I keep two kinds of extra virgin olive oil in my kitchen: a small bottle of robust, peppery, somewhat expensive oil for finishing dishes and special salads, and a milder, everyday oil for when the flavor of the oil might be overwhelmed by other ingredients or isn't very important. Everyday olive oil, like everyday wine, is a kitchen staple and while I don't reach for the cheapest brand from the bottom shelf, I need to keep the price point fairly low.
What brand do you use as your everyday olive oil?
We need to be careful when selecting our olive oil, as things are not always what they seem. According to Tom Mueller, author of the book Extra Virginity, the olive oil industry is rife with fraud. In his blog Mr. Mueller writes:
Olive oil bottles (are) labeled with fancy phrases - 'cold pressed,' 'made in Italy,' 'first pressed,' 'extra-light,' 'pure,' and the ever-present 'extra virgin' - that are meaningless, and often downright lies, false virgins selling at a fraction of the price of true extra virgin olive oil, which systematically undercut honest producers. Faced with this situation, governments do nothing, oil buyers turn a blind eye, big bottlers and oil-traders pocket the cash. Consumers everywhere are systematically defrauded, and honest growers go bankrupt.
His solution is to know and even visit olive oil producers and attend a pressing. If that's not possible, then he suggests we buy from a reputable establishment that has pre-screened their oils for authenticity. And of course taste before you buy. This is fine if you're like me and live in an area where there are not only olive oil producers, but plenty of tasting opportunities at small grocers and even an olive oil store or two.
What about people who only have the grocery store or Costco as a source? Well, you're in luck! Apparently, Costco' Kirkland brand Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil was the only imported 'grocery store' olive oil that passed a blind standards test for extra virgin. All other brands come in at 'virgin' quality.
Is there an everyday priced, extra virgin olive oil that you like? Where do you shop for your olive oil? I'm considering going in on a gallon of Tehama County Blend by Pacific Sun with a few friends. At $50/gallon, it's a bargain price for a delicious everyday olive oil.
• Tom Mueller's website is packed full of excellent information where you can find tips on how to look for and choose and olive oil as well as a Guide to Great Olive Oil which lists growers, producers and providers in all 50 states.
• Check out the UC Davis report on their olive oil testing and compare your favorite brand of oil on their handy chart.
• Extra Virginity by Tom Mueller, $17.13 at Amazon.
Related: Hurrah! New US Olive Oil Standards
(Image: Dana Velden)
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i can't remember the last time i used extra virgin, but Costco or Wegman's win hands-down for any olive oil purchases in my house.
Stephen Singer Olio
http://www.stephensingerolio.com/olio.html
it is my "good" olive oil but the price is comparable to other "everyday" ones. available online, at berkeley bowl, or you can call them for more stores.
a little bird told me Chez Panisse has been using his olive oil for years. i was surprised how affordable it was and have never looked back.
I love Trader Joe's "Trader Giottos" olive oil. I can about a litre for $5, and it tastes great! Very mellow and a little buttery, just the way I like it! If you want something stronger, the Trader Joe's Spanish Olive Oil has a bit more kick to it and is still a great oil for almost no money. Definitely worth it.
For everyday cooking I use a decent Italian olive oil in one liter bottle. For salads and finishing dishes, a good bottle from Provence.
i stumbled upon the trader joe's spanish olive oil a while back, and it's great (and affordable). i like it because it isn't too astringent, bitter, spicy, or grassy. it's round and fruity, and i use it in everything from salad dressing to pancake batter with great results.
Great post. I clicked on the link for the Guide to Great Olive Oil and found out there's a new olive oil store near my house! Lately I've been switching brands every time I need olive oil, but haven't found anything great at a reasonable price yet. I make sure to buy it in a green glass bottle though.
Well that's a coincidence. I use the Costco olive oil mentioned and the post as my everyday oil and have been pleased for years. I fill a small glass bottle with it because precisely pouring from that big bottle is near impossible.
Costco here too. Cheap for the big jug of it and it has a decent flavor.
I have in my pantry a few really nice olive oils I've accumulated from family member's trips to Italy I need to use before they go bad, but just can't bring myself to use up- they're so darn tasty! Not comparable to Costco or a similar oil!
My go to is a http://www.californiaoliveranch.com/
It's grown here in Cali, has a mild flavor and is reasonably priced. Woot!
My parents have used the Kirkland for years and I always thought it was good. My favorite grocery store extra virgin is by Pacific Organics. The price point is reasonable and the flavor is really rich.
I use the Costco stuff as my workaday oil. It's been very cheap lately, and so much so I was worried it wasn't authentic. Good to see it passed the test.
For salads and dipping, I usually get whatever organic brand looks good and not too expensive (<$15/quart) at Whole Foods. I was getting 3 liter tins of Olio Beato from them, which was awesome, but they stopped carrying it.
Sadly this won't help unless you live in the East Bay, but I buy the Berkeley Bowl store brand for my everyday EVOO (the "Rich and Robust Early Harvest; I've never tried the other). It's cheap enough to be "everyday," but tasty enough to use when I'm in too big of a rush to dig out the good oil.
+1 for Trader Joes here
California Olive Ranch Extra Virgin and Bariani Extra Virgin for salads, cooking with low heat and drizzzling. For sauteeing and high heat preparation methods, I buy the large tin of Star Olive Oil.
Zingerman's!
Dana, curious to know what finishing oil you use? I've been looking to invest in a good bottle but don't really know where to start.
Costco/Kirkland, but be sure to use the organic one.
Totally agree with the Berkeley Bowl recommendation, but sadly we're not all within range... :)
California Olive Ranch. Love it.
13 Acres Olio Nuovo! Fantastic drizzled over salads or crispy French bread rubbed with a little garlic....yum!
Another vote for Trader Joe's! In my opinion, it tastes better than my local grocery chain store brand as well as other low cost options (Crisco, etc.).
If I buy the Fresh Market or Publix EVOO brand for everyday cooking when I don't use organic canola or safflower. For special occasions, dressings, finishing touches, bread dipping, etc., I use Lucero Miller's Blend. I'd tried Medi Terra, which is organic and directly from Greece and supposed to be one of the best ones on the market. It was nice but there wasn't enough flavor for my taste. I tried several others, a Moroccan one that Cheese Course carries and others with Italian names. But I just needed to try Miller's Blend once to fall in love with it. It's my favorite!
I use Bozzano EV Olive Oil. Its organic and sold locally. It can also be purchased online. The price us right!
bozzanoranch.com/products.html
I use a brand called Ariston, sold at a cooking store nearby. It comes in refillable bottles, for $9.99. It's tasty, and dare I say, expeditious. I too buy much finer stuff for finishing, and accenting.
Agree with all the Berkeley Bowl love here, both types of the olive oil are really good, and always "on special." I use the Kirkland as everyday stuff too.
And Emerald city jojo, Stephen Singer is or was married to Alice Waters, so I'm sure they do use his oil... I want to try it now, though!
Woah! i am truly shocked at the number of people who use Costco or Trader Joe olive oil! I'm sure you're coming from a cost perspective, and when one uses it in mass quantities, that's understandable. But what about supporting a smaller, local producer if possible? I too love Bozzano Olive Oil (their A2 is delicious), Hillstone or McEvoy for California oils, or Cappezzana from Italy as a finishing oil. My every day oil is Barbera Frantoia- great value, great taste.
I use Trader Joe's Spanish for the every day stuff, and California Olive Ranch for a finishing oil.
Our everyday EVOO is Napa Valley Naturals Organic made with olives from Sacramento Valley and Argentina. Excellent taste and a great value. I once did a side-by-side in-home comparison with another organic EVOO, that was marketed as an everyday oil for a few bucks less per bottle, and the obvious difference in taste, color, and aroma was enough to convince even my sometimes overly-frugal spouse that it was worth spending that couple of extra bucks.
I don't have a preferred go-to brand to use as a finishing oil, but am on the lookout for one that I can purchase through one of our local organic markets. I'm only interested in an organically produced oil.
@Janis on the Farmette--Bionaturae's organic extra virgin olive oil is a great oil! (I like it better than the Napa Valley). It's good for every day cooking, but also just as a dipping oil-- ithas that cough-causing spiciness that's evidence of a good oil. It's also pretty reasonably priced (I tend to order it in bulk from a natural foods store) for such a great oil.
@vegetalion, thanks, I'll check it out! We've been happy with other Bionaturae products and there's a good chance that I've already tried their olive oil - but I won't be certain until I see the bottle/label.
Hey Guys,
Check it out: Juliet Mae's Every Day Olive Oil
California EVOO Mission blend from 2011 harvest-
16 ounces =$16.99 delivered- wow!