Kitchen

[Bobbieg]

I just bought Bertolli Olive Oil, what is the best to use, there is o much different ones to choose from, I wanted it for dipping and cooking, but wanted a good one, did I choose right?

[Sunnycorle]

You just want to get extra virgin olive oil for dipping. I get the Whole Foods 365 brand and always enjoy it.

[Bobbieg]

Yes, I did get extra virgin! Now I'm happy, thanks

[Deadeye Daisy]

Don't use an extra virgin olive oil for cooking. Smoking point is too low, among other things. Heating extra virgin olive oil can destroy it's flavor.

If you want great olive oil for dipping, adding to an already cooked dish for finishing or adding to a salad, get a really good tasting extra virgin olive oil. Taste it - if it doesn't taste extremely fresh and properly 'fruity' and even 'peppery', it won't be good as a dipping and finishing oil.

For cooking, pick a 'lighter' olive oil.

Most of the Extra Virgin olive oil brands sold in supermarkets are sub-standard and don't meet the qualifications for EV. Star, Colavita, Bertolli, Carapelli, Filippo Berio and Pompeian aren't the greatest.

Kirkland Organic, McEvoy Ranch and California Olive Ranch are about the best you will find from the US. They beat many of the imports. Also, if you have a Trader Joe's, their Kalamata Extra Virgin is excellent. Whole Foods 365 Extra Virgin Italian is also very good.

When we stay in Italy, Spain and Greece in small villas or walkups with kitchen facilities, they always provide at least two and sometimes three kinds of olive oil. One lives near the cooktop to denote it's for cooking. Second usually near where you prep veggies. Third is on the table with several kinds of vinegars.

[boby]

Last time I was in Williams-Sonoma they had an olive oil tasting bar. That may sound a bit over the top, but at least you knew what you were paying for.

[camochef]

Extra virgin olive oil has a low smoking point and is not recommended for frying or most cooking. It is good for dipping and to use on salads, but you can still use it for cooking by mixing it with an oil that has a higher smoke point such as grapeseed oil , safflower oil, or peanut oil for example.

Sidebar: The United States alone uses more olive oil than the entire world produces each year. Not saying the olive oil industry is the most corrupt out there...but it certainly ranks high on the list.

Bertolli is not one of my favorite brands but you'll gain a better knowledge of oils with experience.

Enjoy

Camo

[PamelaSue72]

I agree about Whole Foods 365 virgin olive oil for sauteing. I've also used Trader Joe's virgin olive oil, for both sauteing and for when I'm making pizza and bread doughs. TJ's extra virgin is wonderful for dipping and for salads and such.

Grapeseed is excellent, either mixed with olive oil or on its own for sauteing.

I was reading about the olive oil industry and how what we think we're buying doesn't come close to what we're actually getting. Trader Joe's was on the list of good oils as is Whole Foods 365. IMO, you can't go wrong with TJs. And it's not expensive at all.

Our closest TJs is about 50 miles away, so I might get there once or twice a year. I'll buy two 33 fluid ounce bottles of each extra-virgin and virgin and keep the bottles in a dark place (in my pantry cabinet). I use up the bottles in about a year, so the oil is still OK.

[nunu4u]

There have been articles on olive oil adulteration..apparently its widespread. Costco olive oil was one of the pure ones.

[nunu4u]

From one article on Slate this year ,"approximately 69 percent of the olive oil for sale is doctored" The oil is cut with soybean oil and sold as pure virgin olive oil. From Whole Foods, only the California 365 is pure, according to this article.

[aubnwa01]

I'm on my 2nd bottle of Trader Joe's California Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil & it's pretty good & works well for my needs, but I don't claim to be a connoisseur of olive oil.