10 Best Olive Oils 2024 in the United States

Olive oil has been used for food and health purposes for thousands of years. With the discovery of olive oil's high level of monounsaturated fat (which lowers blood cholesterol levels), there has been renewed interest in using olive oil in cooking and recipes. There are over 700 different types of olives in the world, and the oil that they produce is also very distinct. And there are grades of olive oil that you see all the time: extra virgin, virgin, refined. These names indicate how much processing was performed in order to extract the oil. Here is a guide to some of the best olive oils on the market. 

• Virgin Olive Oil means that the olive oil was produced by mechanical means only—no heat or chemicals were employed. The grade of virgin olive oil depends on its acidity. The acidity is influenced by the freshness of the olive before it was pressed: the fresher the olive, the lower the acidity of its oil. The grades of virgin olive oil are:

1. Extra Virgin (<0.8% free acidity),

2. Virgin (1.5% free acidity) and Ordinary Virgin (somewhere between 0.8 and 2.0% acidity), and

3. Lampante Virgin Olive Oil (>2.0% acidity) (Lampante means “glaring”--it is used more as a lamp oil, unless further refined).

• Refined Olive Oil has been subjected to methods, such as running it through charcoal and other chemical or physical filters, to remove color, odor and flavor from the oil.

• Olive Pomace Oil is the oil that is extracted from the pressed olive pulp (=pomace), by chemical means. It is then blended with virgin olive oil to improve the taste.  

Based on all the consumers' reviews we've scanned, these are the top things they mentioned about their new stuff:

• Sediment: If you see sediments at the bottom of a bottle of oil, this can degrade the olive oil's taste (the sediment can decay faster than the olive oil itself).

• Health uses: People who complain of thin hair, or hair loss have used olive oil as a hair treatment. They suggest massaging the oil into their hair and letting it sit overnight. They notice a marked improvement in hair growth.

• Bitterness and color: The bitterness or greenish color of olive oil doesn't have to mean that the quality of the oil is poor. In fact, they could be an indication of the natural antioxidants that occur in the olive. Some are described as being “nutty”, “peppery”, or “fruity”, and is due to the variety of olive used.

• Frying advice: Extra virgin olive oil is recommended for sauteing and shallow frying. Refined olive oil, which is tasteless and odorless, is recommended for deep frying.

• Refrigeration: Olive oils naturally have waxes and fats that congeal when refrigerated. So the fact that the oil solidifies when cooled does not mean that the oil has been adulterated with other oils. The best temperature to store olive oil is 50 °F, but chilling it or freezing it will not ruin it.

• Cooking uses: If you are using olive oil for cooking purposes, take note of things that might influence the oil's taste. It's preferable to buy olive oil that is sold in a dark glass bottle, so as to protect it from light. It should be stored in a cool, dark place, so as to keep it from going rancid. Good olive oil should have the date of harvest printed on the bottle, or at least a “Best Before” date. The “Best Before” date is typically two years after the bottling.

• Polyphenol content: Polyphenols are antioxidants that are linked to preventing aging. Virgin olive oils have the highest levels of polyphenols. This will preserve the shelf life of the oil. A polyphenol level of less than 300 is low, whereas above 500 is considered good.

• “Cold pressed”: The term “cold pressed” olive oil is a misconception, since the olives are not pressed at all. Rather, olives are crushed into a paste. This paste is circulated in a machine called a malaxor for a half-hour, and then spun at high speed in a centrifuge to separate out the oil from the olive pulp and water. This oil settles and clarifies in a tank for a month. The process is "cold" in that no heat is applied. 

Kirkland Signature--is the private label brand of Costco Wholesale. They were founded in 1995, and are named after Costco's original company headquarters in Kirkland, Washington. They try to offer the perfect combination of quality and price to common consumer products.

Bariani—is an olive oil produced by the Bariani family from the Lombardy region of Italy. Their headquarters is in San Francisco, California. They make several types of organic products: olive oil and olive paté, honey, balsamic vinegar, and body care products.

Podere Albereto Estate—is an olive oil produced on the Albereto estate in Tuscany, Italy. Their olive oil is an organic combination of three olive varieties.

Seka Hills—is a company in Brooks, California that grows organic wine, honey, and olive products. They employ natural farm management techniques, such as beneficial insects, cover crops, mulching, drip irrigation and crop rotation.