The 20 Best Olive Oils For Cooking

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Olive oil is an indispensable kitchen staple. Besides salt and pepper, it’s probably the ingredient you reach for most in your home kitchen. Not every olive oil is created equal, of course. Scientist Sue Langstaff told FiveThirtyEight that “We call the U.S. the world’s dumping ground for rancid and defective olive oil. We don’t know the difference.” A lot of imported olive oil in the U.S. is light olive oil masquerading as extra virgin, or spoiled oil that consumers in other countries wouldn’t accept. Many U.S. tasters actually like cheap olive oil more than the nice cold-pressed stuff.

With all of that shady oil floating around, it’s hard to know what brands to trust. The good news is that there are still plenty of reputable olive oils in the U.S. market, and you don’t even need to pay top dollar to purchase a high-quality product. The oils on this list will all serve you well in the kitchen.