amazon.co.uk reviews yet.
Less suitable: You choose from review counts, or you expected an F1 packet with a printed height.
Specifications
Common questions
Is germination guaranteed?
The listing asks this. The bullets say seeds are regularly tested. They do not state a germination percentage or a named guarantee.
Can I grow these indoors?
The listing asks this. The plant is described as a small dwarf bush. Care text requires a sunny protected place and at least 6 hours of direct sun.
How long until harvest?
The listing does not give a day count. It says harvest throughout the summer as fruits change from purple to yellow and then red. Germination is given as 12–21 days.
Carolina Reaper Chocolate from SPECIALITYSEEDS.COM is 10 seeds at £3.95, listed at 10/10 with a seller figure around 2,000,000 Scoville units. The seller says this colour was bred from the original Carolina Reaper and that the original holds the record. The 2017 Guinness average was 1,641,183, and Pepper X later took the record, so this packet is not that test. The listing describes medium bushes and short lantern fruit with a spiked tail, ripening from green to dark chocolate, with germination in 8–21 days at 22–28°C. This capture has no star rating and no review text. Outdoor moves are listed only above 15°C. The RHS treats Carolina Reaper as frost-tender, with harvest from mid-August to October. Order it only if you want a chocolate superhot on the label and can wait, with gloves, without a UK review sample.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already grow superhots for sauce and want this chocolate label despite no reviews.
Less suitable: You wanted a cooking chilli, a review sample, or the Guinness pepper itself.
Specifications
Common questions
How do I germinate chilli seeds?
The listing gives 22–28°C and 8–21 days, a sunny protected place, and at least 6 hours of direct sun.
What compost does the listing name?
The listing does not name a compost. It also stores no star rating and no review text for this packet.
Jamaican Red from SPECIALITYSEEDS.COM is 10 seeds at £3.45, and this capture has no star rating and no review text. The listing calls the chilli both 7/10 very spicy and mild yet spicy, with a seller figure around 200,000, so those phrases cannot be merged into one heat. It describes medium bushes and short, oddly lantern-shaped peppers that turn from green to dark red, with a floral, fruity flavour for Jamaican cooking and hot sauces. Germination is printed as 12–21 days at 22–28°C, and outdoor moves only above 15°C. A 12-month Real Seed Guarantee is seller text, not a measured germination rate. Leave it until the heat lines agree, because you cannot check buyers either.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already know Jamaican Red from another source and will not use this page’s heat lines.
Less suitable: You are choosing heat from the listing, or you want any review sample.
Specifications
Common questions
What temperature do these seeds need?
The listing says germination at 22–28°C, and outdoor moves only when temperatures stay above 15°C.
How long until they germinate?
The listing says 12–21 days.
How much sunlight is required?
The listing says at least 6 hours of direct sunlight a day in a sunny, protected place.
Scores use the twelve amazon.co.uk listings kept here, with shelf prices, stars and review notes captured on 19 October 2026. No lab grew these packets. The working score has four parts, then one named deduction. The weights below scale those parts so they sum to 100. The highest score is the top pick. The best-value award is the highest score among the £3.45 packets, which tie on the value part, and it is a different product.
Amazon stars
38%Stars are (amazon rating / 5) times 40 in the working score, rounded. A listing with no star line scores 0 on this part. The JustSeed Jalapeno is 4.2 from 61. A 5.0 from two reviews is not treated as a stronger sample than that.
Review sample
19%Fifty or more reviews score the top of this part. Ten to 49 are next, then five to nine, then one to four. No reviews score 0. JustSeed is the only count in the dozens. Piri Piri has 16, the largest sample among the 10-seed packets.
Listing fit
24%A clear variety, heat, habit and germination window, with no second chilli in the title, scores high. A superhot seller figure is kept and is not treated as the Guinness average. A heat bullet that describes another variety, or a page that says both very spicy and mild, scores low.
Value in this set
19%Sixty seeds at about £4.35 are about 7p each and score highest on this part. Ten seeds at about £3.45 are about 34.5p. Ten seeds at about £3.95 are about 39.5p. The £3.45 packets tie, so best value follows the highest total among them, which is Piri Piri.
Choose the heat you will eat, then check that the listing does not contradict itself. A 10-seed speciality packet and a 60-seed jalapeño are not the same purchase, and a seller Scoville line is not a lab result for that ASIN.
A chilli seed packet is Capsicum seed for a tender crop. In Britain you sow it indoors, because the fruit needs a long warm season and will not finish if you start cold and late. This page ranks twelve amazon.co.uk listings. The checks that change the order are the heat you will actually eat, whether the listing contradicts itself, the seed count against the price, and the habit against your space.
Thai Dragon’s about 800,000 bullet describes Bhut Jolokia Chocolate. Jamaican Red is printed as both 7/10 very spicy and mild yet spicy. Do not merge those phrases into one number.
Trinidad Scorpion Chocolate is 5.0 from 2 reviews, and the written note does not describe fruit. Trinidad Scorpion Yellow is 5.0 from 8, and the only review body is the word Good.
A cold, dry May sowing will not finish a superhot. Keep plants indoors until nights stay at least 12°C, usually late May or early June, after hardening off. Drying the compost on a radiator is a common way to lose the sowing.
Which? puts jalapeños around 2,500–10,000 Scoville heat units and habaneros around 100,000–350,000. Scotch Bonnet Red sits in that habanero-type band on a seller line around 300,000. Piri Piri and Tabasco print over 100,000. Bolivian Rainbow is 30,000–50,000 and Basket of Fire about 80,000 on the seller lines. Reaper and Scorpion packets here are seller-rated around 1.2–2 million. That is a different product from a cooking chilli, and the fruit needs gloves.
A usable packet names one variety, states the seed count, and gives a germination window you can compare with the reviews. Piri Piri’s title also says Tabasco and bird’s eye. Tabasco’s title also says Piri Piri and bird’s eye, and the body repeats the other listing. Thai Dragon’s heat bullet describes Bhut Jolokia Chocolate. Jamaican Red says both very spicy and mild. Heirloom on a title is not a legal seed grade.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You want a chilli you can cook with, and you should leave the 10/10 packets. The JustSeed Jalapeno is the top pick: 60 seeds at about £4.35 and 4.2 from 61 reviews. The listing does not print a Scoville figure, and the germination comments conflict.
You can hold warmth in late winter, and the only space is a sill. Bolivian Rainbow is described as a small compact dwarf bush, with a seller heat of 30,000–50,000. No height in centimetres is given, and one of two review texts says it did not grow.
You already want a superhot, you can wear gloves, and you can wait until autumn. Trinidad Scorpion Yellow is the highest-scoring superhot here, with a seller figure around 1,600,000. The only review body in the file is the word Good.
The top pick is the JustSeed Jalapeno at about £4.35. It scores 82, the highest here, as 60 seeds at about 7p each with 4.2 from 61 reviews, the only sample in the dozens. Germination comments in the file conflict, and the comparison fields do not print heat, habit or a germination window. Best value is Piri Piri at about £3.45, a different ASIN, score 74, with 4.5 from 16 reviews and two texts that mention plants. The title also names Tabasco and bird's eye, and the plant is described as very tall. Skip the jalapeño if you wanted Scotch bonnet heat or a superhot. Skip Piri Piri if you need one variety on the title, or a short plant for a sill.
Piri Piri
Highest score among the £3.45 packets, at 74, with 4.5 from 16 reviews that mention plants, on a different ASIN from the top pick.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources named below. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts on these twelve listings were read on 19 October 2026. Page updated 21 October 2026.
Expert source (DIY & tools): Lee Burkhill (Garden Ninja) (external profile) – public expert commentary used as a research source, not as a contributor to our pages.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk (tag pcuk26-21). If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are taken from those listings. We did not run a lab test.
