I Tried 9 Trader Joe's Olive Oils and Ranked Them Worst to Best
Olive oil just might be the most beautiful ingredient ever bottled. Endlessly versatile and an essential part of cooking any cuisine, it provides complex flavor and heat stability to many of your favorite meals. And in terms of creative uses, the ways in which olive oil can be infused and transformed with a world of herbs and flavors is truly incredible.
Action Bronson once said, "frying chicken cutlets in extra virgin olive oil is like being baptized by the Pope himself," and if you've ever taken a sip straight from your favorite bottle, you might've even had a coming-to-Jesus moment yourself. That's because olive oil is a lot more than something that just greases the pan. It can be drizzled on a summer salad or ice-cold gelato for an elegant finishing touch, or worked into cakes and pastries to achieve a rich, moist crumb and a subtle, fruity finish.
As someone who regularly shops at Trader Joe's, the sheer number of olive oil options available can be a bit overwhelming. Between virgin, extra virgin, cold-pressed and refined, how do you know which one is best suited for your cooking needs? To help you out the next time you're shopping, I took it upon myself to snag 9 Trader Joe's olive oils and rank them from worst to best. Follow along to see which bottle comes out on top.
How I Tested the Olive Oils
To keep things simple, I poured 1 tablespoon of each olive oil onto a white plate to better see their imperfections and compare how they visually stacked up against one another. I then used a spoon to take a small sip of each one, noting flavor, texture, smoothness and color without other variables like bread or pasta getting in the way.
As for how I ranked each bottle, this obviously comes down to personal preference, but I found myself most impressed by the ones with smooth textures, deep flavors and peppery finishes. That said, oils with a flat flavor or greasy texture naturally found themselves lower on the list, and oils with a fruitier profile ended up being a pleasant surprise.
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9 Trader Joe's Olive Oils, Ranked Worst to Best
After taste-testing nine olive oils from TJ's, here's how they rank.
9. Organic Extra Virgin Spanish Olive Oil
Note: just because this bottle ended up last on the list does not mean it is necessarily bad. I personally found the Trader Joe's Organic Extra Virgin Spanish Olive Oil to be pretty decent upon first taste. It's mild in flavor, smooth and velvety in texture, though that velvety touch is kind of what I liked about it the least. Nevertheless, it's produced in Spain using Picual, Picudo and Hojiblanca olive varieties, which gives it its light green color and slightly fruity flavor.
8. Main Squeeze Extra Virgin Olive Oil
A newcomer to the Trader Joe's olive oil lineup, this squeeze bottle is designed with convenience in mind. It lands on the cheaper side of price points, at $10.99 for a 25-ounce bottle, and it comes imported from the Mediterranean with a golden, grassy, peppery, cold-pressed profile. I found it to not be as smooth as some of the other options, though not entirely in a bad way. It has a mild flavor with a slight kick to the aftertaste, which lingers for a few seconds. It's perfect for drizzling on roasted veggies or incorporating into homemade sauces.
7. Trader Giotto's Extra Virgin Olive Oil
One of the more intriguing options due in part to its Trader Giotto's namesake, this Extra Virgin bottle comes from TJ's own Italian supplier, who blends some of the finest olive oils across Italy, Greece, Spain and Tunisia to produce a delicately flavored, smooth oil.
True to its suggested use for sautéing, making salad dressing or drizzling over grilled vegetables, I personally enjoyed the smooth profile and spicy aftertaste it provided. And while it landed a bit lower on my list, I still found it to be quite delicious, which just goes to show how strong these options are despite their ranking.
6. 100% Italian Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Also sporting the Trader Giotto's name, it's no wonder this option ended up ranking back to back with the previous finalist. Essentially made without the addition of certain chemicals and pesticides, this organic option is very light in color with a mild flavor and a smooth texture. And while I do prefer a bit more robust flavor at times, I think the non-overpowering nature of its profile makes it especially well suited for cooking or baking where you don't necessarily want the olive oil to be the dominant flavor.
5. Imported Olive Oil Packed in Italy
Another one of Trader Joe's more affordable oils, this imported bottle is actually one I've been cooking with for quite some time now. It's priced at just $10 for a 33.8-ounce bottle, and it has a very light, mild flavor with a smooth texture I quite enjoy. It's about as classic as things get, blending extra virgin and refined olive oils for a lighter, more neutral-flavored oil. Packed in Italy and shipped to your area, it's perfect for recipes that call for vegetable oil, as its olive flavor is far less prominent than other options.
4. Spanish Organic Extra Virgin Garlic Flavored Olive Oil
A stark contrast to its ranked-ninth counterpart, this garlic-infused bottle took me by surprise from the very first taste. The garlic flavor is front and center, but not at all in a bad way, complemented by a smooth texture, darker profile and peppery aftertaste. Super pungent and especially tasty, this is one I personally felt deserved a full swig to truly appreciate its complex flavors.
That said, despite it being an early favorite of mine, I didn't feel it was quite worthy of the top three, though I wouldn't dare place it any lower than fourth place.
3. California Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Easily one of TJ's most highly regarded olive oils, it almost feels wrong to place this one at #3, yet here we are. Hailing from California with a naturally smooth and fruity profile, this is a good all-around oil perfect for all of your culinary needs. To me, its flavor profile is just right, classic by design with a smooth texture and a mild peppery aftertaste. You might enjoy it as a finishing touch on a freshly made dish, drizzled over French vanilla ice cream, or used to sauté veggies or roast them until caramelized and golden.
2. Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil Cold Pressed
Earning the #2 spot due in part to its elevated bottle design and premium blend, this cold-pressed olive oil is a force to be reckoned with. Made with a blend of olives sourced from across the globe, each batch is cold-pressed and packed in Italy for a full-flavored, robust oil with an earthy scent and a smooth profile accentuated by peppery notes.
Upon first taste, I found it to be immediately rich and delicious, with a bottle that feels solid in your hand. Even better, unlike every other option on TJ's shelves, this one comes with a pour spout attached to the neck, adding to its premium design and elevating it above the rest.
1. Sicilian Selezione Extra Virgin Olive Oil
After checking out with all nine bottles in hand, I had completely forgotten that a TJ's employee had shared his pick for which one he thought would take the top spot. Once I finished the test and started ranking each bottle, you can imagine my surprise when his pick ended up landing at #1 on my list.
Trader Joe's Sicilian Selezione Extra Virgin Olive Oil is smooth with buttery notes on top of a classic olive oil base, with a peppery finish that is both mild and satisfying. Described by Trader Joe's as "no ordinary olive oil," it's a blend of premium oils from three types of olives, each grown, harvested and pressed in Sicily.
Slightly green, exceptionally tasty and perfect for dressing salads, drizzling on grilled vegetables, or served as a dip alongside toasted sourdough bread, it even comes in a one-of-a-kind bottle designed to replicate a traditional early 20th-century Italian decanter. Versatile, elegant and practical, it really doesn't get better than this.
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This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 3:33 PM.