Every Costco Olive Oil, Ranked: We Found The Best

Getting to the bottom of which Costco olive oil you should get is a difficult process. For a single consumer, sampling something new and expanding your olive oil horizons requires you to commit yourself to a large quantity of something that you don’t know if you’re going to love. And, when you’re buying in bulk, the prices are gonna be bigger upfront.

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The disappointment of buying something that is less than perfect is always something we want to avoid. So, we here at Sporked did the work for you. With eight different varieties of olive oil tasted back to back (with a pallet cleanser, of course) we were able to get to the bottom of what qualities each olive oil had and which olive oils were preferable because of it. 

San Guliano Coastal Harvest Extra Virgin Olive Oil

For this olive oil, you can very much taste the flavor of the olive itself. It’s peppery, earthy, and smooth. It’s not extremely bright, but it doesn’t leave a very aggressive aftertaste either. Again, though, this is the olive oil that to me tastes the most like the fruit in which it came from more than any other olive oil in the lineup. This one has the boldest flavor, indicating to me that the olives themselves were of very good quality, and they were processed well. The olives are part of a coastal harvest in a blue zone in southern Italy. This oil tastes like tradition―a true legacy of excellence. For those less drawn towards a bold olive oil, though, this one might be a bit too strong than would be preferable for you.

Rating:

9.5/10

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Graza “Sizzle” Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Graza “Sizzle” is a very bright olive oil. It’s quite a bit lighter in flavor, making it perfect for cooking as the “sizzle” line suggest. It doesn’t leave an aggressively bitter aftertaste, but the olive oil flavor is still very pure. Genuinely I think the best thing about Graza olive oil, this one included, is that they always taste very fresh. You never doubt that it’s a high-quality oil for one second and they’re consistent. It’s never a surprise that this company, once it rose to fame, did not fizzle out in popularity. Plus, the bottle itself earned it some extra credit for its ease of use.

Rating:

9/10

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Kirkland Signature Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Baena P.D.O.

Far and beyond, this is the olive oil with the most fruitiness and the least amount of bitterness. It’s bright and peppery and is a truly exciting flavor. To me, this is the fresher counterpart to the San Guiliano in terms of flavorful excellence. I would say that this would really shine in a very fresh setting. It’s a Spanish olive oil and honestly, I feel like a lot of the traditional Spanish dishes would really allow this flavor to shine even in a setting as simple as a pan con tomate. The finish is even reminiscent of the paprika notes in patatas bravas. The flavor is so fruity and peppery though that I think it has more limited settings in which its intensity would be favorable. That said, this will make an excellent addition to anyone array of olive oils, despite the Kirkland label potentially driving a purist away.

Rating:

9.5/10

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Terra Delyssa Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

This is definitely one of the more affordable options of the Costco collection since it comes in the same liter size, but it comes in a pack of two for roughly the same prices the others. It is a product of Tunisia and taste wildly different from some of the other varieties because of it’s bold nuttiness. It is extremely smooth and bold in flavor, yet not overpowering. The ingredients are not only organic, but also entirely traceable―even coming with a way to track how your olive oil got to you. In terms of a diverse product without sacrificing distinct flavor, this one really shines. I will say, though, for topping and garnishing a dish, I would miss some of the fruity pepper of some of the other varieties. But if that pungent spiciness deters you, then this would be your perfect olive oil. 

Rating:

9/10

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Kirkland Signature Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Tuscano P.G.I.

This olive oil has a protected geographical indication from Tuscany, Italy. And while the weight of that certification is going to differ on the olive oil itself very distinctly, this has an intensely aromatic flavor. This is an olive oil that really demonstrates that Kirkland, when ticking all of their boxes, can sell something authentic and absolutely delicious. The flavor, when you first taste it, is fruity. But it has a very elegant and deep peppery finish.

Rating:

8.5/10

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Kirkland Signature Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil

This value bottle of olive oil is the only one available at Costco that doesn’t have single origin. It is organic, sure, but the vast array of olives from the Mediterranean used to make this oil leaves it feeling very generic. Granted, Costco says that it’s recommended for cooking purposes, which would make sense, especially because it still is an organic oil that really packs in a large quantity for a pretty reasonable price. But you get what you pay for and it is distinctly less aromatic than some of the other more prestigious options.

Rating:

6/10

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Kirkland Signature Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

This value bottle of olive oil is the only one available at Costco that doesn’t have a single origin. It is organic, sure, but the vast array of olives from the Mediterranean used to make this oil leaves it feeling very generic. Granted, Costco says that it’s recommended for cooking purposes, which would make sense, especially because it still is an organic oil that really packs in a large quantity for a pretty reasonable price. But you get what you pay for and it is distinctly less aromatic than some of the other more prestigious options.

Rating:

6/10

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100% Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Single Origin

I really wanted to love this olive oil, in part due to the packaging, but also because it comes in a pack of two for a really reasonable price. Unfortunately for this olive oil, it actually ended up being the most bitter of any of the oils we tried. It’s aggressively bitter in a way that I think when added to other food items, it would overpower them and taint the overall flavor. It leaves a bit of an unpleasant flavor in your mouth as well.

Rating:

5.5/10

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