This Affordable, Chef-Style Olive Oil Should Be at the Top of Your Grocery List

The biggest olive oil producer in the U.S. just released an affordable, squeezable bottle of extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), with a version that is 100% California-grown. California Olive Ranch (COR) just introduced their new Chef’s Bottles, out now. These squeezable bottles offer a more functional and fun way to weave EVOO into your cooking routine—while upholding the strict quality standards of California EVOO production.

“Professional chefs have used squeeze bottles for years. We’ve gotten a lot of requests from fans of our EVOO to offer a squeezable option, and we were happy to oblige,” says Michael Fox, Chief Executive Officer. “We are thrilled to offer a range of packaging options for our fans, especially our market-leading 100% California line, which is a real differentiator in the category.”

Courtesy of California Olive Ranch

Upon tasting, the Chef’s Bottles from COR were lovely neutral EVOOs, perfect for everyday use. The 100% California variety—designed for drizzling and dressings—is smooth, very buttery, and mild with a floral, herbal aroma. The Global Blend matches the richness and texture, but with a sharp kick in the back of the throat, making it better suited for cooking. Both were tasty, especially for the price point, and the squeezable bottle gives you much more control over your drizzle—and it’s pretty fun.

“Olive oil is just an amazing product. It can be used in so many cooking environments,” says Stuart Beck, Chief Marketing Officer. “The hope is that consumers see more usage and get more inspired in how to use olive oil, because it’s such a great staple of healthy eating, healthy cooking, and the Mediterranean diet.”

Founded in 1988, COR has remained dedicated to upholding the quality of all of their EVOO to California standards, which is no easy feat. The California quality standard is known to be among the strictest EVOO quality standards in the world. Each bottle of COR’s California EVOO has the seal from the Olive Oil Commission of California, a government entity that verifies the quality and purity of its members’ products through a government sampling program and third-party sensory and chemistry analysis. 

This is especially important with all the fraudulent EVOO lurking in restaurants and grocery stores. In 2016, Forbes reported that 80% of Italian EVOO on the market is fraudulent, and this past December, Europol and Spanish and Italian authorities seized over 260,000 liters of counterfeit EVOO, which was diluted with a lower-quality variant of olive oil unfit for consumption. Europol’s report said the faking of extra-virgin olive oil is a “common practice.”

“Quality is everything at California Olive Ranch,” Beck says. “We’re not just millers. We’re not just bottlers. We are farmers. And we’ve been doing it in California for 25 years.”

Courtesy of California Olive Ranch

Beyond COR’s commitment to quality certification for both their California EVOO and global blends, the olive oil producer is also dedicated to transparency. Each bottle has a “smart label” with a QR code you can scan to learn more about your EVOO, including where the olives were grown and when your oil was bottled. 

“For us, transparency is important, especially in an industry where there’s a lot of questions on quality,” Beck says. “We want consumers to know what’s in the product. We want consumers to know they can expect the best quality olive oil from California Olive Ranch. This is just a way to ensure consumers have full traceability and visibility to what they’re getting in the bottle.”

California Olive Ranch Chef’s Bottles

Courtesy of California Olive Ranch

Courtesy of California Olive Ranch

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