rev 12 Oct 21, 8 Mar 22
Finished purchasing most 16 Oct 2019 at Tony Caputo's Salt Lake City (sold on his website everywhere)
Graded and ranked by editor of this site in order of best to worst. Note that most are much better than any sold at regular grocery stores! They had all they sold tested, and half were found to lack 100% true extra virgin olive oil. Nearly all the grocery store brands have this problem, they say. Finished testing 3 Dec 19. Four Morocco ones added summer of 2021.
SECTION 1 (testing them alone)
SECTION 2 (testing them with white bread). The results were different, but the best one stayed the same for both.)
A
1. Gianfranco Becchina Olio Verde, Italian, assorted olives
Viola Sincero, awards, including most prestigious: Flosali Award, uses 2 olives
3. Kirtland Tuscano (much better than their other two, standard olive oils!) (sold at Costco only)
4. Le-Ferre (first trip B-/B), got only 3.4 oz. for testing
Mediterranean Artisan Crete – buttery, also good for cooking
6. Romanico Arbequina (type of olive), smoky, small olives
A-
7. Crudo
B+
Viola Colleruita (same farm as Sincero)
Ritrovo Trampetti Olio, like Tuscany at Costco, butter and peppery
10. Casa Pareja Organic (Spain)
B-/B
11. Herdade do Esporado
12. AL'Olivier, got tin for $24 750 ml, vs. nice white crock $30 for 500 ml), butter taste (first trip B)
13. Romanico Aceite de Olivia (Traditional) – mix of Arbequina and Picual olives. Same company makes Romanico Arbequina above
C+
14. Salma (from Morrocco) (BELONGS ABOUT HERE -- NOT TESTED WITH MANY ON THIS LIST)
15. Deseret Miracle (from Morroco) (belongs about here, but not tested with many on this list)
16. Bariani – best domestic, from CA, says Shaymus, csr, (first trip B-)
17. Itran's Madonna Del Olivio, expensive
18. California Destination Everyday (best one I tried sold in regular grocery stores)
19. Nicolas Alziani 1868 – buttery, floral, delicate, French
C
20. Kirtland regular (sold at Costco)
21. La Vucciria
22. Estornell
23. Lametia
24. Olive & Co. (sold in regular grocery stores)
25. Antiqua Italia (ALREADY bought FROM AMAZON, FOUND AT ANNAPOLIS CAFE March 2019)
26. Hemisfares (sold in grocery stores)
C-
27. Melies Greek (first trip also C-)
28. Lucini (sold in grocery stores)
29. Tenuta di Capezzana
30. Trader Joe's (sold at Trader Joes only)
Kirtland Organic
Mina (from Morrocco) (goes about here, not tested with all on this list)
33. Gundry MD (from Morrocco) (goes about here, not tested with all on this list)
DID NOT BUY, BUT TESTED at Tony Caputo's tasting bar – not in specific order, but grouped by grades after tasting only once or twice, so it's not as accurate as the list above, which was tested numerous times side by side in for accuracy. Below are the rejects, which the editor of this site did not find as good-tasting at the above list, so they were not purchased:
B Carm Grande Escolina (first trip: also B)
B Laudemio Fresbaldi-laudemio, very green, expensive $38.99
B Grezzo, replaces Paesanol Unfiltered, has sediment, for finishing only since the sediment burns. 2nd most unripe flavor, after Bariani Early Harvest above. (trip 1 B-). Paesanol Unfiltered is now discontinued.
B Galateo, in silver bottle
B- Costa D'oro
B San Giuliano
B Navaroino Icons
B Colonna
B-/B Ritrovo Monie Iblei-Marino (first trip B-)
B- Mediterannean Artisan Kalamata, strong olives, perhaps similar taste to Trader Joes, who thus might make it for them, (first trip B)
B- Eleon-Navarino (first trip B/B+)
C/C+ Bariani Early Harvest, too unripe olive flavor (first trip: C+)
INFUSED OLIVE OILS, BOUGHT THE 5 BEST, NUMBERED BELOW. BUT TESTED SEVERAL OTHERS BELOW NOT AS GOOD SO NOT PURCHASED, PLUS 2 others TESTED but not available, discontinued but very good):
B+ L'Oliviera Marjoram Infused
B Agrumato Tangerine
B Castillo smoked: Castillo de Canena, blue bottle, uses real oak wood while other smoked ones on the market use liquid smoke; this is the only smoked one they carry.
B Villa Manodori Essenziale Garlic
5. B-/B Il Tartufo Di Paolo “Dalu Umbria” Black Truffle, got 55 ml size
The following were tested at their tasting bar only once, with grades assigned that may not be as accurate as the grades further above, whose oils were tested numerous times.
DID NOT GET, BUT VERY GOOD, TOO HOT:
B/B+. Villa Manodori Red Pepper.
B/B+ Agrumato Citron (replaces Oliveira Lemon Infused, but I prefer Agrumato Citron )
B/B+ DISCONTINUED AT THIS STORE BUT VERY GOOD, LIKELY AVAILABLE ELSEWHERE ONLINE:
Oliviera Lemon Infused
B Colonna Bergamot (Infused with Bergamot oranges) (first time B/B+)
GET LATER TO USE WITH POTATOES:
B Castillo de Conena, Harissa (Spanish Harissa peppers), hot. Danger recommends with potatoes, which he had at local restaurant
B Agrumato Lemon, with crushed lemons, rather strong
B Oliviera, Lobster Infused
B Tarturo Di Gaolo White Truffle
C/C+ Agrumato Orange
C AL'Olivier Thyme Lemon Infused
C- AL'Olivier Lavender Infused
BEST OLIVE OILS WITH WHITE BREAD DIPPED IN IT:
A
Gianfranco Becchina Olio Verde, Italian, assorted olives
2. Le-Ferre (first trip B-/B), got only 3.4 oz. for testing
A-
3. Mediterranean Artisan Crete – buttery, also good for cookin
4. Romanico Arbequina (type of olive), smoky, small olives
5. Kirtland Tuscano (much better than their other two, standard olive oils!) (sold at Costco only)
6. Viola Colleruita (same farm as Sincero)
B+
Viola Sincero, awards, including most prestigious: Flosali Award, uses 2 olives
Crudo
9. Casa Pareja Organic (Spain)
10. Ritrovo Trampetti Olio, like Tuscany at Costco, butter and peppery
11. Herdade do Esporado
B/B+
12. Al 'Olivier, got tin for $24 750 ml, vs. nice white crock $30 for 500 ml), butter taste (first trip B)
13. Romanico Aceite de Olivia (Traditional) – mix of Arbequina and Picual olives. Same company makes Romanico Arbequina above
14. Nicolas Alziani 1868 – buttery, floral, delicate, French
15. Bariani – best domestic, from CA, says Shaymus, csr, (first trip B-)
16. California Destination Everyday (best one I tried sold in regular grocery stores)
17. Antiqua Italia (ALREADY bought FROM AMAZON, FOUND AT ANNAPOLIS CAFE March 2019)
B
18. Iran's Madonna Del Olivio, expensive
19. Lametia
20. La Vucciria
21. Melies Greek
22. Kirtland regular (sold at Costco)
C+
23. Salma (from Morrocco, not tested with all on this list but goes about here)
24. Desert Miracle (from Morocco, not tested with all on this list but goes about here)
25. Estornell
C
26. Tenuta di Capezzana
27. Hemisfare (sold in grocery stores)
C-
28. Lucini (sold in grocery stores)29.
29. Kirtland Organic (sold at Costco)
30. Trader Joes (sold in their stores)
31. Mina – (goes about here, not tested with all on this site)
32. Gundry MD – (goes about here, not tested with all on this site)
BEST INFUSED OLIVE OILS FOR DIPPING WHITE BREAD
A
Olivera Majoram
Agramato Tangerine
A-/A
Villa Mandoora Garlic
A-
Castillo Canena - smoked
B/B+
Tartifo di Paolo - black truffle
