The Top 12 Olive Oil Brands, Ranked
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There are several indicators of high-quality olive oil. The first is the term "extra virgin." Per the USDA, this expression refers to a product that contains a certain level of oleic acid (0.8 per 100 grams). In layman's terms, extra virgin olive oil is essentially the least processed form of olive oil out there, per Medical News Today. It is unrefined, meaning it's made without chemicals or heat (via the Olive Oil Times).
According to The New York Times, another indicator is freshness. An olive oil brand should have the harvest date and the "best by" date listed on each bottle. Per Olive Oil.com, most extra virgin olive oils last one to two years unopened. Another good sign is when olive oil comes in an opaque bottle that protects it from light damage, explains Well + Good. You also want your olive oil to come from the smallest geographical area possible, to ensure quality control and consistency in flavor, per Happy Belly Fish.
You also want to know the specific type of olive used to make it. Organic certified producers are preferable, if rare. You can also tell a good olive oil brand by its certifications and awards, which can show respect and legitimacy from fellow industry professionals. With so many things to consider, it can be hard to find the best brands out there. Luckily for you, we've researched some of the top olive oil companies producing today. Read on to discover our ranking.
12. California Olive Ranch
California Olive Ranch is a food company known for its olive oil. The brand's olive oil is extra virgin, which is great. According to the brand, the entire company is certified by Applied Sensory, an organization that approves high-quality olive oils. Some (but not all) of California Olive Ranch's products are certified by another food quality organization, the Olive Oil Commission of California. Also, California Olive Ranch has been recognized at the New York International Olive Oil Competition. There, three different olive oils (including the Arbequina olive oil) won awards. Additionally, it comes in dark glass bottles.
This olive oil is mostly good for those reasons and is pretty affordable. However, there are a few things that it lacks. For one, not all of its olive oils are certified organic (via California Olive Ranch). More importantly, some of its olive oils are sourced from different countries. Products like the Mild Global Blend contain olives from Argentina, Chile, Portugal, and the USA. For a brand advertising itself as "Californian," you wouldn't expect as much. This product and others are almost guaranteed to be using more than one type of olive, as the brand doesn't go to the effort to identify which olive varieties are used. We think this popular olive oil brand is overhyped.
11. Branche
Branche is an olive oil brand that you probably haven't encountered in your local chain supermarket. If you are familiar with this brand, you've probably come across it on social media. The company is one of a handful of newer olive oil companies that are famous on platforms like Instagram for having trendy packaging. This packaging plays not only off of online aesthetics of simplicity (through monochromatic color palettes) but also seeks to embody the Mediterranean landscapes its olives are from (through the use of ancient-looking clay bottles).
There seem to be some good qualities behind this newer olive oil company. On its website, Branche specifies which type of olives are used for its oils. Hojiblanca, Arbequina, and Picual olives are grown and used in production. Its olives are only grown in Southern Spain, meaning the product comes from a fairly small geographical area. The website even implies that the olives come from one farm in particular, although this part is somewhat unclear.
While these statements are good, they lack specificity. Through its website, you can't even tell which certifications are actually on the olive oil bottles (an important indicator of authenticity). We also dislike the fact that this brand is not certified organic, lacks other certifications from the olive oil industry, and hasn't won many awards. It's not the worst, but Branche could be doing better.
10. Graza
Graza is popular for its dark green bottles of oil that come illustrated. Fans also like that Graza comes in squeeze bottles with narrow openings. This seeks to give home cooks the illusion of being professional chefs, with only a few sections to add a splash of oil to a dish. These bottles also play off the uniquely deep green color of olive oil, which distinguishes itself from yellow seed oils like canola oil.
Graza is more than grabby packaging in a few departments. Per the brand, Graza's extra virgin olive oil is made from only Picual olives, giving the product a specificity that we admire. Even better, those olives are only grown in one region. According to Graza, that place is the mountain range of Sierra de Cazorla in the Spanish region of Jaen. The entire process of making Graza olive oil (including harvesting, pressing, and bottling) happens in this small area.
There are a few downsides to Graza. For one, its packaging comes in plastic bottles, which are detrimental to the environment. We recognize this is made for giving the squeeze bottle effect, but even Graza recognizes the waste issue this causes on the company website. Additionally, Graza is not yet a USDA-certified organic brand. These are just a few of the reasons why Graza places lower in our ranking.
9. Kosterina
Kosterina is a Greek olive oil company. Like other olive oil brands popular on social media, its packaging is influential. This doesn't just make the olive oil eye-catching enough to include in your food pictures. This brand produces deep blue bottles that are the color identical to the Mediterranean tiles that Greece is known for. Their color suggests the authenticity of its Greek olive oil.
But luckily, there seem to be some facts to back up the suggestive bottle designs of Kosterina. For one, these opaque bottles mean that light won't be able to reach the oil inside, thus helping to keep it fresh. You can find specific information — such as the harvest date — on each type of olive oil the brand produces. (via Kosterina). All of the brand's products are made from Koroneiki olives which are harvested in the Peloponnese region of Greece, explains the brand.
The olive type, harvest date, the small region of production, and bottle type are all great aspects of this company. But we still have a few critiques to justify the brand's lower placement in this ranking. For one, not all of Kosterina's olive oils are organic, per the company. Additionally, a better company would use one farm instead of multiple growers, as Kosterina says they do.
8. Brightland
Brightland is an American extra virgin olive oil company. It's a brand that produces UV-protected bottles to ensure the oil is not accidentally exposed to the light (via Brightland). Specific bottles, such as Brightland's Awake olive oil, come with the month and year of the harvest date listed on the website. Certain oils are made from one olive type. With "Awake," only Arbequina olives are used. On top of that, those olives are processed less than two hours after harvesting to ensure their freshness in your oil.
But Brightland is not perfect. Per the company's FAQ page, its olives are grown on multiple farms. While it's great that those farms are said to be small, family-run businesses that are confined to California, some better brands use only one farm to ensure consistency and quality control. We also would prefer if Brightland was USDA organic certified, certified by respected California olive oil organizations such as the California Olive Oil Council or the Olive Oil Commission of California, or awarded by the New York International Olive Oil Competition. These shortcomings are why we place Brightland lower down on this ranking. However, we wouldn't necessarily discourage you from purchasing some of it for yourself.
7. Fat Gold
Fat Gold is an award-winning California olive oil brand. Per the competition website, this company won a gold award at the New York International Olive Oil Competition. The company is also a member of the California Olive Oil Council (COOC). This guarantees that the product is 100% extra virgin olive oil that is truly made in California. Fat Gold is primarily owned and run by Kathryn Tomajan, a respected name in the American olive oil industry. Tomajan is a member of the California Olive Oil Council Sensory Panel, a part of the COOC which may require the use of her olive oil-tasting training. Per the website, this company is committed to small-scale, ethical, quality olive oil production in California.
We know this one respected and high-quality brand thanks to its awards, certifications, leadership, and location. Its bottle is also opaque, helping to keep the oil nice and safe. However, there are some things that we wish were clearly stated on Fat Gold's website. Online, the brand states a commitment to collaborating with olive growers but doesn't state necessary who and where those growers are. Also, it doesn't clearly say whether or not the brand is organic. However, on specific products like Fat Gold Blue, we get to learn when it was made and what specific olives were used to make them. Overall, we would recommend buying from this brand, if you can find it and don't mind its more mysterious elements.
6. Pineapple Collaborative
Pineapple Collaborative is a brand affiliated with Kathryn Tomajan, who also helps run Fat Gold. For Pineapple Collaborative, Tomajan is in charge of milling at this brand. But as you can tell by the term "collaborative," she is not the only person involved. The olives are grown by the Ricchiuti family at the ENZO Olive Oil Company farm in California's Central San Joaquin Valley (via ENZO). While we like knowing exactly where these olives are coming from, we recognize this could lead to similarities between ENZO's products and Pineapple Collaborative's olive oils.
But there are even more strong reasons to support this brand. For one, Pineapple Collaborative only makes one type of extra virgin olive oil, per the company website. This should serve to minimize confusion between different products online. Also, this product is certified organic by the USDA and the CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers) foundation. The brand is particular about the olives used, stating that its oil is made from a blend of Arbosana and Koroneiki olives. There is also a harvest date listed online (2021), although the month is not specified. Even though these tins are over $30 each, the containers are said to hold more oil than competitors' bottles. The bottles are opaque, protecting the condiment from light. However, the sharing of farms with the ENZO company, the lack of specificity surrounding the harvest date, and the use of an olive blend cause us to not rank it in the top spots.
5. Frankies 457 Spuntino
Frankies 457 Spuntino extra virgin olive oil is a beloved brand in the United States. The olive oil is a product of the Brooklyn restaurant of the same name, per the website. You can even order a bottle of it online when you order food.
The Italian restaurant itself does not produce the olive oil, but instead partners with Italian growers, according to information on the olive oil label (via Amazon). The olives used for this oil are grown on the Asaro farm in Sicily. Frankies 457 also uses 100% Italian olives of the Nocellara del Belice varietal. Per the Asaro website, the same components are used to make Partanna's beloved extra virgin olive oil. Asaro's Partanna olive oil is held in high regard, so we have no trouble recommending it. However, we want to point out that there won't be much of a distinction when you buy the label that says Frankies 457 Spuntino, instead.
On the plus side, this extra virgin olive oil is also non-GMO and USDA organic certified (via Amazon). According to an Instagram post from Frankies 457, the brand has also been recognized by the New York International Olive Oil Competition several times. Per the post, this olive oil won awards in 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022. There even appear to be harvest and best-by dates stamped onto each bottle. Our only complaint is the lack of distinction between this brand and Asaro's Partanna.
4. Partanna
Partanna is an Italian olive oil brand. Per Best Sicily – the company website of Asaro — Partanna is a product of the Asaro company in Sicily. This olive oil is produced on farms in the Trapani province of Sicily, according to the brand. Within this province, there is a town named "Partanna," hence the name. Many qualities have led to this brand being held in such high regard in the olive oil industry.
This extra virgin olive oil is made from only Nocellara del Belice olives. The harvest and "best by" dates are specified down to the month online. It comes in a metal container that blocks any light from touching the oil. There is only one harvest per year. Also, Partanna has won several awards at the New York International Olive Oil Competition. The oil was recognized in 2015, 2017, 2021, and 2022. It is also easy to find in the United States. There is a listing for Partanna on the Walmart website. The higher-ranked brands simply have even more positive qualities to offer than Partanna.
3. Cobram Estate
Cobram Estate is an olive oil company with farms in both Australia and the United States. We know it's a good brand, in part, because of the many awards that Cobram Estate has received at the New York International Olive Oil Competition. Cobram Estate's 100% California Robust, Ultra Premium Picual, California Select, Ultra Premium Coratina, and many more olive oils were awarded at this competition during various years.
This brand is also a part of the Olive Oil Commission of California and the California Olive Oil Council, according to information on the bottle of Cobram Estate's Robust 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Per this label, we also know that the product is non-GMO certified. However, it does not seem to be organic.
The bottle is also made of dark glass, which is advantageous for olive oil packaging. These bottles also come with a harvest date and a "best by" date. Thanks to the Cobram Estate website, we also know the olives used in the brand's California olive oils are produced on a local farm. However, since the information about which olives are used per product is missing from the website and some bottles, we have to rank this brand below similar ones.
2. Frantoio Grove
Frantoio Grove is an American olive oil brand based in California. If you do encounter this olive oil, you might want to buy it. Per Frantoio Grove, the brand is entirely organic and certified by the California Certified Organic Farmers group. The brand is also recognized by the California Olive Oil Council. All of its olives appear to come from one farm that is overseen by Frantoio. Also, the brand differentiates itself from other companies by growing Tuscan varieties of olives. It primarily grows the Frantoio olive variety that the brand is named after. But the company also produces small amounts of the Pendolino and Lecchino olive varieties.
This brand's organic extra virgin olive oil also comes with a harvest year (via Frantoio Grove). It is made from one type of olive. It also comes in a high-quality dark bottle. Per the New York International Olive Oil Competition, this product has also received awards in 2020 and 2022. This brand checks pretty much all of our boxes. We consider it one of the best.
1. Bona Furtuna
While it's hard to pinpoint the best olive oil in the world, Bona Furtuna is up there. At least compared to other brands in this ranking, this olive company is excelling. Per Bona Furtuna's website, all of the company's olives are grown on a single farm located just outside of Corleone, Sicily. The entire farm is organic and certified as such by the USDA. Bona Furtuna is also a certified B Corporation, meaning the company has been vetted by a third-party organization to ensure that it is taking steps to benefit the environment and community while running its business.
Per Bona Furtuna, the company has received recognition in several olive oil competitions. These include the Athena International Olive Oil Competition, a Spanish competition called the "Concursos Internacionales de Aceite de Oliva," and a Japanese olive oil contest called Olive Japan. Bona Furtuna's Biancolilla Centinara olive oil, Heritage Blend olive oil, and Forte olive oil have all been given awards at the New York International Olive Oil competition. This company also uniquely utilizes the rare Biancolilla Centinara variety of olive in its products. This brand is one to look for when picking out high-quality olive oil.