A Love Letter To Costco
A millennial's journey to Costco.
I never shopped at Costco until I got married. Sure, I tagged along with my parents on their Costco trips, but only out of obligation. In my early adulthood, I saw the wholesale mega center as a symbol of everything wrong with America—people, mostly unhealthy, overindulging and overspending in every aspect of modern life. I don’t want to get too cynical, but in many ways, Costco still represents that. However, once I grew up, Costco became so much more to me.
A couple of years into our marriage, my husband and I realized how expensive certain essentials (and non-essentials) were at regular grocery stores—paper towels, garbage bags, Kerrygold butter, maple syrup, single-ingredient peanut butter (imagine that, peanut butter with just one ingredient!), and more. So, we made our way to Costco, got a membership card, and started buying staples in bulk. And just like that, a 3-pound bag of almond flour cost the same as a 1-pound bag at our local grocery store, and 12 paper towels cost the same as six. I truly felt like I had completed my rite of passage as an adult.
But it wasn’t just the savings that had me falling in love—we started trying Costco’s premade deli foods. From the chicken noodle soup to the street taco platter, the enchilada bake to the meatloaf, every single one was delicious, satisfying, and tasted homemade. To this day, they continue to nourish our family through flu seasons and postpartum days, when cooking truly isn’t an option.
But what keeps me coming back to Costco? Surely, the meatloaf and savings alone aren’t enough to justify battling the enormous crowds—the slow-moving elderly trying to save a buck or the large groups clogging the aisles, waiting for free samples. It’s not even the cult-favorite rotisserie chickens, which people queue up for like animals, ready to snatch one the second they come out of the oven. What truly has me falling in love with Costco time and time again is the company’s commitment to evolving with its customers. As consumer preferences shift, so do the products on the shelves. Every time I fall in love with a new, up-and-coming food product, it’s only a matter of time before it appears at Costco—bigger and cheaper. They really do keep up with what customers want and need—what I want and need.
Christine Baskets in Costco—IYKYK. I love how much this video conveys the experience of Costco. The moment you walk in, you’re greeted by the vastness of bulk-buying possibilities, the distinct scent of cardboard, the bakery, and the rotisserie chickens. And of course, the sample stations greeting you like an old friend at every corner.
SOME of My Favorite Products to Buy at Costco
Nordic Ware: Costco always has a set of Nordic Ware products. This brand is my #1 choice for sheet pans.
Dates: Dates are having a viral moment. How can you beat this price for the quantity?
Rack of Lamb: Sourced from New Zealand or Australia, these lamb chops are top notch and one of my family’s favorite dinners.
Whole Branzinos: I usually buy the wild frozen fish in the freezer section, but you can’t beat these. They’re gutted and cleaned. Just stuff with lemon and herbs and cooked on a grill. They usually come around in the spring and summer at my Costco.
Kerrygold: Or Kirkland brand of grass-fed butter
DOP Parmigiano Reggiano: Hands down, the most underrated product at Costco—and my personal favorite. It is “cut and packed in Italy”. You can’t beat this stuff—or the price—especially if you go through as much of it as I do. They also have a great Pecorino Romano if you’re interested.
Wild Sockeye Salmon: Sockeye salmon is leaner/drier than I prefer, but it’s SO healthy for you and the filets come with the skin on (my favorite part). The price fluctuates and is sometimes cheaper than the farm raised.
Avocado Oil: I never buy olive oil at Costco since they don’t carry my favorite brands, but avocado oil is such a great staple for many uses. Love that Costco offers high-quality options.
Flour:
King Arthur Bread Flour is on my list of top-quality flours. If you bake bread, this is a must-have.
Kirland AP: There’s a conspiracy that this flour is actually my favorite from Central Milling Co., just rebranded as Kirkland. The verdict is still out, but I buy it when I run out of Central Milling Co., and it tastes wonderful.
Almond Flour: If you make “healthy” treats almond flour is a must.
Organic Cane Sugar: This sugar looks a bit different, but I use it just like I would bleached, processed sugar. Don’t be afraid to use it the same way as the other stuff.
Castelvetrano Olives: These are the best olives you can buy in bulk. Not only are they the brightest green, but they also have amazing flavor and the crispiest texture—no mush here.
Chicken Stock & Broth
Maple Syrup: If you don’t know this already, 100% pure maple syrup is typically the same quality no matter the price. Don’t let the grocery store fool you—Costco knows what’s up.
Victoria’s White Linen Marinara: I truly love the taste and texture of this sauce, and these two 40 oz bottles cost the same as one 16 oz bottle at the grocery store—and I’m a saucy lady.
Maya Kaimal: This is a great example of an up-and-coming brand with great taste and quality ingredients making its way to Costco in bulk. LOVE it!
Seven Sundays: Beyond excited that Costco is selling my favorite cereal. It’s actually insane how “clean” this cereal is. If you’ve tried it and didn’t like it, try it again with my favorite tip—add a pinch of salt.
Pine Nuts: Find me a cheaper bag of organic pine nuts. I’ll wait.
Costco’s Birthday Cakes
I have never made a birthday cake for my kids. And I’m not ashamed of it. For $15.99, you can buy a delicious vanilla or chocolate cake instead of spending hours (and probably more money) making one from scratch. I’ll keep buying my kids a Costco birthday cake until the day they decide they don’t want cake for their birthday anymore.
Here’s how I fill out the special order cake form:
10” Round Cake
White or chocolate cake
Write a note on cake design: No design. Piping only.
Add these sprinkles to the top.
More Reasons to Love Costco
If you’re really invested in the wholesaler, this almost 3 hour podcast about the company’s history is definitely worth a listen.
Acquired: “Costco: The Complete History and Strategy
Last month, Costco raised wages for its hourly employees and received widespread public praise. Read more about it here.
Chicken Gate
If you noticed, I didn’t include the famous Costco rotisserie chicken on my list of favorite buys. That’s because I don’t buy them. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, I typically roast my own chickens—I just do. Second, their rotisserie chicken tastes like soap.
Soap, you say? Yes, soap. And if you don’t believe me, here’s an article from Bon Appetite to back me up on this strange phenomenon.
Moral of the story: The chickens Costco sources for its rotisserie birds are loaded with sodium phosphate—a preservative that improves texture. Because these birds are grown so big, so fast, their meat can end up with a weird texture, and sodium phosphate helps fix that.
If you’ve never noticed the soapy taste, you’re not alone—only about 40% of people can detect it. Turns out, I’m one of them.
I, along with everyone in my town, love Costco. So much so that our town has one of the busiest Costcos in the western United States.
However, there’s something absurd about loving a company whose entire business model is built on impulse buying, overconsumption, and waste. Watching a pair of retirees buy three pounds of strawberries—knowing they’ll likely go bad in a few days and get thrown out—is ludicrous. But when they cost the same as a pint of strawberries, it’s hard to argue with the logic.
That said, to critique Costco is to critique the last 75 years of American consumer culture. If we, as a society, suddenly (more like magically) decided to change our habits and adopt more mindful consumption, I’m convinced Costco would be the first to evolve with us. Until then, please share your favorite products from Costco.
Xx Kayla
Thanks for some good choice tips