Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Food & Drink

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

The 9 best olive oils to add to your kitchen ingredients today

Cook with these, make your own salad dressing, and more

By
Pouring olive oil in a salad
Getty Images

There’s not much good olive oil can’t do. Sure, it’s great on pasta or drizzled over a toasted baguette. But it’s also phenomenal with roasted vegetables, atop pizza, and even as a main feature in your next favorite dessert.

Shoot, if the oil is good enough, it can be enjoyed on its own. Some even believe it has restorative properties and like to apply a little to their skin. You can use it in a good olive oil cocktail or make a bowl of lentil soup with a healthy pour of it. In much of Italy, where olive oil is practically sacred, it’s essentially a healthier substitute for butter. All said, you can count on one hand the dishes that wouldn’t benefit from a little bit of good olive oil.

Recommended Videos

Yet, as is the case with anything ubiquitous — pop music, automobiles, fast food, denim jeans — there’s as much or more of the mediocre stuff as there is the high-quality stuff. With so many options, you’d be wise to diversify your oil portfolio, using certain kinds for some kitchen tasks and others for different dishes. And with the holidays right around the corner, you might be after a clever way to gift the olive oil of the culinary gods.

Olive oil poured into a bowl
Pixabay / Pexels

Olive oil top picks

Every soul should experience fresh-pressed olive oil from the spigot in a small town in Italy (or Spain, or Greece, or California, etc.) during harvest. But that fantasy isn’t readily available to all, so here are the best olive oils at the ready here in the States.

Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Filippo Berio

Best overall olive oil: Filippo Berio

Berio’s oil hits all the right notes. It’s affordable, widely available, and delivers plenty of finesse and flavor. For a great option without any corresponding fuss, this is your oil.

Frantoia Sicilian Olive Oil Bottle
Frantoia Sicilian

Best olive oil for finishing: Frantoia Barbera Sicilian Olive Oil

This southern Italian oil is great as a last touch to your favorite dishes and small plates. It’s made from three olive varietals and enhances everything it touches, from fresh bread and cheeses to risotto.

La Tourangelle Olive Oil Bottle
La Tourangelle

Best olive oil for snacking: La Tourangelle Organic

This oil offers a lot for the price, with a nice peppery element set atop some fresh, grassy flavors. It’s a versatile dipper or topper you can apply to just about anything.

Brachia Olive Oil Bottle
Brachia

Best olive oil for salads: Brachia

This Croatian offering boasts big fruity flavors and a hint of spice. Translation: It’s all you really need to dress up a good salad, give or take a little cheese, and some salt and pepper.

Mr. Papou's Olive Oil Tin
Mr. Papou's

Best olive oil to buy in bulk: Mr. Papou’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil

This offering from Greece comes in a 3-liter tin and is certified extra virgin. It’s balanced and great in a variety of dishes, making having quite a bit of it on hand quite sensible.

365 Mediterranean Blend Olive Oil Bottle
365

Best olive oil for frying: 365 Cold-Pressed Mediterranean Blend

You don’t have to go with Canola oil just because you’re frying. You can still use a good olive oil, like this one from Whole Foods. It comes in at an extremely friendly price while still offering a lot of pleasant characteristics.

California Olive Ranch Reserve Arbequina extra virgin olive oil
California Olive Ranch

Best cold-pressed olive oil: California Olive Ranch Arbequina

Cold-pressed is a popular means of making oil and essentially just means that the oil never exceeds a certain temperature (around 80 degrees Fahrenheit) in the name of holding on to flavor compounds and purity of character. This one is one of the best in the large category, made from the tasty arbequina olive and showing vibrant fruit notes.

Saratoga Basil Olive Oil Bottle
Saratoga

Best flavored olive oil: Saratoga Basil-Infused Olive Oil

There are lots of great olive oil infusions, not to mention a whole separate and delightful world of truffle oils. This basil-charged oil from Vermont olives is vibrant and great atop all of your favorite Italian dishes.

Pamako Organic Olive Oil Bottle
Pamako

Best luxury olive oil: Pamako Monovarietal Mountain Organic

This Greek oil comes in a fetching bottle and delivers colossal flavors and aromatics. Better still, it’s as smooth as satin, certified organic, and something you won’t feel the least bit guilty about when spending a little more loot.

Handsome happy bearded man is preparing wonderful fresh vegan salad in the kitchen at home
Maksym Povozniuk / Adobe Stock

Homemade dressing with olive oil recipe

Making your own dressing is a healthy way to go, especially a salad dressing with an olive oil base. Here’s a simple recipe to make your own dressing with extra virgin olive oil.

Related

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar (balsamic, red wine, white wine, or lemon juice all work well)
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Method

  1. In a small jar or container with a tight-fitting lid, whisk together all ingredients.
  2. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. You can add more vinegar for tang, more salt for savoriness, or a touch of honey or maple syrup for sweetness.

Here are some tips for customizing your DIY dressing:

  • Herbs: Add a tablespoon or two of chopped fresh herbs like parsley, basil, oregano, or thyme for a fresh flavor boost.
  • Cheese: For a creamy texture, whisk in a tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese or crumbled feta.
  • Spice: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes for a kick.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Mark Stock
Mark Stock
Contributor
Mark Stock is a writer from Portland, Oregon. He fell into wine during the Recession and has been fixated on the stuff since…
How to dry fresh basil: 5 ways to preserve this essential herb
Whether you grow it at home or buy it fresh from the store, drying basil isn't a difficult task
Fresh and dried basil on a wooden surface

One of the best herb plants to grow indoors is basil. However, basil is a delicate plant and can spoil very quickly once harvested. If you grow an herb or vegetable garden or buy the basil plant at your local grocery store, you will have an overabundance of fresh basil that you need to use or store properly. That's where we come in! We'll tell you how to dry basil that is fresh from the garden or store and the best way to store it.
The best ways to dry basil

Drying herbs is just one of the ways to store your leftover basil. There are several ways to dry your basil so you can have it at your disposal any time. If you like fresh basil, then you will love dried basil. It’s much more powerful than the fresh; all that flavor is just crammed into the crunchy leaves.
How to air-dry basil
Air drying is the easiest way to preserve your basil, but it's a longer process — about two weeks in the summer. This is what you should do:

Read more
The 8 best hot dog topping alternatives you need to try
Forget the mustard and sauerkraut, try these creative toppings instead
Three hot dogs with different topppings

Summer will be here before we know it, so that means grilling season has almost arrived. Whether you have backyard barbecues, like to picnic at the barbecue pit in the park, or just want to harken back to your youth with hot dogs, why not get creative with some alternative hot dog toppings?
Our best alternative toppings for your dogs
You can prepare your hot dogs by steaming, boiling, or grilling, but that doesn’t mean the toppings have to be mustard only -- and no, we don’t put ketchup on hot dogs. We’re going to take a look at some of the most creative hot dog toppings out there that are sure to up your hot dog game.
Classic Chicago dogs

These hot dog toppings always will be a staple. The Vienna Beef hot dog reached Chicago during the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893, and the Chicago Dog was invented in 1929 at a stand named Fluky’s. The hot dog was originally called the Depression Sandwich. The Chicago-style dog features a poppy seed bun with an all-beef frank topped with mustard, white onions, dark green sweet pickle relish, sliced tomato, sport peppers, a dill pickle spear, and celery salt. If you don’t have the celery salt, that is passable, but you definitely can’t have a Chicago dog without the remaining ingredients.
New York dogs

Read more
This is how to sharpen a serrated knife the right way
This fearsome blade needs a little extra love
Knife blades closeup

In every good set of kitchen knives, there is one particular blade that most people both love and hate. We love it for its ability to flawlessly slice through foods like crusty baguettes and plump, ripened tomatoes. Its jagged edge gives us smooth cuts through otherwise tricky-to-slice ingredients, all while appearing rather fierce in the process. But this knife can be desperately infuriating in its trickiness to sharpen. This is the serrated knife - a fiercely toothy blade with a saw-like edge.

Serrated knives come in all sizes for a variety of kitchen tasks. Their toothy edge is perfect for many culinary uses, allowing for crisp, clean cuts without tearing or squashing the ingredient's often tender interior.

Read more