Olive oil 5 litre for restaurants: price per litre and frying oil

Buying olive oil 5 litre at a time is the practical way to keep costs under control in a restaurant, pizzeria or bar, and to keep service moving on the line. In a professional kitchen, extra virgin oil does the cooking and finishing, while a stable sunflower oil goes in the fryer.

If you buy for a restaurant, pizzeria or bar in Switzerland, this guide gives you a practical comparison of formats, containers and smoke points. We show how to work out the price per litre, when to choose a 100% Italian oil, and how delivery works: same day in German-speaking Switzerland with our own vans, by Swiss Post or Galliker elsewhere.

How much does a litre of olive oil cost for restaurants?

There is no single figure: it depends on the category (extra virgin or seed oil), the origin (100% Italian or an EU blend) and the format. Prices change, so the current ones are always in the shop. The only fair comparison is the price per litre.

The sum is simple: divide the price of the container, or of the case, by the litres it holds. Count 5 L for the tin or the 5-litre bottle, 10 L for the large format and 0.25 L for the 250 ml glass bottle. Always compare oils of the same category and the same use.

Which format should you choose: 5-litre PET bottle, 5-litre tin or 10 litres?

Here are the five LAPA oils made for professional kitchens: from Zucchi's Pallade to the 100% Italian extra virgin oils from Primoljo, plus the two Zeta sunflower oils for frying. All data comes from the product sheets.

The 5-litre and 10-litre formats are for the line, the fryer and prep, while the 250 ml glass bottle is made for table service. If you use a lot of oil, taking the full case keeps your storeroom simple.

Tin or PET: what changes for olive oil in the kitchen?

A 5-litre steel tin, like the OLIVUM, is opaque and shields the oil from light. A PET bottle is lighter, easy to hold and lets you see at once how much oil is left. Whichever container you choose, remember that light, heat and air spoil oil.

• Keep tins and containers in the storeroom, away from ovens and stoves.
• Always close the cap after use, to limit contact with the air.
• Decant only what you need into small dispensers for the line.
• Always use the container that has been open the longest first.

Which oil should you use for frying in a professional kitchen?

For the professional fryer, choose Zeta high-oleic in the 10-litre PET bottle: it has over 75% oleic acid, a smoke point around 230 °C and a neutral taste, and it is more stable and lasts longer than standard sunflower oil. Zeta sunflower oil in 5 litres has a 224 °C smoke point, a neutral taste and is a versatile oil.

Extra virgin, by contrast, is kept for raw use, finishing and cooking where you want to taste the olives. In the fryer, a neutral, stable oil is the right choice. Read more about extra virgin oil in quality restaurants in our guide.

100% Italian extra virgin olive oil or EU blend: how do you read the label?

Extra virgin is the highest category of olive oil: it is obtained only by mechanical processes and has a maximum acidity of 0.8%. On the label, 100% Italian means olives grown and pressed in Italy, as with OLIVUM and Torchio Antico from Salento; European olives means an EU blend, as in Zucchi's Pallade.

Which to choose? An EU blend, like the 5-litre Pallade with its balanced fruitiness, suits everyday cooking. Where the oil is the star, raw and on the table, go for 100% Italian. To learn more, read our guide on recognising the quality of Italian oil for your restaurant.

Where can you buy olive oil in large formats in Switzerland?

Order every day until 05:00 in the morning and the goods arrive the same day. Service ends at 1 am? Order after closing and it's in your kitchen today. Our refrigerated vans cover German-speaking Switzerland (ZH, AG, BS, BL, SO, LU, ZG, SZ, SG, TG, SH, GL) and Bern, with no minimum order and the oil in the same delivery as fresh and frozen goods.

Outside the van routes (Romandy, Ticino, Grisons, Valais) we ship with Swiss Post PostPac Priority up to 25 kg on the next working day, or with Galliker under controlled temperature in 2-3 working days. You can order 24/7 from the shop, the Zero Pensieri app and WhatsApp. Do you already know Oleificio Zucchi in Cremona, our supplier?

Frequently asked questions about olive oil for restaurants

How do I compare oil prices across different formats?

Divide the price of the container or the case by the litres it holds and you get the price per litre at once. Compare only oils of the same category and the same use: 5 L with 5 L, 10 L with 10 L, not a kitchen tin with a table bottle.

What is high-oleic sunflower oil?

It is a sunflower oil with over 75% oleic acid, made for the professional fryer. Zeta from Oleificio Zucchi, in the 10-litre PET bottle, has a neutral taste, a smoke point around 230 °C and lasts longer than standard sunflower oil.

Do I need a 100% Italian extra virgin for cooking?

It depends on the dish. For everyday cooking, a blend of European olives like the 5-litre Pallade works well; choose the 100% Italian OLIVUM or Torchio Antico for raw use and the table.

Is there a minimum order for oil?

No, LAPA has no minimum order, not even for a single case of oil. Tins and containers arrive in the same delivery as fresh, frozen and dry goods.

Do you deliver oil outside German-speaking Switzerland?

Yes, we deliver across Switzerland. Romandy, Ticino, Grisons and Valais are outside our van routes: there we ship with Swiss Post PostPac Priority up to 25 kg on the next working day, or with Galliker under controlled temperature in 2-3 working days.

How do you order olive oil for restaurants from LAPA?

Pick the oil you need in the LAPA online shop and check the current prices per litre. No minimum order, not even for one case: order every day until 05:00 in the morning and in German-speaking Switzerland the goods arrive the same day with our vans.

Prefer to talk it through? Message us on WhatsApp +41 76 361 70 21: our AI agents reply 24/7. If you want a voice, call and you will find a person Monday to Friday 06:00-17:00 and Saturday 06:00-12:00.