Are you buying the right olive oil?

Summary by Krater

This video breaks down the different grades of olive oil, explaining how processing levels and free fatty acid content affect flavor and stability, and provides buying recommendations for home cooks.

From the video

Answers: Which olive oil should I buy for cooking and flavor?

• olive oil grades
• extra virgin olive oil standards
• free fatty acids in olive oil
• cold-pressed olive oil
• unfiltered olive oil
• olive oil smoke points
• cooking oils comparison

Ingredients

• extra virgin olive oil
• virgin olive oil
• olive oil blend
• refined olive oil
• peanut oil
• garlic
• kosher salt
• onion
• greens
• salad greens
• nuts
• dried cranberries
• batter-coated chicken

What it concludes

• Olive oil quality is judged by overall flavor and free fatty acid content, which should be bound in intact molecules rather than floating free.
• Extra virgin olive oil has the highest percent of free fatty acids and the lowest smoke point among evaluated oils at 175 degrees C or 347 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Extra virgin olive oils are among the most stable of all oils at higher temperatures.
• Peanut oil is higher in saturated fat at 17 percent compared to 13 percent in most olive oils, helping food become crispier.
• For the average home cook, a mid-tier extra virgin olive oil listing only extra virgin olives or olive oil on the ingredients list is recommended for both cooking and flavoring.