A finishing oil or a cooking oil

A finishing oil is a flavor product

It goes on at the end, uncooked, and what the buyer is paying for is exactly the character that heat would destroy. That supports a small bottle, a high price per unit volume and a presentation the buyer looks at. It also means the shelf life matters more, because the thing being sold is the part that fades first.

A cooking oil is a commodity

Bought in larger volume, used faster, judged on price and on how it behaves when hot. The packaging is functional, the margin is thinner and the buyer is comparing against a supermarket product directly. For most small makers this is the harder business to be in.

The size follows the decision

Our shelf for this runs from 100 to 946 ml, which covers both ends: a 100 ml finishing bottle is a gift and a tasting size, and the larger end is a kitchen bottle. Choosing a size is choosing which of the two businesses you are in, and pricing one as though it were the other is the usual mistake.

Infused oils are almost always finishing oils

Because the infusion is the product and heat removes it. That has a practical consequence worth printing: an infused oil used for frying is an expensive way to make a plain one, and a label that does not say so leaves the buyer to find out.

The shelf life differs because the use does

A finishing bottle is opened repeatedly over months, so the headspace grows and the oil ages in the buyer’s cupboard. A cooking bottle is used up. The smaller bottle is often the right answer for a premium oil for that reason alone, even though it looks like the more expensive option.

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