What is the difference between cheap and expensive extra virgin olive oil?
I read that extra virgin and regular olive oil are different in the way they are processed. For example, regular olive oil can contain chemicals e.g. pesticides, but extra virgin will not?
Extra virgin also comes in cheaper and expensive brands for example fillipo Berio is a few pounds but it’s apparently genuine.
Does this mean the fillipo Berio does not contain chemicals and why are the other olive oil brands 4 times the price?
Best Answer
"Virgin" olive oil is mechanically pressed. "Extra virgin" olive oil additionally satisfies basic quality criteria, and is generally the first oil pressed from a batch of olives. The terms have nothing to do with pesticides or "chemicals".
Extra virgin olive oils vary widely, both in overall "quality" and actual attributes. Adulteration is common; something labeled as "extra virgin olive oil" may have non-extra-virgin olive oil added to it. It may have non-olive oil added to it. (My understanding is that walnut oil is a common adulterant.)
There's a lot of factors influencing price, including actual quality, brand recognition, and how nice the label looks. A more expensive olive oil is not necessarily higher quality. If there's a brand that's four times the price, that simply means that the store thinks people might pay that much for it. (Perhaps simply because people assume that price equals quality.)
Tetsujin's comparison to wine is a good one. There are reviews of olive oil out there, but they'll likely concentrate on really expensive olive oils, and probably not the ones available in your local shop. If you want a Decently Good Olive Oil, go with a well-known brand (they're less likely to be adulterated). If you want "top shelf" olive oil, go to a specialty store, pick something that looks tasty, and hope for the best. In either case, get a small bottle: It'll be fresher by the time you're done with it, and if it turns out not to be amazing, you won't have spent as much on it.
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Quick Answer about "What is the difference between cheap and expensive extra virgin olive oil?"
This has nothing to do with whether it's first cold press or refined. Prices on olive oil can be like wine - if it's a blend, it's cheap, it it's 'single grove' it's expensive. The actual quality may not be any different. Organic certification is also expensive to achieve & to maintain, which also affects the price.Is expensive extra virgin olive oil worth it?
While price plays a role in indicating how \u201cgood\u201d an oil is, you can typically follow the same rule of thumb as expensive wine. $10-$20 is a decent table olive oil, anything $20-$40 is of higher quality, and anything greater than $40-$60 can be expected to be top quality.Is expensive olive oil healthier?
Is paying for better olive oil worth it? When you consider that a good bottle doesn't mean the priciest bottle\u2014and when you think about the capacity of better olive oils to enhance food\u2014the answer is yes. Simply put, good olive oil improves your food and, though more expensive, can actually save you money.Are all extra virgin olive oils the same?
Olive oil and extra virgin olive oil are both made from olives, but the method of extracting the oil is different. As a result, they have different colors, tastes, and health properties.How can you tell a good extra virgin olive oil?
Fake olive oil might taste greasy, rancid, flavorless, or just not pleasant. Good olive oil\u2014real olive oil\u2014should smell and taste green, bright, peppery, earthy, grassy, or any combination thereof. "If it tastes good, it's probably good," says Olmsted.Are you buying the right olive oil?
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