Handmade Olive Oil Cruet - Alicatos Yellow
The Alicatos Yellow olive oil cruet is an earthenware olive oil bottle made in Portugal, with a warm mustard yellow glaze over a raised star and flower tile pattern. It holds 500 ml (16.9 fl oz) and comes with a stainless steel pourer with a cap, so you can pour a thin, steady stream of olive oil or vinegar straight onto a salad, pasta or fresh bread.
Why you'll like it
- Made in Portugal, a country with centuries of ceramic tradition
- Raised tile relief with a hand-finished reactive glaze, so no two pieces are exactly alike
- Food-safe, lead-free glaze
- Opaque earthenware keeps light away from your olive oil
- Stainless steel pourer with a cap for a clean, controlled pour
- Looks as good on the dinner table as it does next to the stove
The details
- Capacity: 500 ml (16.9 fl oz), about 33 tablespoons
- Size: about 3.9 in wide x 2.4 in deep x 5.9 in tall (10 x 6 x 15 cm)
- Material: glazed ceramic earthenware
- Finish: raised tile relief with a hand-finished reactive glaze
- Food safety: food-safe, lead-free glaze
- Color: a warm mustard yellow glaze over a raised star and flower tile pattern
- Pourer: stainless steel pourer with a cap, included
- Weight: 0.52 kg (about 1.1 lb)
- Made in: Portugal
- Care: Hand wash recommended
How to use
Fill it with your everyday extra virgin olive oil or a flavored olive oil using a small funnel, then keep it on the counter away from the stove and direct sun. Fill only what you will use in a month or two, and wash and dry it before you refill so old oil never mixes with fresh.
A note on the finish
Glazes and hand finishing vary from piece to piece, so the color and pattern of your cruet may differ slightly from the photo. Colors can also look different from screen to screen.
Order Processing:ย 2-4 business days, transit time varies by location.
Carriers: USPS and UPS
Shipping Costs:ย Calculated at checkout, free shipping on orders $150 +
International Shipping: Available, with UPS, USPS and DHL
Tracking: You'll receive tracking information once your order ships.
Need Assistance? Contact our friendly support team.
Return Policy: 7 day return policy.
The Craft Behind Every Cruet
Handmade in Portugal from earthenware, finished with a food-safe, lead-free glaze, and chosen by Georgetown Olive Oil Co. to pour the oils we sell
Handmade in Portugal
Portugal has made ceramics for centuries, and decorative tiles are its best-known craft. The Alicatos brings that tilework off the wall and onto your table.
Earthenware, pressed in relief
Earthenware is fired at a lower temperature than stoneware, which lets the clay hold a crisp, deep relief. The glaze seals the surface.
Food-safe, lead-free glaze
The glaze is food-safe and lead-free, made for direct contact with olive oil every day.
Raised tile pattern, no two alike
Geometric stars and flowers stand out on both faces. The glaze pools in the carved lines, so the pattern reads a little differently on every bottle.
Made for oil and vinegar
The Alicatos is designed as an oil and vinegar cruet, and its flat, rectangular shape stands neatly against a backsplash or next to its twin.
Get to Know Your Alicatos
Tap a card to learn about the clay, the glaze and where your cruet comes from.
A glazed clay body that takes a crisp, deep relief, which is what makes the raised tile pattern possible.
Earthenware is clay fired at a lower temperature than stoneware. It keeps fine detail well, and a glaze seals the surface so it is ready for kitchen use.
The relief gives the Alicatos its tile look, and the flat shape takes less room on the counter than a round bottle of the same size.
Raised stars and flowers under a yellow reactive glaze, finished by hand.
The glaze is food-safe and lead-free, made for direct contact with olive oil, vinegar and everyday kitchen use.
A reactive glaze flows as it melts in the kiln. It gathers in the carved lines and thins on the raised edges, so the color is deeper in some places and lighter in others, and no two bottles match exactly.
A pattern drawn from the decorative tiles of southern Portugal and Spain.
Glazed decorative tiles have covered walls, fountains and courtyards across Portugal and southern Spain for centuries. Many of the geometric star patterns go back to the Moorish tilework of the Iberian peninsula.
Alicatos echoes alicatado, the Iberian technique of cutting glazed tiles into geometric mosaics, the same star-and-flower look raised on this cruet.
Why We Carry Portuguese Ceramics
Portugal is one of the world's leading olive oil producers, and its potters have been making pieces for the kitchen for generations. We chose the Alicatos because it pours cleanly, keeps light off the oil and looks good on the table, which is what we want from a cruet in our own kitchens.
Browse the rest of our olive oil and vinegar cruets, or fill this one with an extra virgin olive oil from our shelves.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much olive oil does it hold?
It holds 500 ml, which is 16.9 fl oz or about 33 tablespoons. For most home cooks that is a few weeks of everyday cooking and drizzling, a good amount to keep the oil in the cruet fresh.
Does it come with a pourer?
Yes. Every Alicatos cruet comes with a stainless steel pourer with a cap. It pulls straight out of the neck, so refilling with a small funnel is easy.
How do I refill it without a mess?
Pull the pourer straight out and stand the cruet in the sink or on a folded towel. Pour through a small funnel and stop at the shoulder of the bottle rather than the very top, so the pourer goes back in without overflowing. Wipe the neck before you put the pourer back.
How do I clean it?
The manufacturer does not list it as dishwasher safe, so we recommend washing it by hand with warm, soapy water and letting it dry upside down before refilling. A soft bottle brush reaches the corners.
How long can oil stay in the cruet?
We suggest filling it with what you will use in a month or two. When it is empty, wash and dry it before refilling, rather than topping old oil up with new, so the fresh oil tastes as it should.
How can I tell if the oil in my cruet has gone stale?
Smell it. Fresh extra virgin olive oil smells green and fruity. Oil that has gone stale smells flat, waxy or like crayons and old nuts. If it smells off, pour it out, wash and dry the cruet, and start again with fresh oil.
Should I use one cruet for oil and another for vinegar?
It is the easiest way to keep flavors clean. The Alicatos is made for both oil and vinegar, so a pair works well: one in red and one in yellow makes it easy to tell them apart at a glance.
Where is it made?
It is made in Portugal. The pattern is inspired by the traditional decorative tiles of southern Portugal and Spain, the same tilework you see on Iberian walls, fountains and courtyards.
Why does my cruet look a little different from the photo?
Reactive glazes move as they melt in the kiln, so the depth of color and the pattern change slightly from piece to piece. That variation is what gives each cruet its own character, not a flaw.
Which Portuguese cruet should I choose?
All of our Portuguese cruets pour the same way; the difference is size and look. The Comporta and Giro hold 350 ml (11.8 fl oz) and suit a small kitchen or the table. The Breezy (grey, blue or verde) holds 400 ml (13.5 fl oz) in a tall amphora shape. The rectangular Alicatos (yellow or red) holds 500 ml (16.9 fl oz), as does the taller Azulejo in cobalt stoneware, and the terracotta Aroma (blue stripe or yellow dot) is the largest at 600 ml (20.3 fl oz).
Does it make a good gift?
Yes. It is a practical gift for anyone who cooks, and it makes a thoughtful housewarming or hostess gift. Pair it with a bottle of our extra virgin olive oil so it is ready to use the day it is opened.
Can I put it in the microwave or oven?
No. A cruet is made for storing and pouring, not heating. Keep it away from the stove, and never put the metal pourer in a microwave.
