EmailBest Reviewed
Olive Oil
- Best supermarket olive oil Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil *Est. $9
- Premium olive oil Columela Extra Virgin Olive Oil *Est. $16
- Best budget olive oil Whole Foods 365 Extra Virgin Olive Oil *Est. $5
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Best budget olive oil
- Great value
- Strong, peppery taste is ideal for dipping
- Not available anywhere but Whole Foods
- You might want a more neutral taste for some kinds of cooking
- There are better oils if you can spend more
Consumer Reports includes Whole Foods 365 olive oil in its roundup of 18 brands. Good Housekeeping includes it in a taste test of a dozen oils. There are no comparative reviews but plenty of helpful information at TheNibble.com and Chowhound.com. The latter is a message board for people who generally are very serious about food but unimpressed by labels or status.
Whole Foods sells a number of extra-virgin olive oils under its 365 brand, one from Italy, one from Greece, one from Spain and a blend of what its website says are oils from olives from Mediterranean countries. The last is the ConsumerSearch.com Fast Answer for the best budget olive oil. Reviews say Whole Foods' 365 olive oil is great value for the money, but it's not going to compare in taste to much more expensive oils produced in small batches. Some reviews say the taste is a bit strong and might not be the choice if you want a neutral-tasting fat for sautéing. But another evaluation noted that it's a "workhorse" oil that isn't exceptional in any one area. Posters on Chowhound.com seem pleased, some noting that they had switched from slightly more expensive mainstream oils, such as Colavita (*est. $9 for 16.9 ounces) and Columela (*est. $18 for 17 ounces).
Our Sources
1. ConsumerReports.org
Consumer Reports doesn't accept advertising, but you'll have to pay a subscription fee to read this report. CR rates 18 olive oils, including Whole Foods 365 olive oil.
Review: Olive Oil Ratings, Editors of Consumer Reports, Sept. 2004
2. Good HousekeepingDetails/Subscribe
Good Housekeeping conducts a blind taste test with nine tasters, although it tests just 12 olive oils. It recommends three, including Whole Foods 365: "an intensely robust olive taste and a much lower price than most top-grade oils. Almost astringently peppery, it's best for dishes that can stand up to its bite."
Review: Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Susan Westmoreland, Mar. 2007
The Nibble is unbiased enough, although it says some of the samples were provided by olive-oil companies. But the 90 olive oils here aren't ranked or scored -- rather they are described. The Whole Foods 365 olive oil is called a "workhorse" oil, acceptable but not a standout in any area of flavor. Very mild touch of pepper in aftertaste."
Review: The Great Extra Virgin Olive Oil Project, Stephanie Zonis, Not Dated
Like any message board, anyone can post whatever they want on Chowhound.com and might not know their topic very well. But Chowhound posters are usually knowledgeable and opinionated and won't shy from correcting folks who don't know their stuff. Whole Foods 365 olive oil gains some recommendations on this thread.
Review: Best Olive Oil for General Cooking, Contributors to Chowhound.com, Feb.-April 2007
