We recommend

These three Kiwi olive oils were the best in our tasting. They also came in dark bottles and had pressed-on as well as best-before dates.

The Village Press Frantoio

Olivo

Peta Mathias

Buying advice

• Buy the freshest oil possible. Look for a "pressed-on" date, as best-before dates aren't a good indicator of quality. We'd like to see "pressed-on" dates for all extra-virgin olive oil.
  
  
• Heat and light will affect oil quality. Don't buy clear-bottled oils, especially ones that have been displayed in a shop window or under fluorescent light.
  
  
• Store in a cool dark place, tightly stoppered. Once bottles are open they are best stored in the fridge. The oil may become cloudy or solid. This won't affect the taste and it will clear when brought to room temperature.
  
  
• Oils don't improve with age - use them as quickly as you can.

Country of origin

Buying extra-virgin olive oil from Italy? You need to check the labels carefully - chances are it's not made from Italian olives at all.

Spain is the biggest producer of olives and olive oil. Italy is the second-biggest producer. But, because the Italians are the biggest consumers of olive oil, Italy doesn't produce enough olives to meet local demand. A lot of the Spanish crop is exported to Italy, where it's repackaged for sale as Italian olive oil. Other countries such as Greece and Turkey also export olives to Italy.

Lupi says it's "imported from Italy". This gives the impression that the olives were grown in Italy but it probably only means the oil was bottled there. Rizzoli is a bit more upfront - the label says it's "bottled in Italy".

If you're looking for olive oil made with Italian olives look for the label "Product of Italy" or "Produced and bottled in Italy".