12 extra-virgin olive oils we love for roasting, drizzling, dipping and more
Yes, olive oil expires, and no, color is not an indication of quality.
Graza Sizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil
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$18.99
Budget buy
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$14.79
While shopping for olive oil, experts recommend considering the following factors:
With experts’ guidance in mind, I rounded up a handful of extra-virgin olive oils to consider. All of our options are extra-virgin olive oils that come in dark green, brown or completely covered bottles, per experts’ recommendations. I included options across price points, from a variety of regions and made from different types of olives so you can browse oils with a range of flavor profiles.
I often joke that I’d drink Graza’s olive oil because of how delicious it is. Many other NBC Select staff members agree, as does Barbone, who says its flavor is top notch. It’s packaged in the brand’s signature dark green squeeze bottles to protect the quality of the oil and make dispensing it easy and mess-free, says Barbone. Compared to a bottle with a screw-off cap, the squeeze bottle helps me better control how much oil I’m drizzling into a pan, over fish or into salad, and I find that I use less at once.
The brand’s Sizzle olive oil is made from 100% Picual olives harvested in Spain. It has a mild flavor, so Graza recommends using it for roasting, searing and pan frying. It comes in a 25.3-ounce bottle, which lasts me about 10 months — I cook almost every day for just myself, so if you cook for more people, you’d probably go through it faster. Graza also makes cans of olive oil that you can use to refill your squeeze bottles when they’re empty instead of buying totally new ones.
Graza also offers a Drizzle oil, which, like Sizzle, is made from 100% Spanish Picual olives that are harvested earlier in the season, giving the oil a spicier, punchier flavor, according to the brand. Because of this, Drizzle is best used in dressings or dips — without being heated. I like to use it as a finishing oil for soups and as a dipping oil for bread. It comes in a smaller 16.9-ounce bottle, which lasts me about a year since I use it less frequently than the brand’s Sizzle oil.
Barbone also recommends Zoe’s EVOO for its light, fruity flavor. It’s made from a blend of Spanish olives, including the Cornicabra variety. The brand recommends using it as a dipping oil, drizzling it over veggies and using it to make vinaigrettes. The olive oil comes in a 25.2-ounce aluminum tin.
Brightland — one of our favorite AAPI-owned businesses — offers a variety of extra-virgin olive oils, including options infused with chilis, herbs and garlic. NBC Select editor Lindsay Schneider swears by the brand’s Awake and Alive oils, which come in a set or are available for individual purchase. The Awake oil is made from Arbequina olives, and is best for cooking since it has a bold, robust flavor that stands up to heat, according to Brightland. The Alive oil, on the other hand, is made from a blend of Arbequina, Arbosana and Koroneiki olives, giving it a smooth, grassy flavor that is ideal for salads, hummus, baked goods and dipping, according to the brand. The olives used to make both oils are California grown and come in fully covered 12.7-ounce recyclable glass bottles that are UV-coated to block light.
Whenever I’m baking with olive oil, I reach for this because it comes in a large 33.8-ounce bottle with a screw-off cap, making it easy to pour into measuring cups. It’s also under $15, so even though I use a lot at once and go through it quickly, the affordable price point doesn’t feel like a burden to add to my monthly grocery bill. The olive oil is made with a blend of Mediterranean olives and has a mild flavor that brings a savory taste to cookies, cakes and breads, but it’s not overpowering or easily detectable.
I typically dislike spice, so I tend to stay away from anything that’s infused with chili peppers. But Heraclea sent me its collection of flavored olive oils to try, and surprisingly, I find myself reaching for this one the most. It has a kick that amplifies the overall flavor, but it’s not so strong that I feel like my mouth is on fire. The olive oil is made from Turkish Memecik olives and infused with red chili and jalapeño peppers. I appreciate that it comes in a smaller bottle since I only use a little at a time, and I love drizzling it over fried eggs with feta cheese or avocado toast. Heraclea also sells garlic-infused, lemon-infused and rosemary-infused olive oil.
Frankies 457 olive oil was created by the chefs and owners of Frankies Spuntino, an Italian restaurant in Brooklyn established in 2004. It’s made with Nocellara del Belice olives from Sicily and has a ripe, bright, fruity flavor with grassy and peppery notes, according to the brand. “Frankies is one of my favorite restaurants in New York and the olive oil is always a talking point whenever I go, so I love that I can have some of it in my own kitchen,” Schneider says (she was gifted the bottle from the brand). “It has a neutral flavor that’s really buildable — I love pairing it with a simple balsamic and adding honey and salt for an easy salad dressings or marinade.” You can purchase the olive oil in 16.9-ounce or 33.81-ounce bottles.
Partanna’s EVOO is made with Nocellara del Belice olives from Sicily’s Trapani province. It has a smooth, rich flavor that I imagine when I think of olive oil, but its peppery kick at the end is what stands out to me — it gives it a spicy aftertaste. The brand sent me a bottle to try and I use it for sauces, soups and stews, as well as to coat vegetables in it before roasting them. When I want to taste the olive oil’s peppery notes, I dip bread in it or add it to salad greens with balsamic vinegar, flaky sea salt and black pepper. You can purchase the oil in 17-ounce, 34-ounce, 64-ounce or 101-ounce bottles.
Colavita’s Premium Selection EVOO is another option I keep on hand at home because it’s so versatile. Its fruity, peppery flavor comes through subtly when I cook and bake with it, and it has a bolder taste when I drizzle it over greens or on top of dips. The olive oil is made with olives grown in Italy and it comes in a 25.4-ounce bottle.
Made with 100% California grown olives, this oil has floral, herby and grassy notes, which gives it a subtle flavor that compliments any savory dish I’m cooking. I tend to incorporate it into soups, stir frys, roasted vegetables, as well as whisk it into marinades for fish and meat. It’s available in 500 milliliter, 750 milliliter and 1 liter bottles, as well as squeeze bottles.
Kosterina, one of our favorite women-owned businesses, makes its EVOO with Koroneiki olives grown in southern Greece. This type of olive oil pairs well with savory foods like hummus and pita, says Gil. Kosterina’s oil, which the brand sent me to try, is meant for dipping or using as a finishing oil. It has a spicy, peppery flavor that I could still taste when I used it to make salad dressing. I also drizzled it over a crudité platter, and the olive oil added a welcome kick to otherwise bland raw vegetables. You can purchase bottles in two sizes: 12.7 ounces or 16.9 ounces.
Kosterina also offers an Organic Everyday Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which you can use while cooking with heat. The brand sent me these two oils as a set and they came beautifully packaged, making them a great gift for the aspiring chef in your life. I also like that the bottles’ cap resembles a little plug — it reminds me of the cork on a wine bottle. This small detail elevates the experience of using Kosterina’s olive oils, and makes my home cooking (boxed mac and cheese included) feel more sophisticated than it really is.
I knew I’d love this olive oil the second I saw its label. It’s decorated with animated smiling olives wearing boots that make me happy to look at, so I like to keep it on display in my kitchen. What’s inside the bottle also doesn’t disappoint. Primis’ olive oil, which the brand sent me to try, is made from a blend of Mediterranean olives. It’s smooth and a little peppery, making it ideal for cooking over the stovetop or in the oven. My favorite part is its built-in retractable spout. When you screw off the cap, a spout pops up, which makes it easy to measure precise amounts or drizzle it over food. Then, as you screw the cap back on, the spout retracts, folding neatly inside the bottle’s neck.
Extra-virgin olive oil is the highest grade you can buy, followed by virgin olive oil and standard olive oil, says Borri. In order to have an “extra-virgin” label, olive oil must meet strict standards set by the International Olive Council (IOC), an intergovernmental organization dedicated to the research, production, development and trade of olive oil and table olives. Key criteria include:
Extra-virgin olive oil can be from any region and made from any type of olive, so long as it meets the above characteristics and goes through the proper testing. The IOC regularly certifies labs to test olive oils against IOC standards, as well as trains a taste panel.
Extra-virgin olive oil is made by using a cold press to crush olives and extract their oil. It is then put through a centrifuge, a device that spins liquids so they separate into their different components. The centrifuge spins the oil to get it to its purest form by separating out any water or impurities, says Ken Arnone, a master certified chef and the corporate chef for food brand Colavita for over 20 years. (Ed’s note: The inclusion of products sold by Colavita in this article was made independently of Arnone.) Manufacturers often blend a few types of olive oil together to get the final product, which is tested against IOC standards. Unless a bottle says it’s entirely made from one type of olive, it's likely a blend of two to five different types, giving the oil its distinct flavor profile, says Arnone.
There’s no “best” when it comes to extra-virgin olive oil, experts say. Each type has its own flavor profile, and what tastes good to you may be too strong for someone else. A spicy, peppery flavor is considered a full-bodied extra-virgin olive oil, but many people find the taste too bitter to be enjoyable, and opt for fruity varieties instead, says Arnone. That said, finding an olive oil you love involves some trial and error. You can buy small bottles of a few different types, cook with them in different ways and decide from there.
The color of an olive oil has no direct relation to its quality, says Gil. Olive oil can range in color from yellow to green, and factors like the types of olives used and how ripe the olives were when they were harvested influence the oil’s shade.
Heat, light and moisture are olive oil's biggest enemies, says Arnone. They alter the quality and longevity of olive oil over time, so you want to decrease its exposure to them in storage. Try to buy olive oil that comes in a dark green, brown or completely covered bottle and store it in a cool, dark place, like a pantry or cabinet.
Many chefs often decant their olive oil into squeeze bottles in professional kitchens. This makes it easier to dispense and gives them more control over how much they pour out. No matter what type of bottle you buy, avoid storing them near heat sources like countertop appliances, the oven or the stove, and keep them away from windows.
Unlike wine, olive oil does not get better with age, says Arnone. If you store olive oil properly, it should last about two years, says Gil. Bottles also list a best-by date you should note. In general, once you open a bottle, olive oil will maintain the same quality and taste for approximately one month before it starts degrading, she says.
Infused olive oil generally has a shorter shelf life compared to regular extra-virgin olive oil — it typically lasts for about a year. Infused olive oil usually comes in a smaller bottle, making it easier to use up while it’s still at its best quality, says Gil.
No, olive oil is not a neutral oil and typically should not be substituted in for recipes that call for one. A neutral oil is generally tasteless, like corn oil, vegetable oil and avocado oil, for example. These oils are highly processed, so any flavor is removed from the final product, says Borri. Extra-virgin olive oil, on the other hand, is flavorful because it’s not highly processed — the taste of the olive itself shines through. Extra-virgin olive oil has the most flavor, followed by virgin olive oil, says Arnone.
Smoking point is a molecular change that happens to oil when it’s heated to a certain temperature and starts to smoke. Extra-virgin olive oil’s smoking point is somewhere between 350 and 410 degrees Fahrenheit, says Borri. The type of olives used to produce the oil, the oil’s age and how it's been stored all factor into the exact temperature at which an olive oil starts to smoke. Because of this, it’s best to keep that general temperature range in mind when cooking — if you’re setting your oven to a higher temperature, consider using a different type of oil, and stick to low to medium settings on the stove.
Extra virgin olive oil’s smoking point is lower than vegetable oil, butter and canola oil, for example, and if you cook with it at very high temperatures, it will burn, says Borri. That’s one of the reasons Arnone says heating a skillet before adding olive oil is proper cooking technique — since you’re adding room temperature oil to a hot pan, you reduce the chance of bringing olive oil to its smoking point. But many people add olive oil to a cold skillet, turn the heat on, get distracted and come back to smoking oil since it’s had a while to heat up — this will ruin your oil.
Olive oil can be a substitute for butter depending on what you’re cooking and what form of butter a recipe calls for. For example, if you’re frying eggs, sauteing vegetables or making a marinade, you can easily swap out butter for olive oil. But if you’re baking, it gets tricky. The general rule of thumb is that you can swap out 75% to 100% of melted butter in a recipe for olive oil, says Arnone. For example, if you’re making a boxed cake mix, you can swap out melted butter for fruity olive oil, making the baked cake more moist and tender, he says. But if your recipe calls for softened or cold butter, don’t swap it out for olive oil. It will change the texture of the baked goods too much, says Arnone.
Yes, you can bake with olive oil, but it’s best to use when a recipe specifically calls for or is developed around it, according to Barbone. Olive oil brings a savory flavor to baked goods, which you’ll taste when you bite into them. Many recipes call for neutral oil like vegetable oil or canola oil instead since it’s tasteless. Some of the best things to bake with olive oil include breads, like focaccia, says Arnone. He’s also developed a chocolate mousse and apricot upside down cake with olive oil as a key ingredient. If you’re interested in baking with olive oil, you can find many cake, cookie and bread recipes online or in cookbooks that feature it.
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure that all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and with no undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
I'm an associate updates editor at NBC Select who writes about food, beverages and kitchen tools, including honey, coffee subscriptions and ice cream makers. For this article, I interviewed four experts about how to shop for store olive oil. I also tried a handful of products and rounded up expert picks.
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