We Tried Over A Dozen Olive Oil Brands And Found The 7 That Don’t Suck (2024)

We tried to have an open mind, but Filippo Berio's olive oil was pretty disappointing. The flavor was muddy and harsh to the point where it would be pretty noticeable in your food (and not in the best way).

We would use this olive oil begrudgingly if we were to find it in our grandma's pantry. But we otherwise wouldn't purchase it for our ourselves.

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. 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.

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.

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 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 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 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.

Some of our favorite olive oils come from a team of New York City chefs and restaurateurs. Frankies 457 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).

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.