Olive oil price comparison Australia: which bottle is really cheaper?

Olive oil price comparison: read per litre, not the bottle sticker

The quick answer: skip the bottle sticker and read the unit price. Then compare olive oil with olive oil of the same style, and check whether the special is a real low before it goes on your list.

Olive oil bottles look similar on the shelf, but sizes and styles differ a lot. The price on the front tells you what the bottle costs. It does not tell you what the oil costs, and that is the number to compare.

We make Discount Trolley, so the bias is obvious. The app shows the unit price on each product page and in search, right under the shelf price. On an olive oil bottle that line often reads per 100mL or per litre, so bottles of different sizes can be lined up on the same number.

• Unit price beats price per bottle.
• Compare the same style of oil.
• Check the special before you stock up.

Why the bottle sticker is not enough

A loud tag on a big bottle can still work out dearer per litre than a quieter bottle at its normal price. Bottle size is a packaging choice. The unit price is the fair test.

There is a second catch. A huge bottle only wins if your house finishes it while it still tastes the way you like. If you waste half a bottle, the cheap bottle was not cheap.

So line the bottles up on unit price first. Then be honest about how much olive oil your house really cooks with before you reach for the biggest tin.

• Bottle size is a packaging choice.
• A special can flip a big bottle versus a small bottle.
• Buy a size you will finish while it tastes good.

Extra virgin, light and specialty bottles: compare like with like

Unit price only helps when you compare the same kind of olive oil. Extra virgin, light taste, mild and specialty oils often sit near each other, but they are different products. Keep this check to like with like.

On the same style, bottle size still changes the sum. A 500mL bottle and a 1L bottle can look close on the shelf tag and far apart per 100mL. Spray oils and infused oils are another product again, so do not line them against ordinary cooking oil unless that is really what you want to cook with.

Pick the style you like first, then let the unit price decide between the bottles that fit.

1. Same style first, then unit price.
2. Spray and infused oils are different products.
3. Do not mix extra virgin with light for the fair test.

House brand vs name brand olive oil

Supermarket house brand olive oil sits next to the big pantry names. House brands can be good value, but do not assume it. Put one house brand bottle and one name brand bottle you would happily cook with side by side, in the same style, and let the unit price decide.

Name brand olive oil moves on and off special, so the gap between the two can change from week to week. On a good week a name brand bottle can beat the house brand. On another week it might not. The only way to know is to check the number on the day you shop.

When you find a bottle you like, save it as a favourite so you can reopen it fast next time instead of hunting through the aisle again.

• Test one house brand and one name brand in the same style.
• Check the gap on the day you shop.
• Favourite the bottle you like.

Olive oil specials and stocking up without overpaying

Olive oil specials come and go, and a big tag makes it easy to buy on the badge instead of the price. A loud special on a big bottle can still work out dearer per litre than a smaller bottle at its normal price.

Before you load up, open the product in Discount Trolley and look at the price history. Dete, our koala, reads that history and holds up one sign: Good time, Wait if you can or About usual. When there is not enough history yet, the sign says Not sure yet. Tap the sign to see the chart.

Today's deals is the other quick check before you leave home. It shows what is on special now with the was-price next to it. A real low is a fair time to buy a bottle ahead, as long as you will cook with it before it sits too long. For more on judging a deal, read how to spot a fake supermarket special and when a bulk buy grocery deal is worth it.

• Buy on a real low, not on a loud tag.
• Check price history before you stock up.
• Read the was-price, not only the badge.

Compare olive oil across stores on one list

Most of us grab olive oil in the same trip as everything else, so it belongs on the same list. Add the bottle you want to My List in Discount Trolley next to the milk and bread, and the list shows a count for each store so you can see where your lines sit before you leave.

To check the same bottle at other stores, open the product page and scroll to Compare Stores. It shows the same product at other stores where data is available, and it tells you plainly when a product is not stocked somewhere, so you do not make a wasted trip.

For the habit on any staple, read how to use unit prices to find the cheapest groceries. For another pantry check shipped yesterday, see pasta price comparison Australia. To weigh a second stop, read should you split your grocery shop across two stores.

• One list for olive oil and the rest of the shop.
• Compare Stores for the same bottle at other stores.
• Check while you have signal, then shop the list.

What Discount Trolley does (and does not) claim about olive oil

Discount Trolley helps you check the grocery price information that is available for the olive oil on your list. It does not promise savings, crown one brand or store as the cheapest forever, or carry the full range at all stores. Prices and specials change, so check again on the day you shop.

Woolworths, Coles, ALDI, IGA, Harris Farm, Priceline and Chemist Warehouse where data is available. Not affiliated with those stores. The shelf can differ from the screen. Live prices need a connection.

For more staple comparisons, see pasta price comparison Australia, rice price comparison Australia, compare bread prices Australia, coffee beans price comparison Australia, toilet paper price comparison Australia, cheese price comparison Australia and compare milk prices on one list.

• No invented savings or rankings.
• No forever cheapest brand or store.
• No affiliation with the supermarket chains.

Questions shoppers still ask