The 8 Best Olive Oils of 2020

California Olive Ranch describes its extra virgin olive oil as freshly pressed juice. Unlike light or refined oils, which are made with exposure to high heat or chemical solvents, this cold-pressed olive oil is made by crushing fresh olives mechanically. This not only leaves you with an olive oil that’s totally pure, but one that tastes perfectly smooth, too.

The “Everyday” blend combines several different types of olives to create a versatile oil that contains herbal, fruity, and grassy notes all in one. And, as the name implies, it’s ideal for everyday sauteing, baking, and roasting. If you’re looking for something that tastes a little milder, but is still free of chemical solvents, the “Mild” blend has a less intense, buttery flavor.

All of California Olive Ranch’s oils are certified extra virgin by a third-party lab that tests the chemical and sensory properties of the oil. The extra virgin olive oil is also certified kosher, verified non-GMO, and carries a seal from the Olive Oil Commission of California (or OOCC), which has one of the most stringent quality standards in the world.

Napa Valley may be known for wine, but Napa Valleys Naturals, a brand of Stonewall Kitchen, puts the Northern California region on the map for olive oil, too. While the company started as a roadside produce stand, its operation has expanded throughout the world. Its organic extra virgin olive oil is now made of a blend of regional olives that come from the Mediterranean and are cold-pressed to create a smooth buttery flavor mixed with light, fruity notes. 

And while it doesn’t really have any effect on its taste or quality, all five of its olive oil sizes, which range from 12.7 ounces to 128 ounces, are packaged in wine bottles, which just makes them feel kind of fancy.

Although many of the olive oils on this list are cold pressed, Ellora earned the spot of best cold-pressed olive oil for several reasons. Unlike other olive oils, which combine several olive varieties from various regions, the Ellora Farms Extra Virgin Olive Oil—and all of Ellora Farms’ oils—come from a single region: Crete, Greece. But it’s not only sourced from Greece, it’s produced right on the spot using low temperatures and cold pressing to preserve both flavor and quality.

The Ellora Farms Extra Virgin Olive Oil has a rich, fruity aroma and a bold, peppery flavor that earned it a gold medal at the Mediterranean International Olive Oil Competition in 2019. Although you can cook with it, as long as you’re using low temperatures, it’s best as a finishing or drizzling oil.

If you’re looking for the best olive oil for cooking, the O-Live and Co. Everyday Extra Virgin Olive Oil checks all the boxes. Not only was its flavor profile—which is best described as mild and fruity—designed to complement any type of cooked dish, but it’s also one of the purest olive oils out there. The olive oil comes from Chile and far exceeds the purity standards set by the International Olive Oil Council.

In addition to their regular Everyday olive oil, O-Live and Co. also offers a certified organic option. And if you prefer a more intense, peppery olive oil over a fruity one, O-Live and Co. has your back with its “Robust” extra virgin olive oil.

While you can certainly use it for cooking, the La Tourangelle Extra Virgin Olive Oil really shines when paired with a big piece of fresh crusty bread. That’s why it’s earned the spot of best olive oil for dipping. To make the extra virgin olive oil, La Tourangelle harvests olives from Andalucia, Spain during the early season and cold presses them the same day. 

This process helps prevent the loss of antioxidants, but also creates an oil that has a fresh, bright, and peppery taste with hints of almond, olive leaves, and freshly cut grass. The La Tourangelle olive oil is also 100 percent organic and non-GMO verified and the tin container it’s packaged in is BPA free. 

Good olive oil doesn’t have to come at a high price, and Filippo Berio’s extra virgin olive oil proves that. For a very budget-friendly price, you can get 25.3 ounces of cold-pressed olive oil that’s made in Italy from a combination of olive varieties from Italy, Spain, Greece, and Tunisia, a North African country that borders the Mediterranean Sea. The result is a robust rich-tasting olive oil that’s ideal for cooking, dressing, and marinades.

In addition to getting olive oil at a great price, you also get some additional options. If you’re looking for different flavor profiles, you can opt for the Robusto, which has a peppery finish, the 100% Italian, which is light and fruity with a spicy finish, or the California, which combines a delicate balance of fruity and peppery. 

If you’re looking for flavored olive oil, the Mantova Extra Virgin Olive Oil variety pack covers all of the bases. It combines four 8.5-ounce infused olive oils in basil, garlic, lemon, and chili. Each flavored olive oil is made from Italian olives and cold-pressed to create full-flavored oils that are free of any preservatives, additives, and artificial flavors (and certified organic, too!).

This four-pack makes a great addition to any kitchen—you can use the oils for finishing or dipping—or is a perfect gift for any food lover. And after tasting them yourself, if you decide you like one flavor better than the others, you can buy them each individually instead of in the variety pack.

You may know Bragg from their wildly popular raw apple cider vinegar, but their commitment to quality and wellness extends to olive oil too. Bragg makes their extra virgin olive by cold pressing organic Koroneiki olives cultivated from Greek orchards. The olive oil has a smooth flavor profile that’s ideal for all applications, including light sauteing and drizzling as a finishing oil.

Although you can get smaller sizes, their gallon (128 ounce) jug is one of the best bangs for your buck. While there are other, less expensive oils on the market, this one is a high-quality USDA certified organic, non-GMO, and certified kosher oil at an excellent price of around 40 cents per ounce.