Chefs’ Picks for the World’s Best Olive Oils

If you want a bottle that can be used for cooking, finishing, and baking, California Olive Ranch Reserve Extra Virgin Olive Oil will not disappoint. This single varietal, a favorite of home cooks and professional chefs, is made from 100% Arbequina olives cultivated in California, resulting in a wonderfully mild flavor profile that complements a wide range of foods. “It has a mild flavor, is slightly bitter, and has letters of apples and almonds, which match perfectly with my cooking style,” says Juliana Gonzalez, chef at Barceloneta Miami. And, while we believe this bottle is well worth the price, if it’s out of your price range, the brand’s non-reserve extra virgin olive oil is a somewhat less flavorful but still delicious alternative.

You want to use something other than olive oil that’s particularly peppery, grassy, or acidic in vinegar-based dressings. Instead, search for something rich and smooth to balance out the sharpness of the vinegar. Melissa Kelly, the two-time James Beard Award-winning chef of Primo on Maine’s mid-coast, enjoys Castelines Fruite Noir Extra Virgin Olive Oil. “This buttery, sweet oil with notes of dark fruit is perfect for our vinaigrettes and emulsified sauces,” says Kelly, and it is made from four fruity olive kinds that are delicately fermented to play the taste of preserved black olives.

Use something with a bolder flavor profile that won’t fade into the background for olive oil-enriched baked items and sweets, especially those where olive oil truly shines. Lombardo uses Frantoio Franci IGP Extra Virgin Olive Oil when preparing olive oil cake or gelato. This bottle, made in Tuscany from a blend of olive varietals, “brings the desserts to the next level, as you can taste the quality in every bite,” she says.

Chefs advise using olive oil that isn’t too sharp or spicy because seafood and shellfish typically have delicate flavor (and texture). “For fish and seafood, I like using Ligurian Olive Oil made with Taggiasca olives,” says Rezdôra executive chef Stefano Secchi. “The oil has a very light intensity but is still beautiful and viscous.”

If you’re looking for a versatile olive oil, look for one with a good balance of spiciness and grassiness, as nicely as citrus and floral letters. Chef Melissa Kelly, a James Beard Award champion and chef of Primo Restaurant, says Pianogrillo Farm Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Sicily is a good all-purpose olive oil with subtle spice. “This oil is our workhorse because of its well-rounded taste.”

Spanish olive oils are fruity, nutty, and sweet, unlike their herbaceous Italian cousins. If that flavor profile sounds appealing, check out L’Estornell Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, a favorite finishing oil of Jake Stevens, chef, and co-owner of Leeward in Portland. This single varietal from Arbequina olives is made in Spain’s Catalonia region and has a clear and fruity taste. “It doesn’t overshadow subtler dishes because it’s not too grassy or peppery,” Stevens says.

Brightland’s cold-pressed olive oil has more to offer than just gorgeous packaging. This bottle is grassy and herbaceous, made from early-harvest Arbequina olives farmed in California’s Central Valley, and makes a wonderful finishing oil. It’s also excellent on ice cream. It’s not just for savory foods like Caprese salad and tomato soup.