Customer Reviews

Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 34-Ounce Tins (Pack of 2)

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I first purchased Colavita oil a few years ago out of pure desperation and lucky. Ever have one of those days when nothing goes right? Well my wife and I were having one of those at the time. We had guests coming over for dinner, things were running late and as is our luck, we found we were completely out of olive oil. We use olive oil a lot, but it was an odd occurrence. Anyway, I rushed to a local grocery story...we were living in Virginia at the time, and being in a bit of a hurry, I grabbed the first can I came to. This happened to be Colavita. This was a very lucky break on my part.

Now I cannot look you in the eye and tell you that this oil in anyway is as good as some of the premium oils we have used in the past and still use. But what I can tell you is that for oil that is classified as a "grocery store oil," this is very nice stuff. We still use it. Now there are certain considerations to be noted here. I have looked over some of the reviews and feel a need to have my little say.

First, any olive oil that is old will taste rancid and simply will not cook well. The same hold true for an oil that is not stored correctly. If you use a lot of olive oil in your cooking, then you should buy a lot. If you use it less often, then buying in bulk, or in a large amount is a sheer waste of money. This stuff will go bad on you quicker than you think. And for goodness sakes don't store it in a clear container...that is not a good idea!

Secondly, I noted that Cook's Illustrated recently proclaimed that "all supermarket brands" of olive oil where horrid. While there may be some truth to this on some level, I must admit when I saw this, the first thing that flashed through my mind was "Aaaah, snob patrol in action again, slamming it to the unwashed masses." Personally I put about as much validity in this type of report as I did in the old Play B*y magazine article from back in the early 70s that proclaimed your kidneys and liver would drop out of place if you were a runner, and that you should stop running as it was bad for your health...yeah, like I trust my health to an article like that. Folks, you have to consider the source. Your top cooking publications are good, don't take me wrong, but a big part of their appeal is to appeal to the bit of snob that is in all of us...they write stuff like this to sell their publication and the products featured there and to make you feel good about yourself when you make an outlandish purchase.

Anyway, we have found this Colavita oil to be quite adequate for most use. We do use it for cooking and it gives off a very nice nutty/earthy aroma. It is light enough to use on most of the salad dressings we make, and we do use it extensively in the various vinaigrette and herb soaks we concoct. I will say that we do not buy this in large quantities as you can purchase it in a very nice attractive little bottle of 17 ounces...Actually we buy it two bottles at a time, always using the older bottle first and then rotating.

This certainly in not the only oil we use, but for everyday use we find that the quality you are getting for the price simply cannot be beat. Not that I would ever do it, but I dare say that you could prepare a nice salad dressing with this product and tell your guests that you used some of the "really good and really expensive stuff," and that 9 out of ten would buy off on that statement. Now don't do this because if your luck is like mine, the first one you told that to would the that one in ten I am talking about...embarrassing!

This is good oil that will not take your last dollar to purchase. I recommend it highly. I am comparing it to like oils in this price range, so I am giving it five stars.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

I have been using Colavita for years. It is one of the finest all around X-Virgin olive oils on the market. Its extremely fruity and works very well in salads and pasta dishes. I have been struggling with olive oils since I can not find it in the stores where I now live. Now I get it shipped to my door, with free freight, and at a lower price than I used to pay in the grocery store.

Ordered this because, at the time, I was having trouble finding this brand in a can in my local stores. Product is pretty good and arrived with only one small dent in one of the cans and no leakage, so I guess I got lucky there.

Since ordering, it's become available in a neighborhood store in single cans at a price only slightly higher than Amazon's, which seems a little high for two cans. Given that, I'll buy locally from now on unless Amazon lowers price. The oil itself is pretty good and doesn't have that "rank" taste or smell that I associate with some EV olive oils.

In our home, we only use extra virgin olive oil (evoo), a little real butter, and sometimes a little coconut oil. 95% of the time, it's evoo. For frying and other cooking uses, I keep a large container of a store brand around. Otherwise, I use Colavita.

From what I have tasted and researched, Colavita is a great oil. I like to use it on my skin as well as cook with it. It's great to drizzle on cooked food, raw food, in homemade salad dressings, dipping, or anywhere I need a "finishing" oil. The quality and taste is there. They say a sign of quality evoo is a "bite" or catching feeling in the back of your throat when you drink it. After drinking Colavita straight, I will get that feeling in my throat within 2 to 5 seconds. It shows that the good, healthy components in the evoo are still there.

I recommend this oil as one of the best, if not the best supermarket brands of evoo.

In my opinion, having used a dozen or so brands of olive oil, Colavita is simply the best upscale olive oil available. Colavita is good enough to use as a dipping oil, but obviously does not match the best botique gourmet brands. Botique oils are are as variable year to year as wines, comparably expensive, and have to be bought the way you buy fine wine (that is, ideally at tastings, where you confirm the quality before purchase). Colavita is excellent quality, dependable, and reasonably priced---the perfect combination for a daily general use olive oil.

Although not an "olive oil gourmand", I'd describe Colavita as "rich, smooth, and neutral". Gourmands probably have other silly terms for the flavor, such as "fruity". It is not harsh or bitter like most common olive oil, not spicy like Whole Foods 360, and not notably "olivey".

I've been using Colavita for several years now, and have never been dissappointed. I use Colavita for everything except frying (peanut oil), and some very special small salads (gourmet olive oil).

The 34 ounce tins are small enough to use directly. But I prefer bottles, because controlling the flow of the oil is easier (since you can see the oil approaching the spout), and it is easier to guage the amount of oil I'm using by eye (how far the level drops in the glass bottle). So, I refill bottles from the tins.

I've been told that olive oil stays fresher in tins (measured in months and years) That becomes relevant when you don't know how many months (or even years) a bottle may have sat on a grocery shelf. But it is irrelevant if you refill bottles from tins, and use an ounce or so every day, as I do.

At the price I paid, about $28 for 2 tins, the tins have the advantage of economy---A 34 oz tin from Amazon, is the same price as a 17 oz bottle from the local grocery. At $43 per pair plus shipping (which I've seen), your local grocery is a better source. Note that I've seen the price rise by $5 and then drop by $5 within a few hours.


Recommendation: After major grocery shopping expeditions, sit down at your computer with your reciept, and check if you can buy any of the non-perishables through Amazon. When you find items (even if more expensive than you just paid), put the item on your Amazon wish list, and add a note to the wish list of the price you just paid. Check your wish list frequently, and when you see an item you need at a bargain price, buy it.

We started using Colavita Extra Virgin olive oil years ago. it doesn't have the funny taste some reasonably priced oils have. It isn't cheap but beats all in its category. It is hard to find in the grocery stores now for some reason - Safeway affiliates try to peddle their own and it is not as good.

This is a good olive oil at a good price, but I was disappointed at how poorly packaged it was for shipping. Both tins arrived dented, one minorly and one substantially.

Check you local grocery for a better price. The oil is good but overpriced on Amazon.

I go through olive oil like a mad man and Colavita is my brand. I used to buy the glass bottles in stores that were expensive until I found these tins on Amazon. They're very easy to open and close and the oil tastes great, in fact I would say it tastes better than from the glass. If you're a Colavita fan or are looking for a quality olive oil brand thats not super expensive get this, you wont be sorry.

Yes there are much more expensive brands and cheaper ones,too. My wife and I buy this and Frantoia. We both like this better. I am not impressed by who cooks with what on TV. I just like this oil as it suits my taste.