We Tried Over A Dozen Olive Oil Brands And Found The 7 That Don’t Suck

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Whether you’re making salad dressing from scratch or just want to dip your bread in something, picking a good olive oil is a top priority. There are countless factors that can impact the flavor, color, and quality of olive oil. Some people might prefer a mild and versatile bottle to use for everyday cooking, while others opt for something bolder.

Olive oil also comes with its own unique health benefits. Extra virgin olive oil is rich in antioxidants like polyphenols that have anti-inflammatory and cancer-fighting qualities. It also has plenty of monounsaturated fatty acids, which the FDA says can help with your overall heart health.

But not all olive oils are alike. If you want to work with the best possible product, the bare minimum you should do is buy olive oil labeled "extra virgin." Other varieties like pure olive oil, light olive oil, or just olive oil go through several other levels of processing that can negatively affect the oil's flavor and nutrient density.

That doesn't mean all extra virgin olive oil is delicious, however. So we took on the task of tasting several bottles of olive oil from over a dozen brands to identify the best (and worst) you can buy. We tested oils across the price spectrum, from standard supermarket offerings to buzzy new brands, and ranked them from worst to best. And some of our findings were actually shocking (including a budget pick that far exceeded our expectations!).

Want more Delish-approved product recommendations? Check out our favorite peanut butters, tortilla chips, and frozen french fries.

Filippo Berio

We tried to have an open mind, we really tried. But can we just admit that Filippo Berio olive oil is gross? The flavor is muddy and harsh to the point where it will actually detract from your cooking.

It's the kind of olive oil that you'll find in your grandma's pantry and use begrudgingly. But when stocking our own kitchen? We wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot pole.

Colavita

Colavita is the brand we use in the Delish test kitchen, but in our blind taste test, it was overwhelmingly panned by our editors. We found it to be astringent and unpleasantly bitter, with our Food Director Rob Seixas even noting that it burns in a bad way.

Cento

We love to stock our pantries with Cento products (like their canned tomatoes and anchovies), but you might want to skip their olive oil. Cento olive oil doesn't have any strong fruity or peppery flavors, just a general muddiness. You could do better.

Spectrum

Spectrum olive oil is admittedly pretty pricey for what you get. And we're not willing to drop that much money for a product this bland (sorry). It's just too light and doesn't bring much flavor to the table. There are better brands that cost less.

Newman's Own

Newman's Own extra virgin olive oil is similarly light and uninspiring in the flavor department, but at least it's cheaper than Spectrum. One of our testers said that this olive oil "doesn't taste like much," while another said that it even has a "weird aftertaste."

As far as olive oils go, this brand is just okay.

O-Live & Co.

O-Live & Co. uses olives from the Colchagua Valley in Chile, which has a similar climate to the Mediterranean. We love the brand's commitment to environmental sustainability: it's the world's first fully carbon-neutral olive oil producer.

We enjoyed the flavors of all of their offerings, from Green and Balanced to Mild and Fruity, and found them all to be fairly versatile. But they were also "pretty runny," in the words of one of our tasters. It doesn't coat our tongues the way we want with olive oil. O-Live & Co. is like the Fruit Stripe of olive oil—it tastes good...for a millisecond.

Lucini

Sometimes you don't want olive oil to take center stage. And in those instances, you should reach for Lucini. Both their Argentinian and Italian everyday blends are on the mild side, with a delicate and subtle olive taste.

However, we wouldn't want to use Lucini olive oil to finish dishes, dip bread, or even use in a salad dressing. It's just too light to hold its own in those applications.

Bertolli

A lot of supermarket olive oil brands are disappointing, but even the olive oil snobs among us liked Bertolli. Their extra virgin olive oil is rich and full bodied, adding a bold fruity flavor to any recipe. It's easy to find, it's affordable, and it's a solid cooking oil.

But whatever you do, make sure you buy their extra virgin olive oil. None of their other offerings are worth the money.

California Olive Ranch

California Olive Ranch has a vast portfolio of olive oils that aren't just from the Golden State. They have high-end reserve collections with single origin olives and more affordable global blends. But their 100% California olive oil is the one you should buy.

This olive oil is mid-range in terms of price, but it's definitely worth the extra couple dollars. California Olive Ranch's 100% California blend is lightly floral, medium bodied, and super versatile for any cooking project. It's also a great pick for baking—it imparts a great flavor without requiring a major investment.

La Tourangelle

La Tourangelle sells some of our favorite specialty oils (like pistachio, pecan, and flaxseed). But you shouldn't overlook their extra virgin olive oil. It's one of the most intensely olive-forward bottles we've tried.

La Tourangelle's olive oil has a deep, rich color and a bold flavor to match. This is the brand to buy when you're looking to make olive oil the star of your dish.

Graza

Graza graced the olive oil scene with a lot of fanfare, thanks to its contemporary packaging and buzzy marketing. We were admittedly skeptical of the hype, but both of Graza's olive oils live up to it.

Graza's Sizzle and Drizzle offerings both use Picual olives from Spain that lend a fruity and peppery flavor. And, of course, you can't ignore the convenient squeeze bottle. Graza make olive oils that taste just as good as they look on your kitchen counter.

Frankies

Some of our favorite olive oils come from a team of New York City chefs and restaurateurs. Frankies 547 partnered with Asaro, a multigenerational family olive business in Sicily, to produce their award-winning line of oils.

We love their spicy, Calabrian chili version and their everyday blend. But the real star is the classic organic extra virgin olive oil. Frankies 457 exclusively uses Nocellara del Belice olives, so their natural fruitiness really shines. We love using these to dip bread, finish cooked proteins and vegetables, or drizzling over ice cream (IYKYK).

Zoe

If Goldilocks had to pick her perfect olive oil brand, it would be Zoe. Mild enough for everyday use, it also boasts nuanced and subtle fruity flavors that you can taste no matter how you use it. This olive oil is a go-to pick for several of our editors for a reason.

The best part is it brings a lot to the table without costing too much. Our only gripe is that the tin is prone to spills, but that's easily remedied by decanting your oil into a squeeze bottle.

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