Costco offers a wide array of Kirkland products, with its food section standing out in particular. Whether you’re stocking up on delicious frozen meals or enjoying the renowned hot dog combo from the food court, you’ll find many tempting options. However, not every item wins over shoppers.
Regular customers highlight that some pre-packaged foods and household goods fall short in terms of quality and value. We have gathered a list of eight products that enthusiasts, nutrition specialists, and frequent buyers suggest avoiding at the wholesale retailer.
8 Kirkland Products from Costco That Shoppers Regret Buying: 'Zero Stars!' for Dishwasher Pods, Cold Brew, and More
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 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!)
4. 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."
5. 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."
6. 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."
7. Kirkland Platinum Performance Dishwasher Soap
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."
8. Kirkland Signature Colombian Cold Brew Coffee
Before tossing a case of Kirkland Signature Colombian Cold Brew Coffee into your cart, you might want to take into account the many negative reviews these canned coffees have garnered. One customer on Reddit noted they'd give this cold brew "zero stars."
As reported by Eat This, Not That, one customer wrote on Reddit that these coffees were "undrinkable" and another deemed them to be "close to battery acid." An additional Costco shopper complained that they "taste like week-old coffee left on a counter."
The Bottom Line
Costco is a fantastic place to find a lot of things—but unfortunately, that doesn't include these foods, drinks and household items. 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.
