Tweet
Today's topic: Olive Oil.
High-quality olive oil is not cheap. But you don't always need to use the good stuff: In the Test Kitchen we use less-expensive brands (like Fairway's, Trader Joe's, or Del Papa, which we buy in bulk) for sauteing, roasting, marinades, and other everyday tasks. For finishing dishes or dunking bread as a snack, we turn to the pricier, artisanal bottles. (Some of our favorites include Capezzana, Ceppo Antico, Olio Verde, and Vittorio Cassini.)
But not everyone wants to own two bottles of olive oil, maybe because of a small pantry or a tight budget. So we decided to find out which inexpensive olive oils could play double duty.
Yesterday the Bon Appetit staff spent nearly an hour walking between bowls of supermarket olive oils, armed with cubes of ciabatta, dipping and scoring. (We didn't rope in nutritionist Marissa Lippert this time around. These oils are all made of the same stuff: pressed olives. That's it.)
Our Favorites for Flavor
#1 Trader Joe's Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Nutrition: One serving (1 Tbsp) = 120 calories, 14g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 0mg sodium, 0g carbs, 0g protein.
Ingredients: 100% extra-virgin olive oil.
Cost: $5.99 for a 33.8 fl. oz. bottle at Trader Joe's in New York, NY
Blind Tasting Notes: "Can really taste the olive"; "Earthy"; "Olive-y"; "Mild and a little spicy"; "Actually tastes like olives".
#2 Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Nutrition: One serving (1 Tbsp) = 120 calories, 14g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 0mg sodium, 0g carbs, 0g protein.
Ingredients:100% extra-virgin olive oil.
Cost: $9.39 for a 25.5 fl. oz. bottle at Target in Brooklyn, NY
Blind Tasting Notes: "Smooth, flavorful--delicious"; "Clean"; "A little lemon-y"; "Light and sweet on the tongue"; "Saltier"; "Subtle".
#3 Archer Farms 100% Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Nutrition: One serving (1 Tbsp) = 120 calories, 14g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 0mg sodium, 0g carbs, 0g protein.
Ingredients: 100% extra-virgin olive oil.
Cost: $10.99 for a 16.9 fl. oz. bottle at Target in Brooklyn, NY.
Blind Tasting Notes: "I could see using this as an everyday cooking oil"; "Mildly grassy"; "Slightly bitter"; "Pepper on throat".
#4 Lucini 100% Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Nutrition: One serving (1 Tbsp) = 120 calories, 14g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 0mg sodium, 0g carbs, 0g protein.
Ingredients: 100% extra-virgin olive oil.
Cost: $16.99 for a 1 pt. 1 fl. oz. bottle at Whole Foods in New York, NY.
Blind Tasting Notes: "Well balanced: fruity, nutty, and pepper-y on the finish"; "Good mouthfeel"; "Very green--vegetal"; "Lemon-y. Nice".
Please note: Lucini Olive Oil actually won our taste test for flavor, but it's fairly expensive at around $17 a bottle. We revised our list to feature the top three olive oil brands under $12, but here's the Lucini breakdown for those of you who are interested--or flush with cash:
Lucini Nutrition: One serving (1 Tbsp) = 120 calories, 14g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 0mg sodium, 0g carbs, 0g protein Ingredients: 100% extra-virgin olive oil.
Cost: $16.99 for a 1 pt. 1 fl. oz. bottle at Whole Foods in New York, NY.
Blind Tasting Notes: "Well balanced: fruity, nutty, and pepper-y on the finish"; "Good mouthfeel"; "Very green--vegetal"; "Lemon-y. Nice.
High-quality olive oil is not cheap. But you don't always need to use the good stuff: In the Test Kitchen we use less-expensive brands (like Fairway's, Trader Joe's, or Del Papa, which we buy in bulk) for sauteing, roasting, marinades, and other everyday tasks. For finishing dishes or dunking bread as a snack, we turn to the pricier, artisanal bottles. (Some of our favorites include Capezzana, Ceppo Antico, Olio Verde, and Vittorio Cassini.)
But not everyone wants to own two bottles of olive oil, maybe because of a small pantry or a tight budget. So we decided to find out which inexpensive olive oils could play double duty.
Yesterday the Bon Appetit staff spent nearly an hour walking between bowls of supermarket olive oils, armed with cubes of ciabatta, dipping and scoring. (We didn't rope in nutritionist Marissa Lippert this time around. These oils are all made of the same stuff: pressed olives. That's it.)
Our Favorites for Flavor
#1 Trader Joe's Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Nutrition: One serving (1 Tbsp) = 120 calories, 14g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 0mg sodium, 0g carbs, 0g protein.
Ingredients: 100% extra-virgin olive oil.
Cost: $5.99 for a 33.8 fl. oz. bottle at Trader Joe's in New York, NY
Blind Tasting Notes: "Can really taste the olive"; "Earthy"; "Olive-y"; "Mild and a little spicy"; "Actually tastes like olives".
#2 Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Nutrition: One serving (1 Tbsp) = 120 calories, 14g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 0mg sodium, 0g carbs, 0g protein.
Ingredients:100% extra-virgin olive oil.
Cost: $9.39 for a 25.5 fl. oz. bottle at Target in Brooklyn, NY
Blind Tasting Notes: "Smooth, flavorful--delicious"; "Clean"; "A little lemon-y"; "Light and sweet on the tongue"; "Saltier"; "Subtle".
#3 Archer Farms 100% Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Nutrition: One serving (1 Tbsp) = 120 calories, 14g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 0mg sodium, 0g carbs, 0g protein.
Ingredients: 100% extra-virgin olive oil.
Cost: $10.99 for a 16.9 fl. oz. bottle at Target in Brooklyn, NY.
Blind Tasting Notes: "I could see using this as an everyday cooking oil"; "Mildly grassy"; "Slightly bitter"; "Pepper on throat".
#4 Lucini 100% Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Nutrition: One serving (1 Tbsp) = 120 calories, 14g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 0mg sodium, 0g carbs, 0g protein.
Ingredients: 100% extra-virgin olive oil.
Cost: $16.99 for a 1 pt. 1 fl. oz. bottle at Whole Foods in New York, NY.
Blind Tasting Notes: "Well balanced: fruity, nutty, and pepper-y on the finish"; "Good mouthfeel"; "Very green--vegetal"; "Lemon-y. Nice".
Please note: Lucini Olive Oil actually won our taste test for flavor, but it's fairly expensive at around $17 a bottle. We revised our list to feature the top three olive oil brands under $12, but here's the Lucini breakdown for those of you who are interested--or flush with cash:
Lucini Nutrition: One serving (1 Tbsp) = 120 calories, 14g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 0mg sodium, 0g carbs, 0g protein Ingredients: 100% extra-virgin olive oil.
Cost: $16.99 for a 1 pt. 1 fl. oz. bottle at Whole Foods in New York, NY.
Blind Tasting Notes: "Well balanced: fruity, nutty, and pepper-y on the finish"; "Good mouthfeel"; "Very green--vegetal"; "Lemon-y. Nice.