The Best Olive Oil Dispensers for Everyday Cooking
We tested 11 olive oil dispensers and sprayers to find the best ones for cooking, dressing, and spraying. Here's what we learned about the importance of bottle material, flow rate, and design features.
When it comes to pouring olive oil, a simple task can quickly become a messy affair. Oil dispensers with metal spouts can help slow the flow and offer a more precise aim, making them great for measuring small amounts or finishing a dish with a drizzle of EVOO.
A good oil dispenser should be easy to fill, have a reasonable capacity, and be able to pour oil smoothly without gurgling or spurting. In our tests, we filled each oil dispenser and sprayer with olive oil and noted if they were easy to fill and if the capacity was reasonable. We then used each dispenser to pour a quarter cup of olive oil into a mini measuring cup, timing how long it took and noting if the flow of oil was smooth or if it was messy and irregular.
We also tested the sprayers, using each one to mist a piece of parchment paper with oil. We noted if the spray was even or if it was messy and irregular.
In our tests, we found that oil dispensers made from tinted or opaque materials were better at protecting the oil from degrading due to exposure to ultraviolet light. However, glass bottles were the easiest to grip and didn't show smudges, making them our preferred material overall.
We also found that the flow rate of an oil dispenser was important, but not always in the way we expected. While a rapid flow was useful when adding oil to a hot pan, it was a hindrance when measuring a small amount or carefully drizzling oil onto a dish. Both fast and slow dispensers were useful in different scenarios.
Most pour spouts were smooth streamers, but the Le Creuset Signature Oil Cruet had an air intake valve inside the spout that caused some light glugging and stopped the flow of oil if not tilted just right.
When it comes to minimizing mess, filling an oil dispenser is half the battle. Small, narrow openings were trickier to fill and more prone to accidental drips and dribbles, while wide openings were easier to stream oil into. Flared openings, like those on the Williams Sonoma and Olietta, captured any errant glugs and funneled them neatly into the pitcher.
We also tested three oil sprayers, and two of them were downright terrible. The Evo Original Oil Sprayer was messy to fill and the oil sprayed out in an uneven, dribbly streak. The Williams Sonoma Stainless-Steel Oil Sprayer required pumping the lid on the bottle to pressurize the oil enough to squirt, and when sprayed, it was in a limp stream that fizzled out and left blobs of oil everywhere.
The Flairosol Olivia Oil Sprayer is the only one we tested that's worth buying. It has a tinted glass base and a finger pump that emits a fine mist of oil that evenly coats surfaces and food.
When it comes to choosing an oil dispenser, size is an important consideration. While bigger seems better, oils degrade over time, and if it's taking you a long time to make it through a giant dispenser of it, the chances of it going rancid increase. We preferred dispensers between 12 and 20 ounces, which hit the sweet spot.
In conclusion, a good oil dispenser should be easy to fill, have a reasonable capacity, and be able to pour oil smoothly without gurgling or spurting. It should also be made from a material that protects the oil from degrading, such as tinted or opaque glass. And when it comes to choosing an oil dispenser, size is an important consideration - a smaller-capacity dispenser is best.
## The Best Olive Oil Dispensers
| Model | Material | Flow Rate | Ease of Filling | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | OXO | Glass | Slow | Easy | | Ten Strawberry Street | Glass | Slow | Easy | | Zulay | Tinted Glass | Slow | Tricky | | Williams Sonoma | Glass | Fast | Easy | | Olietta | Stainless Steel | Slow | Easy | | Le Creuset | Ceramic | Slow | Tricky | | Flairosol | Glass | Fast | Easy |
## The Best Olive Oil Sprayers
| Model | Material | Ease of Filling | Spray Quality | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Flairosol Olivia | Glass | Easy | Even | | Evo Original | Plastic | Tricky | Uneven | | Williams Sonoma Stainless-Steel | Stainless Steel | Tricky | Limp |
## Choosing the Right Oil Dispenser
When it comes to choosing an oil dispenser, size is an important consideration. While bigger seems better, oils degrade over time, and if it's taking you a long time to make it through a giant dispenser of it, the chances of it going rancid increase. We preferred dispensers between 12 and 20 ounces, which hit the sweet spot.
