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| |  | Olive Oil | Home » » Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 34-Ounce Tins (Pack of 2) | | | | | | | Description: | | First cold pressed. Certified authentic. Carbohydrate free. Obtained exclusively from olives harvested and pressed in Italy. Product of Italy. | | | Features: | |
• Pack of 2 (total 68 oz)
• Olive Oil is the natural juice squeezed from Italian olives one day after harvest
| | | Product Details: | | | Product Weight:
| 68.0 Ounces | | Package Length:
| 11.6 inches | | Package Width:
| 8.9 inches | | Package Height:
| 4.4 inches | | Package Weight:
| 4.95 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 34 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 34 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
27 of 30 found the following review helpful:
 GOOD SERVICEABLE OIL AT AN ATTRACTIVE PRICE. I LIKE THIS STUFF.Aug 09, 2009
By D. Blankenship
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
9 of 9 found the following review helpful:
Love the oil, love the price!Jun 29, 2009
By Dominic J. Spinelli
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.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
Does the JobJan 07, 2010
By Stoney
QUALITY
In my opinion, having used a dozen or so brands of olive oil, Colavita is simply the best reasonably priced olive oil which is widely available. I've been using Colavita for several years now, and have never been dissappointed. Colavita is excellent quality, dependable, and reasonably priced---the perfect combination for a daily general purpose olive oil.
FLAVOR
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" (but a "civilian" would never call it fruity). It is not harsh or bitter like most common olive oil, not spicy like Whole Foods 360, and not notably "olivey". Colavita is an evoo ("extra virgin olive oil"---to us non-olive oil snobs), which means "first pressing". Most olive-oil nuts consider the words "extra virgin" to be sacred. Practically speaking though, the mere label "extra virgin" is not a guarantee of quality---most grocery store brands (evoo or not) are harsh and bitter, but some are good cooking oils.
PREMIUM OILS
Botique premium 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 and flavor before purchase). Some are genuinely (as in NOT-gourmet-speak) buttery and nutty---great for dipping. Some taste like the fragrance of flowers---great for salads. Never cook premium olive oil---use it for dipping or drizzling, or on delicate salads. Colavita is a good general purpose oil, better than most grocery store olive oil, but is not a premium oil.
COOKING OIL
Non-extra virgin olive oils (second or later pressings) are usually darker and stronger flavored---which adds complexity to soups, sauses, stews, bean dishes etc. If you are using a bitter or strong-tasting olive oil, cook it WITH the dish. I add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of olive oil to every sause, soup, stew, chili, cassrole, or bean dish, etc. However, olive oil can "go bad"---so unless you use alot, it doesn't sense to use a different cooking oil than you use on salads, for dipping etc. One usually purchases good cooking oil in multi-gallon tins. Colavita is a very good general purpose oil, and therefore a good cooking oil---albeit a bit expensive for a cooking oil.
DIPPING OIL
Traditionally (and in the best restaurants), Italian bread, oil and balsamic vinegar is served as an appetizer. The diner usually mixes his own oil and vinegar at the table. If all three are top quality, the combination can be delicious, and can even be a light meal. Add figs or slices of apple or pear and some olives, and you do have a meal. Byzantine Fresh Olive Antipasto, 5-Pound Bag Albeit probably heresy, in fact you can substitute fine wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice. If I don't have olives, I usually add soy sause or Braggs for saltiness to the mixture. Bragg Liquid Aminos, Natural Soy Sauce Alternative, 32-Ounce Bottle , (Pack of 3) Colavita is a very good "everyday" dipping oil.
SALAD OIL
The requirements for an "everyday" salad oil are a little less stringent than that for a dipping oil, because the heavy flavor of the vinegar, and often pamessan, bacon bits, etc. usually dominate. However, I rarely prepare use oil and vinegar the traditional way. For everyday salads (or as a dip for raw vegies) I prefer olive-oil based mayo with a little freshly ground pepper, and some citrus zest. For special salads, I use a fruity premium olive oil (and just a hint of lemon and/or orange juice and zest). Colavita is a very good "everyday" salad oil.
DRIZZING OIL
A drizzling oil is an oil you pour over a dish immediately before serving, or which you serve in a carafe on the table. If you REALLY like the flavor of "ordinary good" olive oil (I don't)---then you will find Colavita to be a good drizzling oil. My hispanic wife frequently drizzles Colavita on the dishes I've cooked (with Colavita), because she likes the olive-oil flavor. By the way, the same principle applies to the use of butter, pepper, garlic, cheese, even soy sause---if you want the flavor to dominate, add it just before serving; if you want the flavor to be substle, cook the seasoning with the dish. For most dishes I prefer a rich blend of subtle flavors.
HEALTHY COOKING
I go to a great deal of effort to minimize animal fat in my diet, by very strict trimming, thorough cooking, and by chilling broth to remove the solidified fat. However, the body needs fat and craves fat. The ideal solution is to replace animal fat with vegetable oils which are high in omega-3s. Olive oil is ideal for the purpose.
My Southern grandmother could not cook any vegetables without a thick slice of fatback (fatty bacon)---and indeed her vegetables were very tasty. Speaking of which, what is the point of healthy vegetables if no-one will eat them? The solution is to add several tablespoon fulls of olive oil, and a teaspoon of chipped ham Hormel Premium Real Crumbled Bacon to the vegies. For the best flavor, cook the vegies with the olive oil (do NOT add oil to the cooked vegetables---unless you really like the flavor of the oil). Season as necessary with pepper and fresh lemon juice. Truly delicious vegetables are possible---I eat them daily.
ECONOMY
The 34 ounce tins is about half the price of the bottle per oz at this time, but is expensive compared to the last time I purchased it. The 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 gauge 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.
GENERAL RECCOMENDATION
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.
8 of 10 found the following review helpful:
OkayMay 09, 2008
By C. Woods
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.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
excellent oilMay 20, 2011
By Beautiful Dreamer
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.
See all 34 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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