The Basic Costco Brand Olive Oil That Probably Isn't Worth It

One cooking staple that you'll find in most pantries is olive oil. And while there are plenty of places where you can pick up a bottle of olive oil, Costco shoppers know that they can save a buck or two by buying in bulk at this chain store. The only catch is that not all the olive oils Costco has on offer taste the same. Daily Meal taste-tested six Kirkland brand olive oils from Costco and ranked them from worst to best. While Costco has several great options, one olive oil that you'll probably want to skip is the Kirkland Signature Olive Oil. 

This particular olive oil lacked complexity compared to other Kirkland options. It had an extremely mild aroma and a buttery taste with little nuance. Although that means it can work fine for whipping up treats like an olive oil cake or using it for certain cooking applications, it's not the best pick if you regularly use olive oil to boost the flavor of salad dressings or as a finishing oil. In other words, picking an olive oil that can both be used for cooking and for its flavor provides more bang for your buck — which is what sets Costco's organic extra virgin olive oil apart from other brands (and why it made the top of our list).

To really understand why Kirkland Signature Olive Oil lacks the complexity that gives a good extra virgin olive oil its versatility, it pays to understand how it's made. Regular pure olive oil is a mix of processed olive oil and extra virgin olive oil. While that doesn't sound like much of an issue, that high-heat processing causes the olive oil to lose phenols, which are aromatic chemicals that impact the color and flavor.  As a result, this processing can cause the oil to have less complex flavors in comparison to cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil, which is unrefined and does not use heat or chemicals. 

If you're not planning on using the oil for dishes that rely on a robust and nuanced olive oil flavor, it can still be used for cooking. Just note that if you're using it for frying, this oil has a smoke point between 390 and 470 degrees Fahrenheit. If you're looking for an oil that's perfect for high-heat cooking and has a neutral flavor, you might be better off buying avocado oil at Costco. But if you're looking for an olive oil with a pronounced and complex taste that can be used in various applications, Kirkland Signature Olive Oil probably isn't worth it.