For your first bottle, choose an extra virgin olive oil in a size that suits how often you cook, with a flavour to match how you’ll mainly use it. Go for a mild or balanced taste for a range of dishes, or a fruitier oil if you want a more pronounced flavour in dressings. If you specifically want a glass bottle, check the packaging for the exact product. Glass alone tells you nothing about the oil’s category or origin, and the bottle should be stored away from light and heat.
If you’d like to use the same oil for cooking and dressing, compare how each product is described and what it’s recommended for. Carapelli and Puget both describe some of their oils as suitable for these uses, but that doesn’t mean every product in their ranges comes in the same packaging.
Choosing a size to suit your routine means you’re less likely to leave a large, opened bottle sitting around for too long. You’ll also need to store it away from light and heat, as Puget recommends for its oil.
If the oil’s origin matters more to you than its packaging, check the category and origin on the label. You can also look for a PDO or PGI if you’re after a specific designation.
For your first shop, start with how you’ll use the oil. Then choose a size and check the packaging, category and origin of the specific product you’ve picked.
| Criteria | What to check | Who it’s for |
|---|---|---|
| Packaging and size | Check that the specific product is described as coming in a “glass bottle”, along with its size and storage instructions. | If I don’t cook often, I’d rather choose an amount that suits my routine than leave a large, opened bottle sitting around for a long time; around 42% of consumers prioritise packaging and size. |
| Uses and flavour | Check the recommended uses for the oil and how its flavour is described, for example as mild, balanced or fruity. | If I’m only buying one bottle, I want to know whether I’ll enjoy its flavour in both my cooking and dressings. Versatility comes first for around 33% of consumers. |
| Category and origin | Check the product name, stated origin and, if it matters to you, any designation shown on the label. | If origin guides my purchase, I don’t want to have to guess from the look of the bottle; around 25% of consumers prioritise category and origin. |
The bottle material is no substitute for the information on the label. The DGCCRF distinguishes between the oil’s category and its origin, and states that the origin must be shown on virgin and extra virgin olive oils.
Check the product name and origin first, then compare the packaging and size of the products you’re interested in.
Even tinted glass won’t protect the oil from the need to store it away from light and heat. Puget gives this advice for its oil, while some Carapelli product listings describe oils in tinted glass bottles.
Choose a spot away from windows and heat sources, and follow the storage instructions on the bottle you buy.
For your first shop or occasional use, choose a size that matches how much oil you expect to use. The 25 cl, 50 cl, 75 cl and 1 L sizes apply to different products and don’t all guarantee glass packaging.
First choose an amount that suits your needs, then confirm the bottle material on the product listing or label.
Retailer listings describe Carapelli extra virgin olive oils in 25 cl and 75 cl tinted glass bottles.
Puget describes La Classique as a balanced-tasting extra virgin olive oil for preparing food, cooking and dressing.
Auchan listings describe two 75 cl virgin olive oils in glass bottles, one as mild and the other as fruity.
The Carrefour catalogue features extra virgin olive oils from its Carrefour Extra and Carrefour Bio ranges, with different sizes available depending on the product.
The Marque Repère range includes Rustica and Bio Village olive oils, available in several sizes depending on the product.
Lidl lists a 1 L bottle of Primadonna extra virgin olive oil.
Yes. The DGCCRF states that the origin must be shown on extra virgin and virgin olive oils. Check what’s written on the bottle rather than trying to guess the origin from its name or appearance.
No. Glass describes the packaging, not the oil’s category or origin. To compare two bottles, check the product name and origin, then look at the size and storage instructions.
Choose based on the dishes you plan to use the oil in. If you want one bottle for both cooking and dressing, compare the recommended uses and flavour descriptions for the specific product. If the oil’s flavour matters most in your dressings, look at products described as fruity too.
First, check the instructions on the bottle in question. Puget says its oil can crystallise in the cold and that the white flakes disappear at room temperature. This guidance from the manufacturer doesn’t apply to every oil, or to a bottle with an unusual smell or taste.