Regular readers of this blog know how, every now and then, I’ll write the occasional review of a supermarket olive oil. In a way, olive oil is like wine. As long as you know how to select it, there’s no need to break the bank to enjoy a high-quality product.
In this post, I’m going to review Costa d’Oro Extra, an extra virgin olive oil made from 100% Italian olives.
My thoughts about this oil in a nutshell?
Costa d’Oro Extra is an ideal extra virgin olive oil for your daily cooking. It’s typically sold for $0.78/oz, comes in a dark-glass bottle, and has a pleasant, mildly bitter, and slightly fruity taste that makes it fit for a variety of recipes and cooking methods.
Dress salads with it, add it to bread or pizza dough, sauté vegetables with it, or cook up a base for your soups, stews, and sauces with it. It’s just as good for drizzling over bruschetta, pasta, pizza, or even as a plain and simple bread dip.
But don’t cook on high heat with it. Compared to other cooking oils, extra virgin olive oil has a low smoke point. If you heat it above 375°F (190°C), it will start to break down and burn, which will hamper its nutritional value and destroy its health benefits.
Like other olive oils in this price range, Costa d’Oro Extra has a glossy texture, chartreuse color, subtle aroma, and balanced taste. Nothing about this oil stands out too much, which is exactly what you’re looking for in an olive oil for day-to-day use.
One thing that immediately stood out to me as I tasted it is its viscosity and creaminess. This olive oil feels thicker and more velvety compared to some of the other oils that I’ve reviewed.
This olive oil is filtered, which means that the olive residue has been sifted and cleared from the final product before it’s bottled and sold. Contrary to popular belief, unfiltered olive oil isn’t necessarily the healthier or superior option. It simply has a murkier texture and shorter shelf life.
My score? Excellent value for the money.
Costa d’Oro Extra Virgin Olive Oil is carried by most grocery stores and is sold in 33.8 oz, 25.3 oz, and 16.9 oz dark green glass bottles. The dark glass protects the olive oil from exposure to sunlight, which maximizes its shelf life by keeping its best quality and nutritional values for longer.
Is Costa d’Oro Extra Virgin Olive Oil Real?
Similar to other olive oils in its price range, like Basso Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil, this Costa d’Oro product is a blend of extra virgin olive oils from Europe (typically Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Greece), the Middle East, and North Africa.
The producer has a traceability tool that allows you to look up the lot number on the back of the label and find out where Costa d’Oro sourced the olive oils for the blend in your bottle.
Costa d’Oro Extra is as real as supermarket olive oil gets.
Nutrition Facts
1 tbsp (15 ml) of Costa d’Oro extra virgin olive oil has the following nutritional value:
- Calories—120 kcal
- Fats—14 g
- Of which saturated fats—2 g
- Carbohydrates—0 g
- Protein—0 g
- Vitamin E—3 mg (25% Daily Value)
Olive oil is not a significant source of cholesterol, sodium, fiber, sugars, vitamin A, vitamin C, or iron.
Source: Product label
Who Makes Costa d’Oro?
Costa d’Oro olive oils are made by Costa d’Oro S.p.A., a privately-held company headquartered in the village of Madonna di Lugo in Italy’s Umbria region.
Located in central Italy, Umbria is a region with an age-old tradition of growing olives and making olive oil. It accounts for only 1% of the country’s olive oil production, but, as Elaine Sciolio writes for The New York Times, reaps a disproportionate number of prizes.
The story of Costa d’Oro dates back to 1968, when the Sabatini and Santirosi families joined forces in the city of Spoleto to make oil from locally-harvested olives.
The olive oil made by Costa d’Oro grew popular with Italian consumers. Over time, the business did well, expanding both domestically and internationally.
In 1983, Costa d’Oro moved its headquarters to the new industrial zone of Spoleto in the outskirts of the tiny village of Madonna di Lugo (population 140).
In 2017, the family-controlled company produced 40,000 tons of olive oil with $171 million in sales, of which half domestically and half internationally.
In 2018, the French company Avril and the world’s largest branded olive oil group, acquired a majority stake in Costa d’Oro S.p.A.. Avril also owns the Lesieur, Matines, Ovo Team, and Saipol brands.
The Bottom Line
Of all olive oils you’ll stumble upon at the cooking oils aisle in the supermarket, Costa d’Oro Extra Virgin Olive Oil is definitely among those that deserve a place in your pantry.
It’s a high-quality, no-nonsense extra virgin olive oil made of 100% Italian olives with a reasonable price tag. If you’re wondering whether to buy it or not, my 2¢ are to give it a try.
