The 5 Best Olive Oil Dispensers of 2023, According to Testing

These dispensers make it easy to drizzle your favorite olive oil on salads, pasta, and more.

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Better Homes & Gardens / Alli Waataja

If you love preparing Mediterranean meals—like a quick and easy pasta aglio e olio or a light and zesty salad dressing made from scratch—you’ll need a bottle of olive oil within easy reach. Sure, it's easy enough to pour a few glugs straight from the bottle, but when you need a drizzle rather than a steady stream, only a spouted olive oil dispenser will do.

You might initially be drawn to the aesthetics of an olive oil dispenser, but you need to consider what's best for keeping the oil fresh, says bestselling cookbook author and Eat Happy Kitchen founder Anna Vocino.

"Olive oil is like wine in that its taste can change based on being exposed to things like light, heat, and air," she explains. "So while olive oil dispensers can look great on a table, you should first look at how a dispenser can make olive oil stay fresh and taste better longer."

Vocino says a decorative metal cruet is attractive for your table, the best olive oil dispenser for your kitchen is one made from a material that doesn't conduct heat well, such as glass or ceramic—bonus points if it's opaque or dark to keep out light. "You also want to choose a dispenser with a thin spout, so it's not as exposed to air," she says.

To help you find the best olive oil dispenser, we tested 11 in our lab in Birmingham, Alabama. We filled, poured, and drizzled to see which ones handled EVOO extra well, including those that kept it tasting the freshest. We made our final selections based on their overall quality, durability, size, ease of use (including cleanup), aesthetics, and value.

Amazon

It didn't leak during testing and is easy to clean.

It's got a smaller capacity, so you’ll have to refill it more often.

Overall, the best olive oil dispenser is this pick by OXO. During testing, we were very impressed by how easy it was to control the flow of the oil and how you could go from a steady pour to a light drizzle just by tilting it up or down. The flow of oil stops as soon as you return the bottle to the upright position thanks to the curved lip design.

This bottle is on the smaller side, so you’ll have to refill it more often. However, it's got a wider mouth than most, so refilling it should be an easy task. It's also easy to grip and you won't have to worry about it getting slick and slippery since it never dripped or leaked during testing.

The dispenser also comes apart easily, so cleaning is a breeze. We used a bottle brush and cleaned it by hand during testing but it's also dishwasher safe. The wider cylindrical shape of the sturdy little bottle even makes it easy to dry completely as well.

Price at time of publish: $17

Product Details: Material: Glass | Weight: 8.4 ounces | Capacity: 12 ounces | Dimensions: 2.6 x 7.8 x 2.1 inches

Crate and Barrel

It has a steady pour and the square design makes it easy to grip.

The flapper gets in the way of the stream.

This Crate and Barrel Oil Bottle is the best olive oil dispenser if you’re looking for a basic glass style. We liked that it kept a steady stream until the body bottle was empty, which is not typical for other olive oil dispensers.

During testing, we tended to get more of a drip than a drizzle because the flapper on the spout got coated in oil. The spout did drip after use, which is a common hazard for many olive oil dispensers. However, we found the square design made it easier to grip the bottle whenever the bottle started to get slippery.

It's not hard to refill this oil dispenser, though it's certainly easier if you use a funnel. It's fairly easy to clean but you’ll need to leave this out for a while to air dry because of the slender neck. You won't mind seeing it on your counter, though—we liked the look of this clear glass bottle featuring a white stainless steel nameplate that reads "oil."

Price at time of publish: $13

Product Details: Material: Glass | Weight: Not listed | Capacity: 17 ounces | Dimensions: 2.75 x 12.25 x 2.5 inches

Sur La Table

It's sturdy and will look elegant on a table.

The stainless steel smudges easily.

During testing, we found this Olipac dispenser poured the olive oil in a quick, steady stream. There was a bit of dripping after use, but it stopped as soon as we returned the bottle to its full upright position.

Don't let the smooth, shiny stainless steel fool you—the shape of this petite cruet allows for a firm grip. The reflective material will smudge easily, so you may find yourself having to wipe it down more often. Luckily it's fairly easy to clean, though there's a lip inside the dispenser that you'll have to give an extra scrub with a sponge and some soapy water.

While other olive oil dispensers are tall with thin spouts, this more compact version would make a beautiful addition to your table at mealtime. You could even fill it with vinegar or lighter salad dressings. It survived our pushover test so there's no concern over it tipping over and breaking.

Price at time of publish: $32

Product Details: Material: Stainless steel | Weight: 1 pound | Capacity: 13.5 ounces | Dimensions: 5.7 x 3.5 inches

Amazon

It's a beautiful bottle that will keep your EVOO extra fresh.

The cork and metal top felt a bit flimsy.

Vocino said olive oil dispensers should focus on freshness rather than looks, but we love this Emile Henry white ceramic bottle offers the best of both worlds.

We found that it had a nice smooth pour with just a little bit of dripping on the spout because the flapper gets in the way, as they tend to do on most dispensers. There was no leaking, though the cork top did get more saturated during use, so it could be just a matter of time.

The narrow shape makes it a bit tricky to clean, but we used a straw brush to clean out the spout. It's ceramic but by no means fragile. It's made using high-fired Burgundy clay to make it durable and even scratch resistant, so we weren't surprised that it passed the pushover test with flying colors. Still, you should be gentle with the cork and metal top to avoid damaging it while refilling.

Price at time of publish: $55

Product Details: Material: Ceramic | Weight: 1.1 pounds | Capacity: 15.2 ounces | Dimensions: 2.9 x 6.9 x 2.9 inches

Amazon

It comes with different spouts and corks.

It continued to drip after use.

The Zulay Glass Olive Oil Dispenser comes with two pouring spouts, one funnel, two bottle caps, and two sealing corks, so it's one of the best olive oil dispensers for avid at-home cooks.

To start, the dispenser is easy to hold and maneuver. It poured a nice, steady stream that resulted in just extra drips. There were a few glugs when we tried to drizzle—it took a little trial and error to find the right angle, but it is possible to pour and drizzle with this bottle.

Your aim might be spot on when it comes to refilling olive oil dispensers, but we appreciated that this one came with its own funnel to make the task easier. Cleanup is fairly simple, though it will take time to dry.

During testing, we found that it did leak a bit after use but the bottle is smooth and without any decoration, so it's easy to wipe clean. We liked the translucent dark finish, which protects your EVOO from light and keeps it fresh.

Price at time of publish: $20

Product Details: Material: Glass and stainless steel | Weight: 1.12 pounds | Capacity: 17 ounces | Dimensions: 12.8 x 2.2 inches

The OXO Good Grips 12 oz. Precision Pour Glass Oil Dispenser topped our list for its ease of use and cleanup. You can drizzle and pour EVOO to your heart's content without it leaking or dripping. The wide design makes it easy to clean and dry by hand, though it's also dishwasher safe.

To find the best olive oil dispensers, we tested 11 options in our lab in Birmingham, Alabama. We examined each one, noting those that were made from durable materials and/or featured an attractive aesthetic. Then, we filled each with olive oil, monitoring each pour to see which dispensers were indeed able to hold the volume indicated by the manufacturer.

At various meal times over the course of several days, we drizzled olive oil over dishes, observing which ones poured evenly and cleanly without any mess. We kept the filled dispensers on the countertop near a light or heat source for a couple of days. Afterward, we tasted the oil, observing whether the flavor was still fresh or if it had changed.

When the dispenser was empty, we cleaned it per the manufacturer's guidelines, noting how easy or challenging it was to complete the task. Lastly, we submitted each empty olive oil container to a gentle push-over test on the countertop to see if any of them broke or otherwise sustained damage.

We selected the best olive oil dispensers based on testing results and other factors, including capacity, design, ease of use and storage, and overall value.

Vocino says the best olive oil dispensers are those that don't conduct heat very well, like ceramic or glass, to preserve taste and freshness. Metal or copper is fine for table cruets, she says. Either way, make sure you store your dispenser properly when not in use.

"Whether you keep your olive oil in its original container or a dispenser, make sure you don't store oil next to your stove or oven or above the heat of your stove or oven because it can cause the oil to turn rancid," she says.

When considering the weight of an olive oil dispenser, keep in mind it's not just the weight of the empty bottle, it's how heavy it is when filled with olive oil as well.

The heaviest dispensers on our list are a little over a pound, though the OXO Good Grips 12 oz. Precision Pour Glass Oil Dispenser weighs just 8.4 ounces (about 0.5 pounds).

Bigger isn't always better, and this is especially true in the world of olive oil dispensers. "In general, you never want to buy large bottles of olive oil unless you're going to go through it quickly," says Vocino. "I recommend using a smaller dispenser since it will be used up faster, and the spout allows you more control over how much you pour out."

She recommends choosing a bottle with an airtight seal that holds 16 fluid ounces or less.

As seen by the selections on our list, the best olive oil dispensers come in all shapes and sizes. There are the traditional tall glass ones and stouter stainless steel for easy pouring at the table. The taller ones are indeed prone to tipping over if you bump into them while preparing a meal, but rest assured all of the ones on our list survived a pushover test.

Regardless of the dispenser's height, you’ll want one that's easy to grip so you can pour and drizzle to your heart's content. That said, consider a style that's easy to pick up and pour from when you’re cooking, and you’ll likely want something compact if you plan to leave it on a table during a meal.

True to its name, the Olipac Elegante Olive Oil Dispenser indeed has an elegant design, but we found it very difficult to control the flow of oil. It was also hard to remove the topper without dripping oil, so it makes for messy refilling.

We found the BergHOFF Leo Glass Oil Dispenser easy to fill but tricky and messy to use. The instructions say to hold a finger against the lid, but it makes for an uncomfortable grip. It continued to drip quite a bit after pouring out a steady flow.

The Le Creuset Olive Oil Cruet was easy to fill and it had a nice grip, though it did feel a bit heavy when full. The flapper—which seems quite flimsy—got in the way of the pour, though, so we struggled to control the flow. It was also difficult to clean.

When it comes to olive oil dispenser storage, you’ll want to make sure you have proper space on your countertop for it.

"Whether you keep your olive oil in its original container or a dispenser, make sure you don't store oil next to your stove or oven or above the heat of your stove or oven because it can cause the oil to turn rancid," says Vocino.

You may get used to having your olive oil dispenser as a form of decor on your countertop, but you’ll still want to remember to clean it from time to time.

"When cleaning an olive oil dispenser, you want to make sure that you have a process that will completely remove the residual oil from the dispenser," says Vocino. "This is especially important if you infuse your olive oil with things like garlic or rosemary."

Hot water and dish soap are the way to go if you’re handwashing it, though it's often fine to put it in the dishwasher as long as the manufacturer recommends it.

Vocino's tip is to rinse an empty, washed olive oil dispenser and spout with distilled white vinegar. "This will really help get rid of the odors from the previous fill," she says. Rinse everything again thoroughly with hot water to get rid of the vinegar smell, then stand it upside down on a drying mat until it's completely dry.

Aside from aesthetics, the best olive oil dispensers make it easier to pour the golden goodness. Vocino says it's fine to pour directly from the original bottle of oil if the recipe requires quarter cups of it, but a dispenser makes it easier to pour smaller amounts.

"For instance, if you need to just drizzle some oil over a pan of roasted veggies or a salad, a dispenser's spout can help with a more precise pour," she explains.

Barbara Bellesi Zito is a freelance writer from Staten Island, New York, covering all things home and lifestyle for Better Homes & Gardens. To compile this list of the best olive oil dispensers, Barbara analyzed lab insights from our testing site in Des Moines, Iowa. She also consulted bestselling cookbook author and Eat Happy Kitchen founder Anna Vocino for her expert insight.