372467 Sun Feb 18 16:31:31 -0800 2007 40 31 Home Cooking 0 2305309 What's the best but not too expensive? I am looking for something for pasta, sauces, etc. Nothing too complicated but delicious. Any reccs? Sun Feb 18 16:31:31 -0800 2007 12898 saturninus 1 2305388 I just always go with colivita (in the tin). I think it's probably the best of the easily accessable brands. Of course I'm sure someone is going to chime in with a recommendation from Trader Joe's / Costco. Those names pop up in just about every thread. I speak from envy as I have neither of those stores near me. Sun Feb 18 17:14:39 -0800 2007 2305309 61592 cafesimile 2 2305394 Spelled Colavita. Sun Feb 18 17:16:51 -0800 2007 2305388 61592 cafesimile 2 4068478 I'll third these choices-- I like all three options. Which is in my kitchen depends on where I was shopping when I needed Olive Oil. I'll add Whole foods 365 house brand Italian. I've used that too. Sun Sep 28 17:55:57 -0700 2008 2305388 21331 BostonZest 2 4068659 I'm curious whether you're talking about the Colavita in the liter and 3 liter cans or the liimited pressing in the round 750ml can? I use the latter, but not for cooking because I find it looses too much flavor. For cooking I use any brand of "light" olive oil because it has been filtered and therefore has a higher smoke point. But that also makes it much milder in flavor, so if I want the stronger olive oil flavor I simply add some of the Colavita 2007 Harvest Limited Pressing. It has a very fruity flavor. I have several olive oils I use for various purposes but the "light" is the only one I use for cooking because the flavor of unfiltered oils is so heavily modified by heat. Sun Sep 28 19:23:56 -0700 2008 2305388 112096 Caroline1 1 2305392 Goya brand (in the "ethnic" section) of most supermarkets. Great value and perfectly fine for most cooking. Sun Feb 18 17:16:24 -0800 2007 2305309 75375 suttonh 1 2305573 I don't know where you are, but if you're in the midwest, the store brand olive oil from Hy-Vee is actually quite good. When you heat it, it develops this wonderful fruity aroma. Sun Feb 18 18:40:04 -0800 2007 2305309 32586 revsharkie 1 2306270 I am actually in Philadelphia. I have access to both goya and colavita (why is tin better?). I also have access to costco, trader joes and whole foods if that helps. But I don't want a super large bottle of oil olive if that's all costco has! Mon Feb 19 06:25:11 -0800 2007 2305309 12898 saturninus 2 2306281 I am guessing tin is better because it protects the oil from light. Heat and light destroys the oil. Olive oil does not last very long. Think of it as a fruit juice. Mon Feb 19 06:30:08 -0800 2007 2306270 19631 mimolette 3 2306308 From about.com: "Olive oil storage Store olive oil in a cool, dark place for up to six months or in the refrigerator up to a year." Mon Feb 19 06:44:29 -0800 2007 2306281 53831 jenniferdines 4 2306480 oooo i can refrigerate? great! i live alone and if it makes it last longer i will do it! Mon Feb 19 07:54:10 -0800 2007 2306308 12898 saturninus 5 2307454 Just remember when you refrigerate the oil it gets cloudy looking. For best results use at room temperature. As long as you don't have it in sunshine or above your stove it should be good for a full six months. Mon Feb 19 12:21:57 -0800 2007 2306480 17878 Budser1228 2 3880945 Actually, the large bottle of the Kirkland extra virgin olive oil at Costo is about half the size of the one at sames (well, maybe 2/3), so don't be afraid to try that if you see it. Just keep it in a dark cabinet or corner, since light is your principal enemy here. I used to love Goya olive oil on salads, but use way to much to deal with the little bottle I find in the grocery store. I had forgotten how good that tastes. Fri Jul 18 11:12:20 -0700 2008 2306270 87837 RGC1982 3 4068037 I have not tried this Kirkland; the other day at Costco I saw 2 new kinds: and extra virgin from Provence and another from Sicily. I wanted both; bought neither. Are you familiar with these? (The Costco was in Daly City, just outside SF, CA.) Sun Sep 28 13:47:26 -0700 2008 3880945 12520 walker 1 2306510 For cooking (not drizzling or garnishing) many restaurants use "pomace". This is very cheap olive oil blended with a touch of Extra Virgin for flavour. Very good and economical for cooking. Many brands are available. Mon Feb 19 08:04:55 -0800 2007 2305309 16797 bogie 1 2306527 I used to use Colavita, but then I discovered Whole foods' 365 brand Extra Virgin Olive oil in the 3-liter tin for $20. It's the best value for the money I've found. The oil tastes MUCH better than it costs. If you're anywhere near a Whole Foods, I'd give it a try. They sell it in smaller bottles, as well, so you don't have to buy a lot to check it out. Mon Feb 19 08:11:03 -0800 2007 2305309 52499 ChefJune 1 2306568 I heartily second Whole Foods' 365 Extra-Virgin Olive Oil for regular everyday use. I've used it for about 2 years. It has a light, balanced flavor that works well raw in vinaigrettes and cooked in nearly everything else. Of course, the better the olive oil in certain dishes, the better the dish will be, but I long ago stopped believing that ONLY olive oils that cost over $30 a bottle are acceptable. That's just silly. Mon Feb 19 08:20:57 -0800 2007 2305309 13568 Tom Steele 2 2306633 wonderful. sounds worth a try. i will pick it up! Mon Feb 19 08:42:58 -0800 2007 2306568 12898 saturninus 1 2306638 im on bionaturae's one now. i love the flavor. however, i do indeed only use it for drizzling, and NOT in heated applications. Mon Feb 19 08:44:50 -0800 2007 2305309 42755 ben61820 1 2308441 For cooking, you want a good quality EVOO that does not have a strong flavor. I have to second the OP's recommendation for COLAVITA EVOO. It is one of the only commercial brands made in Italy from Italian olives. I buy a 1 liter bottle for $11.99. It is great for marinades, sauteeing by itself, or with butter. I use it for cooking. I use a much more expensive EVOO from Tuscany, and one from Puglia for drizzling, vinaigrettes etc. Mon Feb 19 16:58:14 -0800 2007 2305309 10838 Fleur 2 2467684 Yum-o! Tue Apr 10 12:57:08 -0700 2007 2308441 26793 Fozzie_Bear 1 2308680 i use whole food's 365 also, but if you live near a middle eastern/meditteranean markets, look for extra virgin olive oil there, in big tins. i usually try to find first cold pressed. these tend to be very green and intense, which i like, even for everyday cooking. and definitely store in a cool dark place. Mon Feb 19 18:22:31 -0800 2007 2305309 12350 ndl 1 2311038 "Think of it as a fruit juice." WHAT?! (That would have been 4x as big if I could've changed font size.) Olive oil is actually among the longer lived vegetable oils. Tue Feb 20 12:24:22 -0800 2007 2305309 11980 MikeG 1 2311073 Citations aside - olives are harvested and pressed once a year. The not innumerous olive oil cultures did not go without for the other 360 days of the year, when the oil went bad after 5 days or so. And this was long before modernly hygienic pressing practices, mechanical refrigeration or airtight storage containers... Tue Feb 20 12:29:27 -0800 2007 2305309 11980 MikeG 1 2312383 Personally, I don't cook (as in when the oil is going to be very hot) with EVOO b/c it ruins the flavour so it's a total waste. Regular OO has a higher flash point and is better for cooking. I buy the regular OO for cooking (in a tin and aliquot it into a smaller 500ml container to keep on hand - I keep the rest in a cool , dark cupboard for a year and it is just fine) and keep a good, small bottle of EVOO for vinagrettes and for finishing dishes - this way I can buy excellent EVOO b/c I use so little at a time. Tue Feb 20 17:39:35 -0800 2007 2305309 17956 jcanncuk 1 2312473 olive oil has a lower smoking point than other oils, so deep-frying is tricky, but roman fried artichokes wouldn't be the same in canola oil. i don't believe cooking ruins the taste of evoo, but it does change it. i certainly wouldn't cook with expensive oil, but i think the taste of good oil is imparted into whatever you're sauteeing, searing, etc. Tue Feb 20 18:08:03 -0800 2007 2305309 12350 ndl 2 2466094 Hello I am looking for Evoo olive oil in Montreal, not easy to find :( Tue Apr 10 05:54:39 -0700 2007 2312473 77365 Ninja_59 1 2467721 Too many people get out of control with EVOO. If you are planning to cook with olive oil (rather than use it in a salad dressing where you might actually taste it), I doubt that anyone can really taste what kind you used. There is a place for cheap oil and a place for the most coddled and rarified extra virgin. Tue Apr 10 13:04:46 -0700 2007 2305309 88109 ECB 2 3881878 i disagree. you need a certain level of quality to make a dish taste good. colavita all the way for cooking, not the cheapest but not at all the most expensive. using a substandard oil or one with a very strong taste, as some of the cheaper middle-eastern oils have (btw most are not regulated and can be anything mixed in especialy if you're going to a med deli) will leave you with not as good of a result. Fri Jul 18 15:50:10 -0700 2008 2467721 11190 fara 1 3877158 I prefer Sanso. It's a Spanish Olive Oil made from Andalusian Olives. Although I can get it at Whole Foods, it has the Whole Foods price. Fortunately, I have a little mom and pop grocery that carries it. My recommendation: if you really dig cooking, browse around the web. See what brand Cooking Institutes / chefs are using. I saw that the Culinary Institute of America had Sanso as their featured Olive Oil...so I bought it and I've been a loyal follower ever since. If you find a great olive oil in your journey, would love to hear about it! Always looking to trying something new. Thu Jul 17 09:29:20 -0700 2008 2305309 210636 kcs1050 2 3879830 I love Sanso too! Good call. Fri Jul 18 05:35:48 -0700 2008 3877158 210879 jennbags 1 3877488 That heating destroys the flavor of olive oil is a bit of a myth. Heating destroys the flavor of olive oil once it has passed its prime. We are conditioned to view the peppery burn at the back of our throats as a sign of quality. It's actually a sign of age, and back inventories of olive oil get exported while current harvests are more generally consumed in Europe. This is most common in Italian and some Spanish oils. Still, it's a matter of personal preference. That said, I don't know what qualifies as inexpensive, but for my personal and professional use I choose Da Morgada Extra Virgin from Portugal. They also produce an excellent organic oil, but it is cost prohibitive. Da Morgada is available at Whole Foods. Thu Jul 17 10:54:26 -0700 2008 2305309 102066 almansa 2 3879834 Will give it a shot. Thanks for the recommendation. Fri Jul 18 05:37:03 -0700 2008 3877488 210879 jennbags 1 3879264 I've tried a variety of olive oils, and I've come to this conclusion. A GOOD extra-virgin olive oil should only be used for finishing/drizzling. For sauteeing/cooking I enjoy either a cheap extra-virgin or regular. For a finishing touch I like Colavita, Columela (Spanish, available at my local Fresh Market), or Lucini. For cooking I like Bertoli, Filipo Berio, or Da Vinci. Mind you, these are choices based on what's available in my area (a medium sized town in Georgia) Thu Jul 17 20:01:04 -0700 2008 2305309 209906 joshlane4 1 3880402 I think that it is interesting that practically everybody on this board has confined their comments to extra virgin olive oil. I concur. I have never much cared for the taste of the plain old stuff. (It usually tastes rancid to me.) So like most people on this board, I cook with EVOO or, for larger volume projects or where I think that the taste of EVOO would be intrusive, I abandon olive oil all together and cook with peanut oil, corn oil, or something else. I live in Florida and for relatively inexpensive EVOO for plain frying, I like Vigo, a Tampa-based importer with its own brand line, or Publix's house brand (Publix is a supermarket chain) but I think that these brands are probably confined to Florida or just the Southeast. I like Colavita a lot, but it is not cheap--$17.99 for a 750 ml bottle, according to Cook's Illustrated. Cook's Illustrated, by the way, has an article on its website, written in July 2008 or 2007 (I've forgotten which), rating EVOO. The top rated ones are far more expensive than what has been requested by Saturninus, but here they are: (1) Columela--$36/liter; (2) Lucini Italia Premium Select--$40/liter; (3) Colavita--$17.99/750ml; (4) Bertolli; and (5) Filippo Berio. However, they really did not think much of Bertolli or Berio. Colavita seems to be the best compromise between cost and flavor--certainly good enough for cooking. Interestingly, the top rated "supermarket" EVOO from last year, Davinci, was rated as "Unacceptable" this year, which goes to show you how olive oils can change from year to year. Fri Jul 18 08:49:21 -0700 2008 2305309 22427 gfr1111 1 4068118 I use Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil - first cold press only. Sun Sep 28 14:33:09 -0700 2008 2305309 222865 FoodChic 1 4068410 I like the Fairway brand. They usually have a whole 'tasting' section of their store brand olive oils, and the cheese guys usually know a thing or two about the oils. Sun Sep 28 17:17:31 -0700 2008 2305309 217807 cheesecake17 1 4068987 It's funny, I've been doing some olive oil comparisons of late myself. If I'm just cooking in oil and don't want the flavor I use my gallon of Kirland (Costco) olive oil. However, when the flavor counts, I've been using the Colavita. I found two tins of it on an Amazon lightning deal for $18. Tonight ,I sauteed up some sliced portabello with a little drizzled balsamic and truffle salt. So simple, so easy and so good! I definitely use the Colavita in that case. I find the Kirkland brand does not measure up with such a simple dish. I like the Colavita better than the Trader Joes as well as it has a stronger olive flavor - but that's all a matter of taste, not necessarily quality. Mon Sep 29 00:23:59 -0700 2008 2305309 229242 Hapgood 1 4069125 only evoo --- kirkland from costco, "star" brand (spanish), bertolli, whatever good artisanal one is on sale at harris teeter. Mon Sep 29 05:24:26 -0700 2008 2305309 105717 alkapal 2 5062507 Hi all, new to forum as well as olive oil I've tried a few now always extra virgin olive oil I grab the ones in the tinted bottles because they say don’t expose to the light. But no matter which one I buy and sample they all have a bitter acidic aftertaste does that mean they are spoiled or what? The latest I picked up is Filippo Berio organic extra virgin got it home crack the top and tried a teaspoon same thing lite taste to start followed by acidic aftertaste. Sun Sep 27 16:08:56 -0700 2009 4069125 1112392 klevinj 3 5062886 Try the Sicilian olive oil from Trader Joe. I use that one for cooking and Lucini for salads (I can find it at Whole Foods -- I think I heard that this is what Mario Batali uses.). Sun Sep 27 19:43:04 -0700 2009 5062507 12520 walker