What is the best brand of extra virgin olive oil?

Answer 1

Just a little background info first.....

Historically, high quality olive oil, rich in antioxidants, was easy to obtain, but not any more. Today, high quality oil is available only in relatively small quantities, usually from family owned farms, where the oils are produced in ways similar to how the Greeks and Romans made theirs. On these farms, olives are picked by hand so as not to damage the skin or pulp. They are transported in well aerated containers and milled within 48 hours of harvesting. Before milling, leaves and twigs are removed, the olives washed and dried, and then stone pressed the same way as it was done in antiquity. The resulting olive paste was then pressed in a hydraulic press without the use of heat, hot water, or solvents. The oil is left unfiltered as filtering removes many nutrients. The first pressing produces the best "extra virgin" oil.

How does one ensure that they are eating the most healthful oil? Find an extra virgin olive oil that is cold pressed, unfiltered, and looks cloudy. The oil should be packaged in dark glass bottles to protect it from the damaging effects of light. Real olive oil is still made in small estate bottled settings. The challenge is to find one that does it!

Tried to log into America's Test Kitchen but they require that you register, and I don't want to do that....

Upon further investigation...(2nd link)
This web page has MORE info on olive oil that you'll ever need!
(Pop quiz for everyone later this week!)

Picking a good olive oil is simple. Taste some and pick the one you like! Traditional Mediterranean oils are strong flavored. In the U.S., consumers are more accustomed to mild seed oils such as corn and soy oil. Olive oils encountered in the supermarket are often blended to be bland to appeal to the American palate. They may be labeled "lite" or "light", which refers to their flavor, not the caloric content. Newly pressed olive oil has some of the strongest flavors you will encounter. These oils are sometimes referred to as 1 or 2 cough oils. When the oil hits the back of the throat, the bitterness will force a cough (bitter is often considered a desirable trait). We have made up a special case of olive oils of different varieties and types just for a tasting party.

Answer 2

This really depends on your tastes and budget. If you are talking about supermarket brands the three or four big names are about the same. They blend there oils from different sources to achive a uniform product. I suggest you buy a small bottle of each and have a taste off with both raw (like salad dressing) and cooked items ( linguine with sauted garlic).

If you are talking primo Xtra virgin for drizzling on at the last second only for your best house guests. Well you need to decide if you like spanish, french, greek, or Italian oils best. They all taste different because they pick at different times, the spanish and greeks pick up to two weeks earlier for a greener, fruitier flavor they prefer. Like grapes, soil and weather also matter. Next you have to decide what you are willing to spend to have the very best. Some of the best will run $50.00 for a 16 oz bottle. If you do the math that's $400.00 a gallon. and we ***** about 3 dollar gas. Anyways if you want the primo, click the below is a link.

Answer 3

I like Alessi. But Bertoli is good too.

Answer 4

men seem to think women are lol!