Your favorite brand of olive oil?

[AlexR]

I usually have at least two different kinds of olive oil in my pantry:

- an economy brand for everyday use.
- a "designer" brand for special use (more on raw vegetables, with fish, on pasta, etc.).

It's the latter category that interests me most. My current designer olive oil is called Oustal Cazes. It is from an estate in the Minervois region of France belonging to Jean-Michel Cazes of Château Lynch Bages in Pauillac (Bordeaux).
I've also bought oil from the Taylor estate in the Douro Valley of Portugal and today I purchased a bottle of Kalamata olive oil from Greece.

Do you use different kinds of olive oil for different purposes?
Do you prefer the strongly-flavored or the subtle, grassy kind?
Do you find that Spanish, Greek, French, or Italian is, in general, superior (not forgetting that an awful lot of Italian olive oil is just repackaged Spanish oil..).
What do you consider is the shelf life for the best olive oil (never mind what the bottle or can says)?

If you were to make a very special dish, what brand would you use?

Best regards,
Alex R.

 

[GB]

My olive oil of choice right now is Santin brand from Trader Joes. I use it for all my olive oil needs as it is very inexpensive. A bottle costs me just a little over $3. As for shelf like, I have no idea. It never lasts long enough for me to test how long it can last.

 

[Gretchen]

Many many. Costco sells a Tuscan oil under their Kirkland brand that is delicious.

 

[Robo410]

The Costco Tuscan oil is quite fine. If you see LIO extra virgin, it is a fine Turkish olive oil with great fruitiness, very nice and not $$. For a general evoo I like Cento (Italian), Pompeian (Spanish), Colavita, Berio, etc.

I keep oil in dark green bottle away from light and heat. It lasts very well.

 

[jennyema]

I use a bunch of different kinds of Fairway house-brand oils. Made from difft. types of olives from difft. parts of the world

I also love a Greek oil, Sitia .3

 

[ironchef]

This thread contains a lot of good info on olive oil, along with personal preferrences.

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f24/olive-oil-16564.html?highlight=olive

 

[JohnL]

For every day use, Berio.
For special dishes, I also use the Kirkland brand. For the price, it's hard to beat!

 

[Constance]

It's even more informative for a country bumpkin like me. I buy extra virgin Bertolli by the liter at Sam's.
I have seen small bottles of Colevita on the shelves, but have not tried it. I must admit, I'm a little tight with my money.
It's been said that if you've never had it, you don't miss it. Still, I would like to try some of the better stuff.
I've checked out several places on line, but I really don't know what to order. It's not that I can't afford a higher class oil, but I don't want to waste my money on something I don't even like that well.

I'm looking for something that is sweet and fruity, if that's an appropriate way to describe it. If I could find a bargain, that would be great.

PS...no Costco here...Sam's is all we have.

 

[Haggis]

My main olive oil is a an extra-virgin olive oil from Crete. It has a delicious peppery flavour (although this current can isn't as peppery as the last). Can't buy it in stores, I have to hunt around the Greek and Middle Eastern delis for it. I buy it in a 4L can which will last me a year, I haven't had it spoil on me yet.

I only use the ev-oo for salads, drizzling over bread and finishing dishes such as soup and pasta.

For my regular cooking olive oil I don't stick to just one brand.

I really should be trying some of the Australian oils, we are becoming a very large producer of olives, and thus olive oil, and quite well regarded too. I have sampled a few oils at markets and such, seen some interesting ones that are combined with some Australian native ingredients such as lemon myrtle and bush pepper.

 

[thumpershere2]

I don't use that much olive oil . I do buy the cheap stuff and if I want a different flavor, I just maybe add crushed garlic and let it sit awhile in very sm bowl and walla, garlic oil. I do like to fry veggies in olive oil and coat beef with it before frying.Never had it go bad, keep it in the cupboard away from stove.

 

[cara]

we usually use the Bertolli, as long as the italian supermarket here in town shut down... they sold very great and delicious italian oils... :sigh:

 

[Gretchen]

Had not heard about the Australian oils. How interesting. I think even different years of the same "brand" of oil may differ. I do love to have a peppery oil. I had one from France that almost "hurt".

 

[jennyema]

One of my Fairway oils is from Australia. It's very grassy and not peppery.

 

[BreezyCooking]

I've been buying Bertolli Extra-Virgin Olive Oil by the gallon from CostCo for years. Use it for everything from cooking, to salads, to dipping, to topping. Have never been disappointed.

 

[SizzlininIN]

I don't have a particular brand that I stick to. I do make sure that I read the label and note that it was produced in Italy though.