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Step 1
Compare plain olive oil to extra light olive oil. The main difference is the coloring. Both products have been manufactured using chemicals and heat on a low-quality oil to make it more palatable. The manufacturer may have added in some better-quality olive oil, making a blend. Extra light olive oil has been further processed to give it a light-color appearance. However, the calorie count is the same for both oils.
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Step 2
Know the difference between plain olive oil and virgin olive oil. Virgin olive oil is extracted from olives with the cold-pressed method, using no chemicals or heat. It is made from a better-quality olive and, therefore, has a better aroma and taste. Many of the nutritional benefits have been leached out of regular olive oil through the use of chemicals and heating.
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Step 3
Compare virgin and extra virgin olive oil. Both are highly nutritious and flavorful, yet extra virgin olive oil is made from the finest olives and from the first cold pressing of the oil. It is the best olive oil available, with the richest flavor and aroma.
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Step 4
Inspect olive oil labels that use the words "filtered" and "unfiltered." In unfiltered oil, pieces of olives that escape into the oil through the cold pressing are left in, leaving a hazy appearance at the bottom of the bottle that moves throughout the bottle when shaken. These pieces of olives have been removed from filtered oil.
