The $12 Costco Staple I Wish I’d Tried Way Sooner (Now I Use It Every Single Day)

Take a peek into my cart and you’ll find a mix of the same ‘ol staples I pick up week after week, plus some new products I’ve yet to try (like Bachan’s Original Japanese Barbecue Sauce). As a Costco member for over a decade, the warehouse is the first place I go to keep my kitchen stocked. Of all the ingredients I rely on, only three have a permanent spot near my stovetop: kosher salt, black pepper, and olive oil. 

Costco is a surprisingly reliable supplier of high-quality imported olive oil — the one that Costco is best known for comes in an oversized, 2-liter green plastic bottle. Chefs, like Samin Norsrat, and avid cooks who go through olive oil quickly are huge proponents because of its quality and affordability.

But there’s another oil available that might be even better than the beloved staple. On a recent visit I noticed a smaller, and new-to-me, bottle of Kirkland olive oil sourced directly from California. It’s so good that it quickly earned a permanent spot on my Costco shopping list. 

Kirkland Signature California Olive Oil comes in a smaller, 1-liter green glass bottle and is priced at just $11.99. The packaging alone made this olive oil appealing — it fits more easily on my stove-side tray without needing to be decanted into a separate container and it protects the oil better than plastic — and the price sealed the deal.

It’s also easy to pour, so I don’t accidentally add too many glugs into the pan. The flavor of this extra virgin olive oil is robust and fruity with a peppery finish. (If you’re interested in learning about more of our favorite oils, check out our recent olive oil taste test.) Like other high-quality olive oils, the harvest date is listed right on the label so that you know how fresh the oil is when you buy it.

Extra virgin olive oil differs from olive oil in how it is processed, but it can be used in many of the same ways. The first thing I’d recommend doing with this bottle of oil is serving with a hunk of crusty bread for dipping. Olive oil like this one adds so much flavor to no-knead focaccia. It’s exactly what your salad dressings are missing — I loved it in Christine’s House Dressing. 

Despite what you may have heard, it is OK to cook with extra virgin olive oil, although some of the fruit flavor may mellow. Try using it with this Greek lemon chicken and potatoes and foolproof baked salmon with olive oil and herbs. If you’re ready for the unexpected, make extra virgin olive oil the star of your next baking project. Use it in this one-bowl yogurt and honey olive oil cake or olive oil carrot muffins.

Find it in stores: Kirkland Signature California Extra Virgin Olive Oil, $11.99 for 1 liter

Have you tried this Costco EVOO? Tell us about it in the comments below.

This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: The $12 Costco Staple I Wish I’d Tried Way Sooner (Now I Use It Every Single Day)