Leaky batteries, rotisserie chicken, and bad diapers?! Costco is all about convenience,
but some of their Kirkland products don’t really live up to their signature name.
A splash of balsamic vinegar can top off a perfect Caprese salad,
add flavor to a veggie bowl, and even enhance fruit dishes.
Not to mention, it's also a healthy addition to your favorite meals. Balsamic vinegar has
been shown to help lower cholesterol, aid in digestion, improve blood circulation, and
boost your skin's appearance. It's also a great diabetic-friendly salad dressing and condiment.
Depending on how picky you are about brands, a bottle can pack a punch to your wallet,
with some bottles going for as much as $95 for 100ml. Enter Costco's Kirkland
Signature balsamic vinegar. This popular box store find is just under $20 for a 1L bottle.
Even if you don't find yourself reaching for balsamic vinegar frequently, with a shelf life
of three to five years, this is a great investment you should have stocked in your kitchen pantry.
Costco shoppers keen to score a deal already know about this unguarded secret. Kirkland's
Ultra Clean Premium Laundry Detergent has been tested against major industry
leaders like Tide and Persil, proving itself to be an affordable contender.
Kirkland's Signature Ultra Clean Free & Clear has also earned a very good rating for its ability to
eliminate dirt, not to mention it is an excellent and affordable hypoallergenic option. This makes
it a great choice for washing baby clothes or for anyone with sensitive skin. Kirkland's laundry
detergents are sometimes as little as half the cost of a similar amount by competitors.
Few Kirkland products have gained internet fame quite like the rotisserie chicken. Whether you're
a Costco member or not, anyone in the loop has heard about the famously inexpensive birds. These
whole rotisserie-cooked chickens are just $4.99 at all times — no coupons or sales required.
"No way!"
"Yes, way!"
Apart from being a killer deal, the Kirkland Signature rotisserie chicken
makes for a great weekday meal, snack, or entree.
Don't mistake the cheap price to mean it is a cheap meal; the low cost is due to the company's
loss leader strategy. Costco chooses to lose money on each rotisserie chicken purchase
because it brings in customers who find other things to buy during their visit. Since 2019,
Costco has sourced chickens from its own feed mill, hatchery, and plant in Nebraska. There,
the company contracts nearby farmers to raise more than 100 million birds which
are necessary to stock the store's shelves with a constant supply.
Much like the brand's balsamic vinegar, Kirkland Signature extra virgin olive
oil makes it easy to stock up on a pantry staple at a fraction of the price. Coming
in at around $18 for a 2L bottle, this oil is a fraction of the price competitors are listing.
Regardless of cost, there are a few aspects that experts recommend
you look for in a bottle of olive oil. First, only buy extra-virgin olive oil,
which tends to be of higher quality with a more complex flavor.
You'll also want to check for a harvest date and use-by date to ensure freshness. Finally,
pick a bottle that is opaque or made with dark glass to avoid light from passing through,
which can impact the olive oil's flavor and aroma.
Looking for a sweet topping for your favorite breakfast foods? Before you reach for a bottle
of syrup, ask yourself what it really contains. Unless you've purchased one
that's specifically labeled pure maple syrup, it's likely more sugar than natural syrup.
But if you have a Costco membership, head to your nearest store for an affordable
option that is far better than those packed with high fructose corn syrup.
Kirkland Signature's organic maple syrup is 100% Grade A amber and certified organic by the USDA.
And at around $15 for a 1L bottle, it's a fraction of the price of comparable
brands. Not only is this inexpensive syrup great for topping pancakes and waffles,
but it can also be used to add natural sweetness to other dishes, like desserts or proteins.
Much like gas, real estate, and airline tickets, the price of frozen berries is on
the rise. The frozen fruit industry has seen a sharp increase in sales in recent years,
topping close to $7 billion in 2021. If you're looking for your
fruity fix but feeling the sting of inflation, Costco may have the answer.
The Kirkland Signature brand offers a variety of frozen fruit options. One of its most popular
options is the three berry blend. This 4-pound mixed bag includes strawberries,
blueberries, and blackberries. Throw them into your favorite smoothie mix,
a bowl of yogurt, or eat them on their own for a cool summer treat.
Cashews are a quick mess-free snack that comes with tons of
health benefits. They're rich in minerals like magnesium and zinc, packed with antioxidants,
and can improve blood cholesterol levels and ultimately support healthy heart functioning.
Unfortunately, like most nuts, cashews can cost a pretty penny. A 30-ounce
tub of Target-brand Good & Gather cashews will set you back around $17,
while at Whole Foods, a 24-ounce bag of store-brand cashews is about $15.
But head to Costco, and you'll undoubtedly get more bang for your buck.
A 40-ounce container of Kirkland Signature whole fancy cashews are
less than twenty bucks. You won't run out of ways to savor these salty nuts.
"Ha-ha!"
Okay, okay, real mature! Anyway, you can use them to make your own trail mix,
top a smoothie bowl, or nosh on them solo. No matter how you choose to eat cashews,
you'll spend less and have more to enjoy when you buy from Costco.
Costco's great deals don't end at the door. If your local store features a gas station,
you might want to consider filling your tank after you're finished loading
up your trunk. These stations offer Kirkland Signature-branded gasoline,
and in some locations, you can fill up with diesel as well.
Not only is Costco's gas often several cents cheaper than other stations in the
immediate area, but the fuel also has a Top Tier rating. This means
that it goes beyond the minimum standards of additives mandated by the U.S. government.
Costco is able to slash prices at the pump because you must have a membership to fill up. If you're
already paying the annual fee, take advantage of this added perk to save at the pump too.
Many Kirkland products are carbon copies of name-brand items because
they're actually made in the same factories. But this doesn't necessarily mean that the
Kirkland version will always be of the same caliber as its competitors. Take
Kirkland Signature batteries for instance — they’re actually produced by Duracell.
"I didn't know that."
Despite being made by the familiar brand, Kirkland Signature batteries have been plagued with reports
of poor performance and even leaks. However, when it comes to the duration of their charge, Kirkland
batteries are more or less on-par with Duracell, according to a study by Consumer Reports.
Costco's own branded batteries were once a popular buy among shoppers.
But following a recent price hike, a pack of 48 Kirkland Signature alkaline AAA Plus
batteries costs around $19. By contrast, a pack of 40 Duracell Coppertop alkaline AAA
batteries from Costco goes for about the same price. Given the reports of leakage
with the former, it's worth spending the same amount for slightly fewer batteries.
Much like batteries, you wouldn't be alone in assuming that Kirkland toilet paper is a
budget-friendly buy. Although it has earned average scores for durability and softness,
it won't necessarily save you money compared
to popular toilet paper brands you can find in every other box store.
A 36-roll pack of Kirkland Signature ultra soft bath tissue will cost you around $32. Scott brand,
by comparison, has been named the best budget toilet paper and costs about $27 for the same
number of rolls. Plus, Scott advertises that its toilet tissue is lint-free and features
1,000 sheets per roll, compared to the Costco brand which counts 425 sheets.
If you tend to reach for more expensive brands like Charmin or Quilted Northern,
you will save some cash by switching to Kirkland. However, other budget brands
like Scott will help you save even more and can be found at most supermarkets and box stores.
New parents are faced with a seemingly endless number of choices to make for their little ones,
including selecting a diaper brand. Will it be disposable or reusable? Organic? A name brand
like Huggies and Pampers or a more affordable store brand? With families spending around
$1,000 in the first year on diapers their babies wear 24/7, it isn't an easy decision to make.
Savvy parents looking for a deal on diapers will no doubt notice Kirkland's big box. But while
these diapers advertise high performance for their price, they're around 30% less absorbent
than popular competitor Huggies. While they are free from fragrances, lotions, and chlorine, some
shoppers complain that Costco isn't forthcoming regarding which phthalates are in its diapers.
Kirkland diapers are cheaper than some of the big brands at $0.20 to $0.30 per unit,
but they aren't necessarily the best budget option. In comparison,
Target's Up & Up brand diapers drop as low as just $0.13 per diaper.
Those eager to get their morning caffeine fix without shelling out $5 or more on a daily
Starbucks run will no doubt see Costco's Kirkland Signature ground coffee as a great deal. A 3-pound
can of 100% Colombian sets you back around 20 bucks, and a 2.5-pound bag of Kirkland Signature
medium roast coffee is about $15. Meanwhile, a bag of ground coffee from Starbucks — arguably
the best store-bought coffee brand you can get — will cost you around $10 for less than a pound.
The issue here isn't the cost savings. Instead, it's the flavor of the coffee by the time you
reach the end of the bag. Unless you're brewing multiple pots of coffee a day, odds are that your
grounds will be less than fresh long before you reach the bottom of the bag. This isn't to say
that they'll make you sick, but you'll definitely notice that your coffee tastes a little off.
"Is this coffee?!"
If you're looking to save money,
opt for budget-friendly brands like Folgers that offer smaller containers.
Often, budget brands use unconventional packaging to help shoppers save money.
Take cereal for instance; while the popular name brands house it in convenient boxes,
budget brands opt for bags. Though they might be tougher to use and store,
eliminating extra packaging helps to keep costs in check.
Kirkland Signature took the same approach with its milk. The square jugs you'll find
in the cooler at your local Costco are designed to be easier to pack and ship.
But Costco shoppers have a lot to say about the square jugs that are both
difficult to pour and easy to spill. While you might save a few bucks on your milk fix,
ask yourself whether the savings are worth the waste of milk and time spent cleaning up spills.
Some Kirkland Signature products are more divisive among shoppers than others. The
brand's dishwasher detergent pods are one such item. While some shoppers tout
them as a low-cost way to do the dishes, others have major issues with the product.
The milder complaints note that the pods don't actually clean the dishes well and leave a funky,
fake-lemon, chemical scent. The worst reviews say that the pods don't dissolve
properly and leave a residue, which can damage your dishwasher over time.
If you're already using Kirkland Signature dishwasher detergent
pods and have also noticed that they aren't dissolving properly,
there are a few ways to check whether the pods or your machine are to blame.
For example, a blocked dispenser door, low water temperature,
or a faulty spray arm could be causing the issue rather than your pods. However, if you rule out
any faults with the appliance, it might be time to switch to a more effective product.
Similar to the coffee, Costco's flour bags are one pantry staple that you're better
off buying in a smaller size. Unless you're a baking aficionado, most of us keep flour
tucked away in the pantry and only pull it out to make the occasional baked good.
But keep it tucked away too long and it could actually expire. Flour's shelf life
is between three and eight months depending on the type and how it
is stored. Unlike coffee which loses its flavor as it passes its expiration date,
letting your flour go bad will lead to a musty smell and a sour taste.
If flour isn't stored in an airtight container or happens to be exposed to moisture,
it can develop mold which could be dangerous if consumed. Unless you're a regular baker
and fly through small bags of flour, leave that 25-pound bag of flour at the store.
Unlike toilet paper, facial tissues are a bathroom staple that tends to vary by less than a dollar
between popular name brands and budget bargains. A pack of 12 boxes of Kirkland Signature facial
tissues is just around $20. Meanwhile, 12 boxes of Kleenex brand tissues are around the $25 mark.
Although Costco's store brand tissues are slightly cheaper, you might find yourself
disappointed by their quality. A Consumer Reports study of the best tissues on the market
ranked Kirkland number 10, with several cheaper brands beating it out for quality and softness.
Another drawback of Kirkland's facial tissues is that there's just one option available. Meanwhile,
competitors like Puffs and Kleenex have a variety of lotion or aloe-infused tissues
that give your nose some relief from the dryness and itchiness that often accompanies a cold.