If you keep olive oil next to your hob or oven in the kitchen, you’re making a big mistake according to experts.
The product testing pros over at Which? revealed their top kitchen and household insights from 2024 and among these were some tips for getting the most out of everyday products.
The team shared the most ‘invaluable secrets’ they’d learned over the last year after testing thousands of items – everything from air fryers, to dishwasher cleaning methods, and gin.
Among their best tips is some handy advice for looking after olive oil, as they claim if you aren’t storing it correctly, it could go past its best before date much quicker than you think and turn rancid.
Now, it’s no secret that the last few months have seen olive oil skyrocket in price, with analysis by Sky News, finding that the average price of a 500ml bottle of olive oil rose from £3.54 in January 2021 to £7.45 in June 2024, an increase of 110.5%.
As such, many won’t want to be forking out for the cooking ingredient too often if they can help it.
So to ensure your olive oil lasts for as long as possible, the experts recommend storing it inside a dark bottle or tin, as this will preserve the oil longer than if it were kept in clear glass or plastic.
They add that the bottle also shouldn’t be left next to your hob or oven, as the heat from the appliance can cause the oil to turn rancid more rapidly. Light can also have a negative impact on it.
Instead, you should store the olive oil in a cool, dry place, such as a cupboard.
And this isn’t the only top tip the experts shared, they also warned shoppers not to automatically assume that ‘craft’ gin is a superior product.
They explained: ‘As with “bespoke” and “master distiller” these terms aren’t protected, so don’t guarantee quality.’
Instead of splashing out on a large bottle of ‘craft’ gin, they urged people to ‘test the waters’ by purchasing a small bottle first, to be sure it’s worth the money.
The team at Which? also reminded people that bigger brands aren’t always better, recommending supermarket-own brand versions of popular items like beans and crisps.
After a year of conducting blind taste tests, the consumer champions found that Aldi Bramwells Baked Beans won out over Heinz, Asda Everyday Tea Bags rated higher than Twinings and Tesco Finest Sweet Chilli Crisps were favoured against Walkers.
Metro has also recently conducted several product taste tests, looking to find the best mince pie alternatives and best supermarket bakery croissants.
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