6 Olive Oils At Aldi, Ranked Worst To Best

Olive oil is one of the best oils for your diet. It is rich in amino acids, healthy fats, and antioxidants, and may reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease. It is a key ingredient in the Mediterranean diet, along with fruits, vegetables, nuts, and healthy grains. And, even though America's food pyramid has been recently flipped upside down to focus on full-fat dairy and animal proteins, following the Mediterranean Diet is internationally recognized as one of the best for your health. 

In addition to the health benefits, olive oil can be used for cooking, drizzling, or dipping. It can add zesty spiciness to a salad dressing or add richness to a cup of coffee. However, depending on its source, olive oil can be more expensive than other oils, which can be a deterrent when shopping on a budget. That is where the discount grocer Aldi comes into play. The store is known for its affordability, keeping prices low for consumers by sourcing directly and labeling products under its private-label brands. While Italian extra virgin olive oil is one of the most popular and expensive options, by sourcing olive oil from outside Italy, Aldi can keep prices low. 

However, when shopping for the best olive oil, does Aldi have an option worth buying? To decide, I picked up a bottle of each olive oil at the store to taste-test. I tried each oil, taking into account its ingredients, production, packaging, and price. Here are the results.

Carlini's olive oil blends refined olive oil and extra virgin olive oil, sourced from across the globe, including countries such as Spain and Tunisia. Carlini's option is best for high-heat cooking or frying because of the refined olive oil. Unlike unrefined olive oil, refined olive oil's production typically involves processing oil that is not of premium grade and may contain more impurities. Through a heat and chemical process, producers strip the oil of undesirable elements within the oil to improve the taste and aroma and balance acidity. The resulting oil is light tasting with a neutral palate and aroma. The production also removes some of the oil's healthy antioxidants and polyphenols. 

Using refined olive oil has its place, particularly if you prefer an oil with little flavor. If so, this is the option for you. Using this oil will highlight the individual ingredients and flavors in a dish, instead of the natural flavors of the oil, which I can appreciate. 

However, I find one reason to use olive oil instead of a vegetable or canola oil is its bright, full flavor, matching its healthful qualities. Stripping olive oil of impurities also removes the natural spicy, grassy, peppery flavors that make it unique. Although Carlini's price was the least expensive, costing $6.25, its 16.9 fluid ounce, clear, plastic bottle makes it more susceptible to photo-oxidation from light exposure, which can destroy its remaining health benefits. The combination of these factors makes it one I would skip over others.

Black truffles are the gourmet treat that lends an earthy, rich, and savory depth of flavor. Black truffle-infused oil can elevate the simplest of recipes into something extraordinary thanks to its natural, robust, forest-floor flavor. Sadly, TRUFF Truffle Oil did not live up to the expectations of a full-flavored black truffle product. The Mexican-produced product includes an olive oil base infused with black winter truffles and blended with black truffle oil concentrate. The packaging does not indicate whether the olive oil is virgin, extra virgin, or refined. 

However, observing the oil's color, TRUFF was the lightest of those available at the store. Tasting TRUFF, I found it lacked the unctuous, buttery, mouth-coating qualities or flavors of the olive oils ranked higher. It was not floral and sweet, grassy and herbaceous, or spicy and peppery. Although there was a truffle flavor, it lacked the complex concentration and robust flavor that umami-rich, earthy, funky, mushroom, and forest-floor black truffles should give to an infused oil. 

Additionally, its clear bottle packaging makes it susceptible to photo-oxidation from the light. Light exposure will damage the oil's polyphenols, causing its natural chlorophyll to break down, leading to lower levels of antioxidants. TRUFF's oil was also the smallest bottle and most expensive of the olive oils at Aldi. The 5.6 fluid ounce bottle is available for $14.29 at select locations. The lack of deep flavor, clear packaging, and high price for a small quantity lands this luxurious product low in the ranking.

Simply put, Aldi's Specially Selected Rosemary Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil is delicious. This oil has been a pantry staple in my home for years. The product combines dried rosemary and natural rosemary flavor with extra virgin olive oil from Italy. I found the combination to be complementary, showcasing the bright, fresh, green herbaceous qualities of both. It stands to reason because you will often find rosemary bushes growing alongside olive trees, thriving in Italy's Mediterranean climate. Both require little water and lots of sunshine, which is abundant throughout Italy. 

In Aldi's oil, the rosemary's earthy, herbal qualities meld with the grassy, floral extra virgin olive oil's flavors, creating a well-rounded taste with a smooth, rich texture. Aldi sells the golden-hued oil in an 8.45 fluid ounce, clear glass bottle for a highly affordable price of under $10. However, I wish the store packaged the private label product in a darker glass bottle to avoid photo-oxidation from natural light, which keeps the oil from ranking any higher. Still, the taste and versatility make up for the packaging. It is an easy go-to for dressing roasted potatoes, drizzling over fluffy homemade focaccia, or as a marinade for grilled chicken or steak.

I found there was a lot to like about Priano Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO). First, it is 100% EVOO that Aldi's private label crafts from olives growing throughout Italy, Portugal, Spain, and beyond. The EVOO label indicates that the oil is produced without heat, chemicals, or refining. Instead, cold-pressing the olives to extract their oil maintains the abundant antioxidants and polyphenols that help fight cardiovascular disease, reduce inflammation, and support heart health. Oils with a high polyphenol content lend the oil a bitter, peppery taste with a welcome bite to the back palate, an indication of its high quality. 

Tasting the oil, I noticed the peppery bite in Priano's EVOO was a touch more subtle than others, and thus ranked the product slightly lower. However, the milder taste and smooth palate make it a good option for atypical pairings, such as drizzling olive oil on ice cream. I believe the oil's clean, light, fresh taste with subtle fruitiness will make it a versatile option for dressing a fresh arugula and chevre salad, enhancing the flavor of the raw vegetables and tangy cheese, or for use in a dip with other ingredients you want to showcase. 

Priano did not have the artisanal qualities or specific pedigree of the top two Aldi options. Still, the product is highly affordable, costing $6.39 for a 16.9 fluid ounce bottle. And, Aldi packages it in a dark green bottle, helping prevent photo-oxidation, which I appreciate, ranking the option in the middle.

When deciding if buying organic olive oil is worth it, the cost can be a factor. Aldi's Simply Nature Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil is more expensive than non-organic options, costing $7.99 for a 16.9 fluid ounce bottle. However, there are benefits to buying organic products. Mainly, organic production does not use herbicides or pesticides. Instead, growers use only natural fertilizers on the trees. 

The production is more sustainable and environmentally friendly, allowing the natural ecosystem within an olive grove to thrive. Organic certification guarantees consumers that the oil's production process has taken place without synthetic chemicals or genetically modified ingredients. Keeping chemicals out of the farming and production creates a product with a high concentration of heart-healthy phenolics, adding to its appeal.

Additionally, organic farming allows the olive grove's terroir to shine in the oil, a sign of its authenticity. Simply Nature's USDA Certified Organic non-GMO oil blends fruit from throughout the world, including olives from Spain, Italy, and Greece. Packaged in a dark green glass bottle, the oil's deep golden color indicated it would have a full, well-rounded flavor. 

The color proved true when I tried the oil, as it opened with rich, fruity, and herbaceous aromas. These aromas gave way to wild herbs, green apple, almond, and olive flavors, with a smooth entry that finishes with a peppery bite that tickled my back palate. The complexity of the oil's flavor makes it ideal for dressing a dish of spaghetti aglio e olio, earning the No. 2 ranking.

As a frequent Aldi shopper, I knew the grocer would have a splurge-worthy option, and the Specially Selected Premium Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) did not disappoint. The oil hails from the Val di Mazara Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). Products carrying the certification signal their authenticity and quality. 

To be a Val di Mazara EVOO, 90% of the olives must be of the Biancolilla, Nocellara del Belice, and Cerasuola varieties. The regulations also specify the oil's acidity level. They note that it can not exceed 0.5 grams per 100 grams. A lower-acid oil has the highest nutrient content and freshest flavor. Typical EVOO has under 0.8 grams of acidity per 100 grams. 

All the products noted a "best if used by date" on their label. However, this selection was the only one to include the 2024 harvest date. Olive oils lose antioxidants over time, typically 18-24 months after harvest, so buying the freshest product is essential health-wise.  

Trying the oil, I found this cold-pressed EVOO's taste was superior to the others. Flavors of freshly cut grass, wild artichoke, and fruity green apple danced across my palate, with a peppery spiciness that lingered. The full-flavored palate was smooth and buttery. 

Additionally, the black glass bottle will protect the product from photo-oxidation. The EVOO was more expensive than others, costing $12.09 for a 16.9 fluid ounce bottle. However, after trying this oil, I found the authenticity, quality, packaging, and refined taste rank it first.

To create the ranking, I purchased a bottle of each olive oil available at my local Aldi store. I poured each oil into a tasting cup and gently warmed it with my hand before covering the cup and swirling to aerate the oil, helping release the aromas. After assessing the aroma of each oil, I tried the olive oils on their own, sipping and swirling the oil in my mouth to determine the texture, weight, and unctuousness on the palate. Tasting the oil also allowed me to understand each oil's freshness, its overall flavor, and if the oil had a peppery bitterness as an indicator of its quality. As olive oil is typically used in cooking or as an adornment to finish a dish, I dipped a bit of plain bread into each oil to see if the oil's characteristics or flavors changed. I did so while considering the oil's price and packaging, as well as the production of each oil. Taking all of these factors into account, I was able to create the ranking.