Good olive oils that don't cost a lot
Good-quality, cheap olive oil does exist. We tried nine olive oils—nothing over $20 per liter, with most bottles hugging the $10 price point. Some of us chose the bread-dipping technique; others believed a spoon was more official. Which oils were mellow? More intense and spicy? The most like water?
Best Mellow Oil
Fairway ($8.99 for 1 liter): The New York mini-chain of markets sells this as their in-house brand of straight-forward olive oil both online and in stores. It's smooth, soft, and pretty neutral. If you can't handle the throat-grabbing intensity of peppery oils, this one will make you feel safe. Good for cooking.
Best Bitter, But Not Crazy Bitter Oil
Goya ($3.99 for 250 mL): The Hispanic packaged foods brand might be more familiar for canned beans, but they also make a not-too-intense olive oil. If you like buttery olive oils, but are ready to branch out into the crazier world of bitter, more dramatic flavors, this is a good place to start. It's not too spicy but still has a grassiness that gets your attention. Good for bread dipping.
Best Bang for Buck
Trader Joe's Spanish ($7.49 for 1 liter): Spanish olive oils are usually cheaper than Italian olive oils because those touted Italian olives get all the attention. This Trader Joe's Spanish EVOO—they sell a variety but admittedly, we fell for this pretty tree artwork—had a well-rounded flavor. Earthy but not too bitter, it'll leave your mouth slightly puckered—nothing too uncomfortable. Good for salad dressings.
Most Expensive And Just So-So
Colavita ($5.29 for 250 mL): Buying the adorable mini bottle made this same like a decent bargain, but it was actually the priciest one per-mL we tried. Though it had a nice, olive-rich taste (always a good thing when you're talking olive oils) it wasn't that exciting. Nothing harsh to say here, it's just not the best value.
Best All-Around
Whole Foods 365 Organic ($6.99 for 500 mL): We all came together in support of this guy. It has a nice sharpness up front with hints of bell pepper, but won't choke you with bitterness. Dunk bread into this and go to town drizzling it over salads—this is a winner.
Least Memorable
Bertolli ($8.99 for 500 mL): As I type this, wait there is nothing to type. Because it was that life-changing! For all the fat in olive oil, you should at least walk away with a memory. Maybe it's fine for cooking, but bread-dipping? Eh. Be skeptical of the actor dude's Italian accent on those Bertolli commercials.
Most Like Water
Filippo Berio Extra Light Tasting Olive Oil ($4.29 for 250 mL): In all fairness, they warned us about the "extra light" part. But why does it have to look so much like water? A pale yellow, slightly contaminated-looking water, but still. Do you really contain olives? Really? C'mon, are you just corn oil playing a little game of pretend? The "tasting" part threw us off since as one person noted, "it tasted like invisible."
What Would You do with Nine Leftover Bottles?
Bake an olive oil cake? Make french fries from scratch?
Best Mellow Oil
Fairway ($8.99 for 1 liter): The New York mini-chain of markets sells this as their in-house brand of straight-forward olive oil both online and in stores. It's smooth, soft, and pretty neutral. If you can't handle the throat-grabbing intensity of peppery oils, this one will make you feel safe. Good for cooking.
Best Bitter, But Not Crazy Bitter Oil
Goya ($3.99 for 250 mL): The Hispanic packaged foods brand might be more familiar for canned beans, but they also make a not-too-intense olive oil. If you like buttery olive oils, but are ready to branch out into the crazier world of bitter, more dramatic flavors, this is a good place to start. It's not too spicy but still has a grassiness that gets your attention. Good for bread dipping.
Best Bang for Buck
Trader Joe's Spanish ($7.49 for 1 liter): Spanish olive oils are usually cheaper than Italian olive oils because those touted Italian olives get all the attention. This Trader Joe's Spanish EVOO—they sell a variety but admittedly, we fell for this pretty tree artwork—had a well-rounded flavor. Earthy but not too bitter, it'll leave your mouth slightly puckered—nothing too uncomfortable. Good for salad dressings.
Most Expensive And Just So-So
Colavita ($5.29 for 250 mL): Buying the adorable mini bottle made this same like a decent bargain, but it was actually the priciest one per-mL we tried. Though it had a nice, olive-rich taste (always a good thing when you're talking olive oils) it wasn't that exciting. Nothing harsh to say here, it's just not the best value.
Best All-Around
Whole Foods 365 Organic ($6.99 for 500 mL): We all came together in support of this guy. It has a nice sharpness up front with hints of bell pepper, but won't choke you with bitterness. Dunk bread into this and go to town drizzling it over salads—this is a winner.
Least Memorable
Bertolli ($8.99 for 500 mL): As I type this, wait there is nothing to type. Because it was that life-changing! For all the fat in olive oil, you should at least walk away with a memory. Maybe it's fine for cooking, but bread-dipping? Eh. Be skeptical of the actor dude's Italian accent on those Bertolli commercials.
Most Like Water
Filippo Berio Extra Light Tasting Olive Oil ($4.29 for 250 mL): In all fairness, they warned us about the "extra light" part. But why does it have to look so much like water? A pale yellow, slightly contaminated-looking water, but still. Do you really contain olives? Really? C'mon, are you just corn oil playing a little game of pretend? The "tasting" part threw us off since as one person noted, "it tasted like invisible."
What Would You do with Nine Leftover Bottles?
Bake an olive oil cake? Make french fries from scratch?
posted by Zo Heri at 6:10 AM
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