Colour, cost, terminology, provenance: there’s a myriad of factors to contemplate when selecting your olive oil, whether it’s for yourself or as a present.

What to consider? As a rule, ‘extra-virgin oil’ is the highest quality pure oil because it’s free of chemicals, it is unrefined and hasn’t been treated with heat. Be suspicious of the terminology ‘light olive oil’ because there is no such thing as a low-fat olive oil. It is a red herring marketing ploy. Last but not least, do check the oil’s source on the back label. Your best bet is finding an oil that comes from a single place, contents and packaging. Whether it’s Italy, Greece or California, the best quality will be both produced and bottled in one country.

Gifting a beautiful bottle of olive oil is akin to parting with a good bottle of red. Here’s our edit of the best olive oils for cooking, dipping and drizzling.

By Annabel Jack
November 2022