We Tried 4 Of Costco's Kirkland Signature Brand Olive Oils, And This Was The Best

Olive oil is one of the most versatile items in any kitchen. Whether you're using it for roasting, drizzling, or dipping, olive oil is a beautiful addition to any dish. But that comes at a cost. As the price of groceries increases, it is natural to start looking for a lower price on certain household staple items, such as olive oil. Enter Costco. Costco, in particular its Kirkland signature brand, is known for offering high quality items in large quantities for lower prices than competitors offer. Of course, Costco has scale economy on its side, which helps.

Costco is not known, however, for offering selection. So, if you find yourself in the olive oil aisle at Costco, you might be surprised to find out that Costco has more than one Kirkland Signature olive oil available. As of the time of this article, Costco has four Kirkland Signature olive oils from varying regions. Three are extra virgin olive oil, which is considered higher quality than those labeled simply as virgin olive oil or olive oil. The fourth is made with a combination of refined and extra virgin olive oil.

Each olive oil has its positives and negatives. But there can be only one ruler. I have ranked the four Kirkland Signature olive oils to determine which one is the best. I took into account taste, size, and price to find which olive oil is the perfect combination of quality and value.

While there was some debate on which was the best Kirkland Signature brand olive oil, this one was the clear last place entry. At $27.99 for 3 liters, this was objectively the cheapest olive oil of the ones we tried. But it's worth noticing that even Costco is not immune to shrinkflation. Previously, Costco offered this in a double pack. However, it appears that in order to keep prices moderate, Costco has reduced the size in some cases from two 3-liter containers to just one. This by itself wouldn't be enough to land it in last place, but it means that this product doesn't even have volume to save it.

This is the only olive oil from Costco that is not entirely extra virgin olive oil. It's made with a combination of refined oil and a small amount of extra virgin. This means it was processed using heat to extract the oil. The advantage of this is the oil has a higher smoke point; the downside is that you lose the olive flavor and texture. This olive oil had the lightest color of any of them and, while there is a lightly olive oil aroma, the flavor is incredibly mellow without the olive overtones. This combination makes it good for cooking, but not as good for dipping or using as a finishing oil. And, frankly, if you want a neutral oil, there are cheaper neutral oils out there.

The Kirkland Signature 100% Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil is smaller than the regular olive oil at 2 liters per bottle. To be clear, this is still significantly more than you would get at a regular grocery store, but it is only two-thirds the amount found in the regular olive oil. On top of the smaller size, for less olive oil the price isn't that much cheaper. Two liters of this will still run you $24.99, only a few dollars less than the Kirkland Signature.

Now, this is extra virgin olive oil, which creates a higher quality product than refined olive oil. It also has noticeably more olive flavor. Whereas the other olive oil tasted like the olive was merely incidental, this tastes like a true olive-based product.

That being said, this olive oil still did not pack the punch I was hoping for. As a single origin oil, I was hoping for a more distinctive flavor, but instead was met with a mild bite and very little aroma. While this was still better than the Kirkland Signature Olive Oil, it simply didn't match the top two contenders.

On the outside, this olive oil may appear to be the most expensive at $34.99, but you have to remember that it is significantly larger than the Italian variety of extra virgin olive oil. The Spanish olive oil is sold in 3-liter portions, whereas the Italian is just two. This means that per ounce, the Spanish extra virgin olive oil is cheaper.

Both the Spanish and Italian olive oils are the single origin options for Kirkland Signature. When you get a single origin product, you get terroir, or the flavor that is specifically imparted from the place where the product was grown. While this is typically ascribed to wine or coffee, the same is true for olive oil. In this case, the Kirkland Signature Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil offers the most pungent aroma of any of the varieties available. It also has a noticeably fruity and slightly spicy flavor to it. This is a great olive oil for finishing off dishes. Because of its wonderful flavor, large quantity, and slightly cheaper price, I ranked the Kirkland Signature 100% Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil above the Italian extra virgin olive oil. However, because the Spanish oil has a more present flavor, it isn't quite as versatile as my top pick.

This olive oil isn't number one because it's organic, it is number one because it is simply better than all the others ... and it is also organic. The first thing I love about this bottle is the price. The 2-liter bottle is $22.99, which makes it the cheapest bottle overall, but second cheapest in terms of volume. The equivalent amount of non-organic olive oil in a different store brand could easily run you an additional $10 or more. If you want organic, you are going to pay even more than that.

Additionally, this bottle had the best balance of flavor and versatility. This bottle had a noticeably more pungent aroma than, say, the Italian without coming off quite as fruity and spicy as the Spanish. This makes it good for both cooking and finishing. I love this olive oil and use it all the time to make pesto sauce, roasted veggies, and dipping sauce for bread. It brings the perfect balance of olive oil flavor without being too overwhelming. Between the versatility, quality, and price, I had to give this olive oil the top spot.

I cook with olive oil a lot. It's an item that I always have in the house. I've also been lucky enough to experience a range of olive oils, from fresh pressed olive oil from the South of France to boutique specialty olive oil to regular old grocery store varieties. I judged these olive oils against each other and what you would expect from a Costco product. There are three things that make a good Kirkland Signature item a good Kirkland Signature item: size, price, and quality. The best Kirkland Signature items come in a large quantity for a lower than average price with a high quality standard. To determine which best fit these qualities, I looked at the price and size of each container, as well as quality characteristics like flavor and versatility.

I tasted-tested every one of these olive oils to discern their flavor palette. Each oil was tested on a piece of fresh white bread straight from the local bakery. This provided a neutral base to experience the full flavor of each oil. I also considered the quality of the olive oil, which is partially determined by the process used to extract the olive oil. All of these factors were taken into account to find the best Kirkland Signature olive oil.