What Olive Oil Is Best For Cooking

courtesy of brands

Olive oil is a staple in nearly every kitchen — and yet, you'd be hard pressed to find the same bottle of this essential ingredient in every home's pantry. For the food editors working in the Good Housekeeping Institute's Test Kitchen, it can feel like there's a million and one considerations when it comes time to shop for olive oil. After all, certain blends are better suited for particular dishes and uses than others. Many of our experts have used multiple bottles of olive oil based on personal preferences, but if you're wondering which oils are best for dressing a salad or a quick drizzle over a plate of pasta, most start with a bottle of extra virgin olive oil.

There are even more factors that can factor into picking up a bottle of extra virgin olive oil, though. With options at every price level, some olive oils are muted, better suited for mechanical uses like pan sautés, while others have a flavor profile that's more robust, making toasted bread or a bed of greens feel so much more luxe. While there's never a wrong choice to be made when using olive oil — after all, it's a supercharged alternative to butter or other oils — a nuanced blend can elevate any of your favorite weeknight meals to feel extra special.

Whichever bottle you choose to buy, be sure to keep it stored in a cool, dark place in your pantry, ensuring it's sealed when not in use. You'll be able to enjoy these full-bodied flavors longer this way! Here, our food editors are sharing their favorite picks for different uses in the kitchen, helping you harness all the flavors of a robust olive oil at home.

Best Olive Oil Overall

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

California Olive Ranch amazon.com

$17.92

Out of all of the olive oil brands available in your local supermarket, our test kitchen experts say they use this one the most. "It's balanced and mild flavor makes it an easy choice for nearly anything we are planning to cook, regardless of the method," says Kate Merker,Good Housekeeping's Chief Food Director.Our food editors like it most for topping crostini, swirling into spaghetti, or mixing with salad greens.

Best Olive Oil for Cooking

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

O-Live & Co. amazon.com

$15.95

O-Live uses Chilean olives that have a fresh, fruity, and slightly sweet flavor. Right in the middle of the price range for olive oils, Merker says it can be used for sautéing veggies, grilling seafood, or as a base for a warm pasta dish. O-Live's blend won't overwhelm other flavor profiles in the dish.

Best Olive Oil for Salads

Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Olive oil that's been "hand pressed" might not be impressive upon first glance, but every bottle of Gaea's EVOO contains the juice of approximately 2,300 early harvest Koroneiki- and Athinoelia-variety Greek olives. It's these regions that produce a deliciously spicy and fruity flavor. This blend is perfect for creating a one-of-a-kind homemade salad dressing.

Best All-Purpose Olive Oil

Cold-Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Olive oil stays fresh longer when it's stored in a cool place, but also when it's entirely sealed off in a dark place, which is why this organic blend is stored in a can. Merker says it's best for home cooks searching for an all-purpose oil to use across their routines, especially for sautéing on the stovetop or baking in the oven.

Best Value Olive Oil

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

KIRKLAND SIGNATURE amazon.com

If you're an EVOO lover and find yourself using it in many dishes throughout the day, Costco's bulk buy might save you some dough, says editorial assistant Samantha MacAvoy. The extra-large size of this bottle will last in a busy kitchen.

Best Gourmet Olive Oil

Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil

FRANTOIA amazon.com

$54.99

Food Editor Catherine Lo admits that Frantoia's pricey blend is, indeed, a splurge for most home cooks. But it's worth its weight in gold, she says. "This rich gold-green oil is a bit of a splurge, but we love the fruity flavor and slightly spicy aroma, which finishes with a kick."

Best Olive Oil for Bread

Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

A lesser splurge that's still worth your buck, Bono's EVOO has a slight kick to it, which is best paired with a fresh loaf of crusty Italian bread. The best part? Each bottle is labeled with a tracking number corresponding to the grove in Sicily where the olives originated in the first place.

Best Organic Olive Oil

Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Madhava walmart.com

$4.48

Nicole Papanoniou, the senior testing editor at the Good Housekeeping Institute, says this new EVOO blend from Madhava might be a best contender for diehard olive-oil fanatics. "I wanted to eat it with a spoon!" she shares. Certified USDA Organic, Madhava's olive oil is made with sustainably sourced olives from a single Mediterranean source.

Best Olive Oil to Gift

Castillo de Canena Smoked Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Spain, 250 milliliter

Castillo de Canena amazon.com

$23.99

MacAvoy considers this eye-catching bottle a kind of olive oil "reserve" for avid home cooks, making it a great choice for a gift. "For something a little more fun and a lot less practical, I love this olive oil," she explains. "It has an incredible smoky flavor and a perfect cap that dispenses just the right amount of drizzle."

Zee Krstic Associate Health Editor Zee Krstic is a health editor for GoodHousekeeping.com, where he covers the latest in health and nutrition news, decodes diet and fitness trends, and reviews the best products in the wellness aisle.

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