Best Olive Oil Dispenser
If you want to be a cook of any kind, you eventually have to learn to appreciate olive oil. This fluid has participated in some of the greatest recipes of our time and deserves a spot in every kitchen.
However, if you’re conscious about your kitchen decorations, you probably can’t just settle for basic-looking olive oil bottles you find at your local supermarket.
No, no, that just won’t do.
Not to mention that these bottles often aren’t made for clean pours/sprays, so you have to wipe wasted precious oil from a countertop or stove.
Serious cooks make improvements here. There are a lot of bottles out there that could make your life easier while looking like they would belong in a top-quality cooking show set.
All of them also work well with other liquids, so you can get a matching set for olive oil, sunflower oil, vinegar, etc.
Now I know what you’re thinking – surely there isn’t that much to know about these bottles, right?
Wrong, for the most part. I’ve messed up quite a few dishes over the years, and I feel like this makes me qualified to teach you how to give your olive oil (and other similar ingredients) the respect it deserves.
Olive Oil and its Many Uses
Olive oil is like a swiss army knife in its many applications. If you’re confident enough to experiment (and honestly, that’s the greatest part of cooking in general), you’ll find it very versatile.
The most common application is in salads, whether it’s used in dressing or just drizzled on top to add some flavor.
Olive oil is good for enhancing the taste of most foods and can therefore just be drizzled on top of cooked vegetables or pasta without spoiling anything. My favorite use for it has to be in sauces and dips, though.
As long as you do a healthy whisk, everything will blend together nicely, and since olive oil plays well with almost anything, you can vary up your flavors without it getting old.
A fun little appetizer you can make, sliced garlic bread, also uses olive oil and is a very quick recipe for when you have guests coming over, and you want to start some rumors about your cooking greatness.
Just mix olive oil with thinly sliced or minced garlic (or some garlic powder if you’re in a hurry) and get a nice, thin spread on the bread slices. It works well with a lot of dips you may have on the side, so you can keep things fresh.
See Also: List of Toasters for 2-slices
Frying with olive oil is also pretty convenient, as its smoking point is higher than other oils. When the oil reaches its smoking point, it’s ruined, so making sure your oil can take the heat is essential for a lot of recipes.
However, while olive oil is great at withstanding higher temperatures, it loses a bit of its flavor and is, therefore, best used outside of the pan or on freshly cooked meat.
What You Want in a Bottle
As versatile and delicious as olive oil can be, there are a few tricks to storing and using it that will help you get the most out of your food.
All of these are cleverly implemented into the design of top-quality dispenser bottles, so you don’t have to worry.
So, what is there to know?
The Size
A deceptively important quality to look out for, trust me. Once opened, olive oil is at peak performance for only about two months, so you don’t want a huge bottle that, when filled, takes longer than that to empty out.
That is unless you’re looking for restaurant equipment, in which case bigger bottles may be more convenient, as there is no chance of that olive oil sitting idle for too long.
The bigger the bottle is, the more difficult it also is to handle with one hand (when full), so try not to get into a bad situation there.
The Material
Usually, you’re looking at the glass. Dispenser bottles come in different levels of thickness, and you want to find thicker glass for olive oil.
Preferably darkened, too, as olive oil is best stored in dark, cold areas. The reason for this is that, like all oils, olive oil goes rancid with too much exposure to light and heat (fortunately, it lasts longer than other oils, especially sesame oil).
Ideally, the bottle wouldn’t be made of glass at all, as long as it’s durable. Non-transparent materials help keep olive oil safe from unwanted light and are therefore superior (if we ignore all other factors).
The Spout
Nothing is more frustrating while cooking food than having your oil/vinegar/sauce drip down the bottle and onto the stove, countertop, or floor. It really messes with your rhythm and adds an extra chore to the routine. Have you ever seen a bottle of extremely hot sauce without a special drip function? I have, and let me tell you, your mouth might not appreciate that level of carelessness.
To stop these problems, you want to find a spout that reduces the risk of spilling while letting a nice stream through in case you want it. Making the spout super-thin makes it impossible to make slightly thicker, pulpier sauce to store in that bottle, though this is no issue for standard olive oil. Making it super-thick, on the other hand, reduces the level of control you have over how much oil you pour, which can destroy the balance of flavors in an otherwise great dish. A nice middle ground is best, from my experience.
See Also: Most Recommended Olive Oil Sprayers Reviewed
Concrete Products – Current Offering Of Olive Oil Dispensers On The Market & My Reviews 2022
To make things even simpler, I’ve isolated five very good olive oil dispenser bottles you can try, as I’ve used them all myself at some point in time.
Pick whichever one suits you the most, as they’re all quality work.
Tablecraft (916M) 16 oz Oil & Vinegar Cruet
This bottle comes with a nice, thin spout to prevent spills and helps you measure your pours precisely. Its 16-ounce capacity makes its size manageable for easier storage while letting you prepare a considerable amount of oil for use in the near future.
The glass has a pleasant green tint to it, which somehow makes whatever you put in the bottle look slightly more appetizing. I’ve seen offers for this one where you can bulk up and get up to twelve identical bottles in one set, which is absolutely perfect if you’re like me and you love whipping up creative new sauces for all occasions.
Keep in mind, however, that the spout is so thin, you may encounter problems where any chunkier bits in your sauce will clog up the exit, making this bottle impractical for such sauces. Also, since it’s not fully tinted/darkened glass, try to cover it up with something, especially if you plan on keeping your oil out of the fridge.
Pros
- It’s almost impossible to spill anything using that spout.
- Elegant design, with green-tinted glass
- Solid capacity without being super bulky
- Very affordable
Cons
- It doesn’t really stop the oil from going rancid all that much; you may have to employ some DIY knowledge.
- Not ideal for chunky sauces due to its super-thin spout
Royal Oil and Vinegar Bottle Set
This two-bottle set has a special edge over most of the competition in its dual spout gimmick.
Basically, you have two spouts per bottle: a thicker one for heavier pours and a thin one for precise drizzling, which is really helpful in not overdressing your salads (one of the most common amateur mistakes).
The bottle capacity is 17 ounces, and since you get two, it’s a lot of value for not a lot of money. You will most likely never need to fill either of the bottles to full unless it’s for restaurant kitchen use. Since you have a wider spout, you can make the chunky sauce without any clogging problems.
While the glass looks great, however, it doesn’t keep any light out, so don’t expect the oil to be at its best forever. Keep these bottles in the fridge when you’re not cooking to keep things fresh. Also, the spouts don’t have covers, so make sure you keep small flies away from the bottles.
Pros
- Great value for the price
- Big capacity
- Two spouts, so you can easily pour the right amount of liquid.
Cons
- No light is being kept out.
- Risk of insects getting in through the spouts, as you have no covers
Rachael Ray Stoneware EVOO Oil Dispensing Bottle
The brand name here should tell you all you need to know, really.
If you don’t know who Rachael Ray is, slap yourself on the wrist! She is a magnificent cook and has helped dispel the myth that cooking is some impossibly abstract science that only superhumans can attempt.
This bottle is made for the exact purpose of keeping your oil safe from light and heat. It’s completely non-transparent, heat-resistant stoneware! This puts it a cut above the competition in the preservation category and helps add a bit of charm to the design.
The bottle is just gorgeous, and it can probably fit into almost any modern kitchen without a problem. As long as you don’t make a super-chunky sauce, the spout will keep you covered, as it has a cap to cover itself from any insect intruders or dust.
The only real issue I’ve found is that the shape of the bottle makes it inconvenient to refill. As you can’t see how much oil you have in the bottle, you have to improvise and trust your experience, which means the bottle takes some getting used to.
Pros
- A real piece of eye candy
- Amazing protection from the heat and it keeps the light out through being opaque.
- The spout doesn’t drip at all, from my experience
- Offers a lot of capacity without being difficult to store
Cons
- Inconvenient to refill, due to the shape
Related article: Finest Olive Oil On The Market
FineDine Oil Dispenser Set
The airtight fit on this spout helps keep the oil fresh for longer than almost any other top-quality bottle.
The dispenser bottle’s dishwasher-safe nature and overall comfort level make it an excellent choice for beginner cooks who want ease of use and convenience.
The thick glass helps keep the heat out, which also extends the longevity of whatever you put into the bottle. The thickness also makes it more resistant to breaks, and a friend of mine tells me that durability alone can seal the deal when it comes to restaurant bottles.
You see, in the commotion of your average restaurant kitchen, no one has the time to pamper any equipment. The more a piece of kitchenware can handle a slightly rougher treatment, the better it will fare in a restaurant environment.
Again, the problem here is the glass, in the sense that it won’t contribute protection from the light in any way. The green tint helps it look fresh, but that’s about it.
Pros
- Durable – especially notable in a restaurant kitchen
- The thicker glass keeps the heat out very efficiently
- These bottles are dishwasher-safe (make sure to rinse the spout from all sides beforehand, to ease things along)
Cons
- No protection from the light
Find out: How Long Does Olive Oil Last?
Vremi Olive Oil Dispenser Bottle
If you’re an inexperienced cook, you tend to run into situations where you’re not sure how much oil is a good amount of oil to use, and even when reading instructions, you have no real point of comparison to know what a given amount is looks like in real life.
We’ve all been there, don’t worry, it comes with experience. But in the meantime, why not remove part of that problem using this dispenser bottle?
It comes with a pump and a convenient mini measuring cup at the spout, so you always know how much you’re using, and there’s no risk of spilling anything. This bottle also lets you blend oil and vinegar or evenly spread herb bits to enrich the taste, all by operating that neat little pump.
The glass sadly doesn’t help keep the oil fresh for long. That is the only major downside to this bottle, though it can be dealt with if you know what you’re doing. The only other problem I’ve found is that as advanced as this bottle is, it doesn’t have a spray function, so you’re out of luck if you want to mist your food with some olive oil instead of gently pouring it.
Pros
- The very handy measuring section helps you control how much oil you use.
- You get to blend together ingredients in small amounts to create the perfect dressing.
Cons
- No protection from the light
- No spray function
The Verdict
If I had to pick one dispenser bottle out of all these great competitors, I’d have to go with the Vremi.
Being able to precisely measure how much you pour in is not only helpful for newbies but also lets me accurately change things up when I want to experiment.
Not to mention that blending a salad dressing is more reliable than just shaking it as you’d normally have to.
And it just looks nice, doesn’t it?
It has that advanced-technology feel that’s becoming more and more popular.
However, if you prefer any of the other four, don’t hesitate to purchase it, as most of the differences here are personal preferences. 🙂
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