Why You're Probably Better Off Buying Avocado Oil At Costco
It seems like choosing the right oil can be a confusing affair lately. There are many choices in the cooking oil aisle, and deciding on one all hinges on what you plan to cook, what flavors you're looking for (or trying to avoid), and health considerations like allergies and inflammation. One of the trendiest oils on the market right now is avocado oil, which is made by pressing avocado pulp. Avocado oil has a very neutral flavor and is versatile, but it's expensive to produce. Unfortunately, because it can fetch a high price, a lot of the oil you'll find at the grocery store is actually fake or blended with lower-quality oils. It's hard to figure out which avocado oils are good and which are fraudulent if you don't know the difference between brands, but one easy way to know that you're getting the good stuff is to get it at Costco.
While there is currently no Kirkland Signature avocado oil on the shelves at the warehouse juggernaut, Costco stocks 2-liter bottles of Chosen brand avocado oil, which is guaranteed to be 100% pure. So not only do you know that you're getting unadulterated avocado oil, but you'll also get it at a reasonable price and can take advantage of buying it in bulk.
UC-Davis found widespread fraud
Avocado oil is the newcomer on the cooking oil scene. While the fruits themselves have been cultivated for thousands of years, the current avocado oil craze is less than a decade old. More people are turning to it because they're looking for an alternative to seed oils, which many believe carry health risks due to how they're processed. Avocado oil also has a very neutral taste and a high smoke point, which makes it a better choice for frying, baking, and grilling versus olive oil.
Olive oil and avocado oil have a lot in common, however. The best versions of both oils are cold pressed, which means the oil was extracted from the fruit without any heat over 122 F. Hotter temperatures destroy the natural enzymes in the oil and can also degrade the oil's delicate natural flavors. Cold pressing is a more expensive process, and as a result, the oil is more costly. Because of this, there is a lot of counterfeit avocado oil, just as there is with olive oil. In a study from UC-Davis released in 2023, researchers found that nearly 70% of private-label avocado oil was either rancid or mixed with other less expensive oils.
Chosen Foods is 100% avocado oil
Whether you're already on board with the avocado oil trend or a newbie and want to try it, it's easy to get your hands on good quality oil if you're a Costco shopper. Costco carries Chosen Foods avocado oil products, one of the two brands UC-Davis recommended in its 2020 study. Researchers found that Chosen's samples were pure and non-oxidized, so you don't have to worry about the quality. Plus, you can get a 2-liter bottle for around $25, depending on where you live. Target, Walmart, and Amazon also carry the Chosen oils in smaller sizes, so you won't get quite as good of a deal on the price, but you'll still get high-quality oil.
A big bottle might seem like overkill, but you'd be surprised at how many jobs avocado oil can do, from frying up veggies to oiling up the grill. Unless a recipe specifically calls for oil with a specific flavor like sesame or extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil can probably do the job even when baking a cake, as it's nearly flavorless. Avocado oil is an almost $600 million market, and it's projected to expand even more in coming years, according to Global Market Insights. So, chances are you're going to see more and more brands of avocado oil in the grocery store as time goes on. But don't be fooled by imitation oil. Flex your Costco card and get the good stuff on the cheap.