Chef Angela Hartnett has advised shoppers to choose a medium-priced extra virgin olive oil from the supermarket for most home cooking needs.
Speaking on the latest episode of Waitrose's Dish podcast, which she co-hosts with Nick Grimshaw, Hartnett offered guidance on navigating the growing number of olive oil options available in stores.
Choosing the right olive oil
Before comedian Reece Shearsmith joined the conversation, Grimshaw noted the wide selection now on shelves, saying: "Now, olive oil is a good thing to talk about, I feel, with you, because there's aisles of olive oil now." Hartnett agreed, and Grimshaw added: "Mainly in Waitrose. Which one's which? What do you get? What do you cook with? People say, 'Don't cook with that one.' 'You got to cook with that one.' 'Don't use this one.' So, we're going to have an olive oil lesson here, with you, Angela Hartnett."
When asked what shoppers should look for, Hartnett said: "For most people at home, I think go for a medium price olive oil. You know, you don't need to go for the most expensive, and if you can afford, you know, middle of the road, I think that's a good option."
Extra virgin for finishing dishes
She recommended extra virgin olive oil for finishing dishes, explaining: "I think go for an extra virgin, because a lot of the time, you're using it to finish stuff like salads, put on a bit of pasta, finish a bit of fish with it or something." She added: "It's not been blended and it's a purer version of olive oil."
Hartnett warned against cooking with extra virgin olive oil, saying: "You don't really want to cook with extra virgin olive oil. And hence why they want them in small little bottles, because you don't want it seeing the sun, you want it in a cool place — not in the heat."
When to use extra virgin in cooking
She did note an exception, saying that for a "little pasta dish", she sometimes cooks with extra virgin olive oil along with butter and onions "so you get all that lovely flavour". However, she added: "You wouldn't necessarily use that to fry a piece of fish, because they're going to go to a really high temperature."
BBC Good Food says extra virgin olive oil has "a very low acidity rate (under 1%) and is best used for dipping or to dress salads, both because its superior flavour is impaired by heat and because it has a low smoking point". The site adds that virgin olive oil is also a first pressing but has a slightly higher acidity level (under 2%), and should be used in much the same way, though it can be used to cook Mediterranean dishes for authentic flavour.
Pure olive oil, which is refined to remove impurities and blended to improve flavour, is the cheapest option. Its bland flavour means it is not worth using on salads, but it serves as a good all-purpose cooking oil, though not for deep frying.
Regional differences also matter: oils from Spain tend to be smooth, sweet and fruity with hints of melon and nuts, while Italian oils vary by region — mild and nutty in the north, stronger with grassy notes in the centre, and drier and more herbal in the south. Greek olive oils are herby, fruity and sometimes peppery, making them good all-rounders.
