Is Costco's Kirkland Extra Virgin Olive Oil Cheaper Than EVOO At Other Grocery Stores?

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When choosing an extra virgin olive oil, you don't want stuff so bland and cheap that it may as well be vegetable oil, but you can't give up a huge chunk of your budget for one bottle either. Costco's Kirkland Signature is one reliable brand for affordable EVOO, but is it consistently cheaper than other popular store brands? To find out, we compared Kirkland products to EVOOs sold at Walmart, Sam's Club, Kroger, Trader Joe's, and Whole Foods.

Beyond prices, the ultimate guide to buying olive oil involves factors like country of origin, how the oil is pressed, and individual tasting notes. We took these into account to find out which store brand EVOOs best balance value with quality. For Kirkland Signature's part, we looked at its Extra Virgin Italian Olive Oil (priced at $27.99 for two liters, or $0.41 per ounce) and 100% Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil ($24.99 for three liters; $0.25 per ounce). There are differences between Spanish and Italian olive oil, but both products are made exclusively with olives grown and cold-extracted in their respective countries.

Cold extraction is the best oil-pressing method, as it never heats olives above 80 degrees Fahrenheit, preserving their freshness and flavor. With that in mind (and to include an organic option), we also considered Kirkland's Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil ($18.99 for 2 liters; $0.28 per ounce). This, too, is cold extracted, but doesn't specify a country of origin. Read on to find out if Kirkland's oils reign supreme for value, or if these Costco items aren't the bargain you think.

A three-liter jug of Walmart's Great Value Extra Virgin Olive Oil costs $33.82 online, or $0.34 per ounce — that's seven cents less than Kirkland Signature Italian EVOO but nine cents more than Kirkland Spanish. Great Value's oil doesn't specify its country of origin nor a pressing method, which likely means it's a blend of olive oil from multiple countries and may be hot-pressed. Oils like this can be useful, all-rounders but are often less fresh tasting, lower in antioxidants, and lacking in olive flavor. Reviewers on Walmart's website like Great Value EVOO for its value and versatility, yet other taste testers find it very mild and missing fruitiness.

Meanwhile, in our ranking of Kirkland Signature olive oils, the Italian EVOO landed in last place due to its overpowering sharpness, while the Spanish oil won first for its grassy, fruity, rich flavor. However, both options probably beat Great Value, with Kirkland's Spanish oil, in particular, getting widespread praise. Ultimately, Walmart loses to Costco's Spanish oil in value and quality.

Great Value also offers an Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which likewise lacks a specific country of origin. It is, however, cold-extracted, leading to a more robust flavor. But with a price of $10.76 for a 25.5-ounce bottle, it's only $0.42 cents per ounce — 14 cents more than Costco's organic EVOO. Kirkland's organic oil also ranked highly in our taste test, landing in third place for its smooth, versatile, yet complex flavor. It prevails over Walmart's oil in taste and price, giving Costco a sweeping victory.

The Sam's Club versus Costco rivalry runs deep, and the competition to see which store offers better-value olive oil is incredibly close. Sam's Club Member's Mark sells a three-liter jug of Extra Virgin Olive Oil for $22.98 or $0.23 per ounce. That's cheaper than all three Kirkland EVOOs. This product is also cold extracted, making it smooth and flavorful. Shoppers love using it for bread dips and salad dressings, yet it's also versatile enough for sautéing and frying.

That said, Member's Mark EVOO is a blend of oils from Greece, Italy, Portugal, Tunisia, Spain, and/or Turkey. Again, seeing multiple countries on an olive oil label is a red flag, as the product is likely made from olives with varying freshness, resulting in less distinct flavors. But despite this, Sam's Club EVOO offers a good taste, giving it more value overall than Kirkland's more expensive oils.

Additionally, Sam's Club also offers Member's Mark Tuscan PGI Extra Virgin Olive Oil, priced at $14.98 per liter or $0.44 per ounce. PGI stands for "Protected Geographical Indication," certifying this product as a genuine Tuscany-bottled olive oil made in Italy. Sam's Club describes it as moderately bitter and spicy yet balanced, with green vegetable notes. However, while some love the taste, multiple reviewers say it's far too bitter. Costco's Italian EVOO is three cents cheaper per ounce with a similar origin and more crowd-pleasing taste. In our eyes, it wins for value and usefulness.

Kroger offers only one store-brand Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a variety of sizes. The largest 68-ounce jug costs $24.99, or $0.37 cents per ounce, four cents cheaper than the popular Italian-made Kirkland EVOO. However, Kroger's quality leaves much to be desired. Even though this oil is cold extracted and described on the label as "rich and fruity," reviewers on Kroger's website say it has a bizarre, pungent taste and aroma that throws off the flavor of whatever you're cooking. It has even been compared to rancid oils, nail polish remover, and blueberries (and not in a pleasant, fruity way).

Other online customers advise being wary of Kroger's EVOO. Some taste testers don't find the oil overwhelmingly unpleasant but say it doesn't taste like much except for a vague plastic note, despite having a nice, smooth texture. Kroger's product is also a blended oil potentially sourced from Greece, Turkey, Spain, Morocco, Tunisia, Portugal, and/or Turkey. Both the Italian and Spanish brands of Kirkland Signature's EVOO have the advantage in origins and flavors, not to mention Costco's offering costs 12 cents less than Kroger's per ounce, winning by a landslide in this value matchup.

Known for many iconic store-brand products, Trader Joe's offers several EVOOs that are comparable to Costco's, including Trader Giotto's cold-extracted Extra Virgin Olive Oil at $10.99 per liter (or $0.33 per ounce). Like many of the brands on this list, it's another blended oil sourced from multiple countries. When we tasted it for our ranking of Trader Joe's olive oils, we found it to be solid but nothing special. Other reviewers agree, calling it either pleasant or unremarkable.

Next is TJ's Organic Extra Virgin Spanish Olive Oil. Out of all the oils we've looked at here, this is one of the priciest at $8.49 for 16.9 ounces, or a whopping $0.50 per ounce. Cold extracted from Spanish olive varieties, it gets much praise for its strong, fresh olive taste. We ranked it highly for its robust, uniquely complex flavor. However, it's at least nine cents more expensive per ounce than all three Kirkland Signature EVOOs. This is not a bargain product, but one for special occasions.

Finally, we have TJ's Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil at $12.49 for 33.8 ounces, which comes out to $0.37 cents per ounce. This cold-extracted oil is packaged in Italy but made with olives from around the world. We put it just behind TJ's Spanish oil in flavor, yet some tasters are more critical or indifferent, finding it harsh without much depth. Both this "premium" product and Trader Giotto's basic EVOO are inferior to Costco's cheaper, tastier Spanish EVOO, but TJ's Spanish oil may taste even better than Kirkland's and could be worth the splurge.

With its upscale reputation, you might expect Whole Foods' store-brand olive oils to be super pricey, but the chain's 365 Extra Virgin Mediterranean Olive Oil only costs $34.99 for three liters, which is only $0.35 per ounce. That means it's six cents cheaper than the Kirkland Signature Italian EVOO, ounce for ounce. Whole Foods' oil is not single-sourced, though — this cold processed oil is a "Mediterranean blend" from nine countries: Italy, Greece, Spain, Tunisia, Egypt, Turkey, Morocco, Syria, and/or Portugal. That's an even longer list of sources than most other blended oils.

The 365 EVOO's taste is rated as nice yet basic, with a smooth, balanced character that makes it a versatile all-rounder for cooking, baking, and marinades. If you don't mind a blended oil, this Whole Foods item is a better value than Kirkland Italian EVOO, but Kirkland Spanish is still ten cents cheaper per ounce — and likely tastes better.

Whole Foods also sells its own cold extracted 365 Organic Extra Virgin Mediterranean Olive Oil. A 33.8-ounce bottle goes for $16.98 ($0.50 per ounce). We tried this item as part of our ranking of store-bought olive oils, and honestly, we weren't impressed by its faint flavor. It would be fine for everyday cooking, but it commands the price of a more premium oil. We recommend Kirkland's organic EVOO at 22 cents cheaper per ounce. In the end, Costco's olive oils indeed proved to be a better value than most other store-brand products, making the warehouse chain a reliable source for cooks on a budget.