Essential Depot Olive Oil - Pomace - Food Grade - 2 Gallons 256 oz Review (2026)

Who this bulk oil suits

This is aimed at makers who go through olive oil often enough that buying in bulk actually pays off, whether that is a weekly cold process habit or a small soap business filling regular orders. The oil ships as two separate one gallon HDPE containers rather than one large jug, which is easier to lift and pour than a single 2 gallon container would be. Occasional soapers who make a batch every few months are better served by a single gallon or smaller bottle, since pomace oil can go rancid if it sits too long before use, and buying more than you will use within its shelf life defeats the value of buying in bulk in the first place.

What pomace grade olive oil brings to a recipe

Pomace is the grade of olive oil extracted from what remains after the first pressing, and the manufacturer describes this batch as food grade, all natural, and unadulterated 100 percent olive oil. In soap, pomace is valued for its higher level of unsaponifiables, the portion of the oil that does not react with lye, which the maker notes speeds up trace compared with some other olive oil grades, and produces a mild, moderately hard bar. It also carries less of the strong olive scent that extra virgin oil can bring, which matters if you want the oil to support a fragrance rather than compete with it. Each jug is safety sealed with a resealable cap for use across multiple batches.

Storing and using it day to day

Because this ships as raw bulk oil rather than a pre-measured kit, the practical work is on your end, decanting from the gallon jugs into smaller bottles that are easier to lift onto a scale for weighing individual batches. The resealable caps help keep the bulk containers sealed between uses, and like any oil this large a volume should be stored somewhere cool and out of direct sunlight, since heat and light speed up rancidity over the months it may take to use two full gallons. Once poured into your working bottle, using it in a cold process recipe is the same as any other liquid olive oil, weighed by recipe percentage alongside your other fats.

How it stacks up against smaller and blended options

Against the same maker's single 1 gallon container, this 2 gallon size simply lowers the cost per ounce for anyone who knows they will use it all in reasonable time, with an identical pomace grade so recipes transfer directly between the two sizes with no reformulation. Compared with pre-blended soap making oil mixes that combine olive with other oils at set ratios, this is a single ingredient bulk oil, giving you full control over your recipe but requiring you to source and weigh other fats separately rather than relying on a pre-measured blend. Which is better depends on whether you want a plug-and-play blend or full control over your formula.

Bottom line

For a maker who already has a cold process recipe built around olive oil and soaps often enough to use two gallons within a reasonable window, this is a straightforward way to cut the per batch oil cost without changing how the recipe behaves. Makers who soap rarely, have limited cool dark storage, or who want a ready blended oil mix rather than a single ingredient bulk oil should look at the smaller single gallon size or a pre-measured alternative instead. Treat the resealable cap as protection between pours, not a substitute for proper storage away from heat and light.

Frequently asked questions