Costco boasts an extensive variety of Kirkland products, with its food section being especially notable. Whether you’re loading up on tasty frozen meals or savoring the famous hot dog combo from the food court, you’ll discover numerous enticing choices. However, some items don’t impress all shoppers.
Frequent customers point out that certain pre-packaged products and other household items are best avoided due to their subpar quality and cost. We’ve compiled a list of thirteen items that fans, nutrition experts, and regular buyers recommend steering clear of at the wholesale giant.
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13 Kirkland Items Customers Suggest Skipping at Costco Due to 'Mystifyingly Bad' Quality
1. Macaroni and Cheese
It's hard to go wrong with macaroni and cheese—or at least that's what we thought. According to Costco fans on Reddit, the Kirkland prepared mac and cheese is incredibly disappointing due to a lack of flavor. Say it ain't so! "It's BLAND!" one comment complained. Someone pointed out a bit of irony: "But to your surprise, it’s still really high in sodium!" When you consider the health risks of all that sodium, bland macaroni and cheese definitely isn't worth the risk. We'll stick to making our own at home, or even microwaving some Easy Mac.
2. Chicken Pot Pie
If you ask us, chicken pot pie is just about the comfort food to end all comfort foods. But it sounds like Costco's Kirkland take on this tasty dish just doesn't meet the mark flavor-wise. "They use those stupid flavorless baby carrots and somehow find a way to put rubbery cubes of chicken in there. It’s gross," says one comment. "Totally agree that they are awful," someone else replied. "The crust is cardboard, the flavor is not there and it's hard to get past all the sodium. I've been spoiled all my life with good homemade chicken pot pie, so that may be part of the problem, but damn, so bad!"
3. Kirkland Signature Protein Bars
Protein bars may seem like a perfectly healthy food. Unfortunately, this is oftentimes not the case, especially when it comes to Kirkland Signature Protein Bars. "While Kirkland Signature Protein Bars may seem like a convenient and nutritious snack option, it's crucial to be aware of their ingredients. The inclusion of erythritol, a sugar alcohol, might raise some concerns. Erythritol is known to cause digestive issues in certain individuals, including stomach discomfort, bloating, and gas," Jessie Hulsey RD, an Atlanta-based registered dietitian, told Eat This, Not That.
4. Kirkland Bath Tissue
The recent COVID-19 pandemic has taught us a valuable lesson – having a surplus of toilet paper is always a good decision. However, the quality of Costco's own-brand toilet paper "isn't ideal," according to Ariel Klein, a writer and shopping expert for Real Simple, and it requires a greater amount per use. This translates to a faster depletion of your supply, which in turn implies that purchasing toilet paper in bulk from Costco may not necessarily equate to a more cost-effective approach.
5. Kirkland Rotisserie Chicken
Without question, Costco's hot rotisserie chicken is one of its most iconic offerings. Straight from the deli, expertly seasoned and cooked just right, it has earned its reputation for a reason. Nonetheless, not every customer shares this sentiment. Some have raised concerns about its quality and frequent lack of freshness, as mentioned in the Reddit discussion “What do you NOT buy from Costco?” in r/frugal.
One user wrote: "I don't buy rotisserie chicken" as other users found their chicken to be tasting "chemically" and "soapy," and employees suggested that it might be the packaging. (Maybe there are better and fresher rotisserie chicken options elsewhere!)
6. Kirkland Cream Cheese
Unfortunately, this is one Kirkland brand that fans say cannot dethrone the name brand. Philadelphia Cream Cheese will forever be the best-tasting cream cheese out there, at least according to Costco customers. "Nothing compares to the Phili cream cheese," one person wrote on Instagram. "The Kirkland brand feels 'gritty' or the taste is off."
"Texture is so off," another person agreed. An additional user noted: "We ended up throwing out the entire package when we tried it. Anyone who claims they can't taste the difference has no taste buds."
7. Kirkland Baked Goods
Other Costco members in the aforementioned Reddit chat noted that they refrain from buying baked goods in the iconic bakery section. "I go out of my way not to buy baked goods there," one noted. They explained: "I occasionally make exceptions (like pumpkin pie) but I just can't have 36 enormous delicious cookies around me. I can't have a 9 pound cheesecake."
Someone else replied: "I only buy bagels if I can immediately slice and freeze them. They’re great right out of the freezer! Otherwise they go moldy before we can eat them." An additional user noted that they choose to grab these goods elsewhere as the "portions" at Costco are "just too large."
8. Kirkland Bacon
One Costco customer took to Reddit to see if anyone else noticed the decrease in the quality of Kirkland bacon. Writing with the pen name @MCMDigital, the customer titled their thread, "The Bacon is Garbage Now!" and posted it in the Costco subreddit. "Has anyone else noticed the quality of bacon getting really bad the last few years?" @MCMDigital asked. "I am noticing inconsistent slicing, too much fat, some slices are even paper thin!"
The bacon they're referring to is the Kirkland Sliced Bacon that's Naturally Hickory Smoked and comes in a 1lb package. While many customers opt for this Kirkland-branded bacon because it's Costco's very own brand and often comes at the best price, it's looking like the great price isn't worth how poor the quality is.
"The fat content is ridiculous," one person wrote on the Reddit thread. "You can't even separate them sometimes because the fat just sticks and then separated onto the other piece. There is next to no meat just fat." "Yes!" another person agreed. "We quit buying it about 6 months ago because the quality was horrible! It started during Covid and just got worse."
9. Kirkland Batteries
Batteries may be cheaper at Costco, but with the reduction in price apparently comes a reduction in quality. "Kirkland batteries are awful," one person wrote on Reddit. "They leak like it is their job. I've had them leak, unused, in original packings inside of 18 months." "Agreed," another person shared. "They are awful. Battery acid in all my remotes and kids' toys. Not worth it!"
And leaking isn't the only issue. They apparently don't last as long as other battery brands either. "I can confirm that they don't last long," one person wrote. "Had to buy Duracells because my toothbrush only lasted a week. Then my toothbrush lasted over a month with the new batteries. They are crap batteries."
10. Kirkland Signature Laundry Detergent
Although many consumers have varying opinions on Kirkland products, Costco’s store-brand laundry detergent has faced widespread disapproval, according to FinanceBuzz. Customers have described Kirkland Signature Laundry Detergent as inexplicably poor and "mystifyingly bad," the outlet notes.
11. Kirkland Platinum Performance Dishwasher Soap
Similar to toilet paper, Kirkland dishwasher pods may be one frugal option you're better off passing up if you want good quality. "I've had so many bad experiences with the Kirkland dishwasher pods that I won't give them any more chances," laments one Redditor.
"They did such a lousy job I switched back to Cascade Platinum, which works well," agreed another comment. According to FinanceBuzz, other users and Costco shoppers also described the soap as leaving a "horrible residue."
12. Kirkland Sheets
If you're looking to add some extra sets of sheets to your linen closet, don't stop at Costco. Even if these are your back up set of sheets or just the sheets you use for guests, it's still not worth it. "The Kirkland sheets suck," one superfan wrote.
"Mine got holes in them after 3 washes." And this isn't a one-off experience either. "Yep," another user agreed. "Only sheets in my life that I have punched a whole through with my foot white sleeping."
13. Kirkland Contact Solution
For those out there who are bound by contacts, you know how important it is to have good quality contact solution. Unfortunately, the Kirkland brand is not it, Costco fans say. "I don't like the Kirkland brand contact solution," one customer shared.
"My contacts don't feel as comfortable and moist for as long when I use it compared to name brands. Which makes me sad because it's so much cheaper." This is just one of those things where you simply can't trade quality for price.
The Bottom Line
Costco is a fantastic place to find a lot of things—but unfortunately, that doesn't include these foods. So next time you're at the warehouse, stick to those fan-favorite products you know and love, and maybe just go with a food court hot dog.
