I've Tested Lots of Olive Oil — This Standout Brightland Duo Is What I'm Gifting This Christmas

Olive oil is one of those pantry items that can make or break a dish. If you’re swiping the nearest green bottle off the grocery shelf, you could be sacrificing flavor in your cooking. Growing up in a first-generation Italian-American household, I learned pretty quickly from my Nonna just how important having a bottle of “the good stuff” was. She used it on everything, from her Sunday pasta sauce, and classic meatballs to the legendary holiday cookies she made every Christmas. When it came time to round out the pantry in my kitchen as I got more into cooking, I knew I needed to find an olive oil that was up to the task. 

Luckily, I get to test kitchen products, and it wasn’t long before I found myself with Brightland’s Olive Oil Duo in my kitchen. In my quest to find the best olive oil, I’ve tried many bottles that have intrigued me, but I’ve had a hard time finding a brand that is accessible and versatile for all types of cooking. Brightland covers all that and more with their best-selling Duo, which combines two blends of extra-virgin olive oil (made from olives grown at family farms in California) geared toward different dishes. In the years since I’ve sprung for this oil, I’ve rarely gone more than a week or two without using it — and after continuing to test numerous olive oil bottles, I can confidently say they’re two of the best blends to gift home cooks.

Brightland The Duo

$74 at Amazon View on Brightland.co $56 at Bloomingdales

How I Tested Brightland’s Olive Oil Duo

As versatile as extra-virgin olive oil is, not all blends are equipped for all types of cooking — but Brightland aims to solve all that with The Duo. With Awake, I get a bold and robust olive oil that can hold its own against heating and is best used on heartier dishes, like sautéed vegetables, stews, and rich plates of pasta. With Alive, I find that quintessential grassy olive oil flavor and an incredibly smooth mouthfeel, for a drizzle that’s ideal to enjoy atop salads, raw veggies, or baked goods.

I keep both bottles on my counter to help me easily cater my pick to whatever I’m cooking for that day. While I tend to reach for Awake more frequently given the types of meals I make for my family (we’re a household that’s big on stews and sautées, especially during the winter months), I enjoy the flavor of Alive, which is a bit zestier and brings a beautiful liveliness to the salads or grain bowls I often make for lunch. Alive is also the bottle I reach for when I cook up my favorite olive oil bundt cake recipe, which I’ll drizzle with a fruit compote made from whatever is in season (right now, I love doing blood orange). 

How It Compares

When we tested the best olive oils, Brightland’s Duo won the title of Best Overall, thanks to its versatility and crowd-pleasing flavor. During testing, we were impressed by these oils' earthy and elevated aroma; each had its distinct flair that catered to different dishes. The texture was thin and clean, with a consistency that coated our mouths lightly without feeling too oily or heavy. While both blends in this set had a pleasant taste, neither was overpowering, making this a good all-around choice for home cooks looking for mild cooking oils or anyone who wants to add basic — not overwhelming — flavor to pasta recipes or cozy soup recipes. 

What I Love About Brightland’s Olive Oil Duo

The biggest draw of this duo from Brightland is its versatility. I love how the combination of Awake and Alive takes the thinking out of cooking. You can easily discern which oil to use with which dish, and there are helpful hints on the bottle if you get stumped. If there’s one thing I’ve learned while using Brightland’s Duo, it’s that catering your drizzle to the type of cooking you’re doing makes a difference, and it’s a worthwhile swap to make to get the most out of your meal and your olive oil investment. 

Brightland is a company that prioritizes the quality and origin of its olives. The olive oil industry can be fraught with complications and shady practices, often leading consumers to pay high prices for low-quality oil pressed improperly, rancid, or packed with free radicals. Brightland’s transparency makes it easy to invest in bottles of high-quality olive oil made from olives grown on family farms in California’s Central Coast and Valley, where top-tier soil and climate conditions meld with sustainable farming practices. Each olive is harvested at peak freshness and cold-pressed within hours to lock in flavor, color, and nutrient value. I can honestly taste the love that goes into each bottle. 

The Caveats

There is not much not to like about Brightland’s Olive Oil Duo, save for the price. At this point, most home cooks know that a flavorful, quality bottle of olive oil is an investment, and shopping at Brightland is no different. The Duo set — one 12.7-ounce bottle of Awake and one 12.7-ounce bottle of Alive — will run you $74 to purchase, or $65 if you subscribe to monthly or bi-monthly deliveries. There’s no denying that’s a fairly steep price for a pantry staple. However, it’s a worthwhile investment if you’re serious about buying quality ingredients and choosing an olive oil that adds flavor and nuance to your cooking.

Brightland often runs sales during the holidays and shopping occasions, allowing you to stock up on favorites throughout the year at a lower price point. I also love Brightland as a host gift, especially to aspiring home cooks — it makes for a thoughtful yet functional food gift or addition to a DIY gift basket they may not have thought to purchase for themselves. 

Tips and Tricks

• Avoid decanting your olive oil into anything clear. Brightland’s bottles are designed to block out light that can age or spoil the olive oil, diluting its flavor and nutritional value. If you want a vessel that pours easier, consider snagging the brand’s Spout Set. 
• Experiment with other olive oil blends from Brightland. While Alive and Awake are their most popular (and versatile) options, they have other blends that can bring an added kick to your palette. I love using Rosette to dip crusty fresh bread and Ardor is ideal for adding a punch to chilis and stews that can benefit from spice. 
• Keep your olive oil somewhere cool and out of direct sunlight. I try to store mine a bit away from my stove so the residual heat from my cooktop doesn’t impact the flavor of my olive oil. 
• If you’re someone who, like me, loves to make DIY salad dressing at home, pick yourself up a bottle of Brightland's Parasol champagne vinegar, which is double fermented with California grapes and Navel/Valencia oranges and adds a bright pop to any dish. 
  

The Verdict

Brightland’s Olive Oil Duo is a worthy splurge and one I’d recommend to anyone looking to upgrade their pantry staples or take their cooking to the next level. For most home cooks, each bottle will get its moment to shine throughout a week’s worth of meals, but if you find yourself reaching for one bottle over the other more frequently, that’s fine too. Either way, you’ll have my favorite secret weapon on hand — a quick hack for adding layered flavor and something special to each dish you make. 

Our Expertise

Alyssa Longobucco is a freelance writer, editor, and stylist with a background in food, interior, and lifestyle content. She has over a decade of experience in the digital and magazine industry creating unique and innovative content for storied brands such as Food and Wine, House Beautiful, HGTV, The Knot, Domino, Apartment Therapy, Real Simple, Food52, Good Housekeeping, and more.