Costco has always had its die-hard fans, but with inflation and tariffs driving up grocery prices like never before, the warehouse store’s bulk-buy deals are attracting a whole new set of shoppers. The fact that Costco’s CEO assured customers the store is “well equipped to lower prices” amid increasing tariffs is likely boosting its numbers, too. But to truly get the most bang for your buck at Costco, it’s important to know which items to leave out of your cart—and savvy Costco members recently took to social media to share their list of the worst things to buy at the store.
RELATED: Doctor Warns Never to Buy These 4 Foods From Costco: “Diabetes Bomb Sprinkled With Heart Disease.”
1. Chicken Breasts
Costco Shoppers Slam “Woody, Stringy” Chicken: “Totally Inedible”Shutterstock
In a recent Reddit thread, a Costco shopper posed the question: “We all obviously love Costco, but what’s one item you will never buy again from there?”
They kick things off by saying, “For us we refuse to buy the multi pack chicken breasts. They are stringy and slimy, they just look/taste bad.”
Countless shoppers chimed in, complaining about the “woody” chicken breasts.
“That and ‘spaghetti meat’ in chicken meat are so repulsive,” said one unhappy member. “The texture is weird. Woody meat is just tough, too.”
As for why the Costco chicken breasts have this strange texture, one shopper claimed: “Some mass produced chicken breasts will have an off-putting tough texture due to being grown way larger and faster than they should be.”
Several other shoppers said the organic chicken breasts taste much better, however, they’re not necessarily cheaper.
“I haven’t had any issues with the organic breasts,” said one shopper. “It’s not a huge savings over the organic prices at the grocery store though, so I no longer make a special Costco run just when I need chicken.”
2. Kirkland Burnt Ends
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Costco’s in-house Kirkland brand makes packages of fully-cooked burnt ends. The smoked and seasoned beef brisket comes with a barbecue sauce, but shoppers say it’s all a big no-no.
“The burnt ends were so bad. It was mostly fat pieces. I couldn’t believe what a waste,” one Redditor shared.
“They are fat coated in bbq sauce. So nasty,” agreed another, while someone else said, “I’ve purchased gum with less chew to it.”
“Don’t forget the salt,” pointed out another shopper. “They are like 44% salt.”
RELATED: 5 Most Overpriced Costco Items—And Where to Get Them Cheaper.
3. Muffins
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The big, moist muffins from Costco’s bakery department were once one of the store’s most popular items. But late last year, a major controversy ensued when the warehouse allegedly shrunk its muffins.
As Best Lifereported at the time, “The store is no longer selling 12-packs of mix-and-match muffin flavors for $9.99. Instead, they’re now only available in 8-packs of a single flavor for $6.99—and much smaller in size.”
Unfortunately, this wasn’t a temporary change, and shoppers are not enjoying these new, smaller muffins, even referring to them as “trash.”
“Too cake-y, not dense like a muffin should be,” said one Redditor, while another chimed in, “They are so bad now – bland and texture is grainy.”
“They are like eating sand. I dunno how they even get the texture like that,” agreed someone else.
Several shoppers also claim the new muffins go bad much faster than the old ones.
“I stopped getting the muffins because I’d find mold on them the very next day,” said one Redditor. Another agreed, “Same. Mold on the muffins within a day or two.”
4. Kirkland Diapers
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As any parent knows, diapers are a great expense, which is why so many choose to buy them in bulk at Costco. But think twice before purchasing the Kirkland brand diapers.
“I hate those diapers so much. They’re weirdly shaped and smaller than the old ones. It’s like someone who’d never seen a human baby before designed them,” complained a Redditor.
“My newborn can barely fit his tiny butt in the new size 1’s, but the old size 1’s fit perfectly,” shared another.
But it’s not just the fit that’s the issue. “They are horrible. Our son had the worst diaper rash of his life from them. Never again,” another Redditor wrote, to which many other parents shared their own diaper rash horror stories.
Someone else shared that the diapers are “one of the only things I’ve ever returned half- used. Costco guy told me I was like the 10th return that day.”
RELATED: “Never Again” Buy Tires From Costco, Shoppers Say: “Simply Horrendous.”
5. Kevin’s Meat Products
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Costco sells several fully cooked items from the brand Kevin’s, including roasted garlic chicken, cilantro lime chicken, and beef and broccoli stir fry. But a ton of Redditors say they stay far away from anything from this brand.
“They remind me of an MRE, and I’ve had many MREs that are better than Kevins,” quipped one Costco member.
“Yes, so disappointing. The flavors are decent but the quality and texture of the meats are dreadful,” said another.
One more shopper added that the meals taste “so overly processed,” and yet another said, “The Korean bbq beef has close to the right flavor, but the texture is all wrong.”
However, several shoppers noted that Kevin’s makes food for those with dietary restrictions.
“As someone who can’t eat soy, (soy is in everything) it’s nice to have something heat and eat available,” pointed out one person, while another said, “The Celiacs in my house love and are grateful for…Kevin’s.”
6. Kirkland Cold Brew Coffee
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The first comment in the thread about how awful the Kirkland cold brew is reads: “I’d rather drink boiling hot battery acid than ever put my lips on the Kirkland signature cold brew can again.”
“It simultaneously tastes bland and strong at the same time. I have no idea how they are making it, but it just tastes off,” someone else shared.
Others said it’s the worst cold brew they’ve ever had and described it as “vile” and “intolerable.”
“It tastes like they are using robusta beans or low quality arrabica beans (it has too much of the astringent taste in coffee – some people describe it a drying one’s tongue),” theorized one shopper.
RELATED: Shoppers Are Abandoning Costco for Sam’s Club: “I’m Absolutely Fed Up.”
7. Del Real Birria & Cheese Pupusas
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Pupusas are a traditional El Salvadorian dish made of a corn tortilla stuffed with meat, cheese, and beans and fried or grilled.
The brand Del Real makes a fully cooked version with birria and cheese, but Costco shoppers say it’s another item to avoid because they’re “dry and bland,” “gross,” and “flavorless.”
“I was so excited when they got the pupusas, but they are so bad. I couldn’t even finish one, and threw the rest of the box away after it sat in the freezer for months,” wrote one shopper, to which several agreed they also threw the pupusas out.
8. Frozen Chicken Bakes
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The chicken bake is one of the most beloved items at the Costco food court, so much so that Kirkland launched a version in the freezer aisle. But according to shoppers, they are “smaller and taste different,” and not in a good way.
“They are AWFUL! I used to love going to Costco and enjoying a freshly baked chicken bake. After trying their frozen ones it gave me a bad taste and completely turned me off from their fresh ones too,” shared a Redditor.
“I never thought the bakes would be bad, but after buying a pack, I tried them and it was like a sweaty sock,” said another. “I never returned a food item (let alone frozen), but that was my first item returned.”
RELATED: Costco Bakery Employees Reveal What’s Made Fresh In-House—And What’s Frozen.
9. Avocados
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Shoppers say it all comes down to what country the Costco avocados are from—so you may want to check the label before adding them to your cart, otherwise they may be “kinda slimy and resist mashing.”
“The Peruvian ones are the worst avocados I’ve ever had. You have to check the bag and see where they’re from that day,” advised one Costco member.
“Only get the California or Mexican avocado. Never get the South American avocado, they’re the ones that give it a bad name,” agreed another.
10. Kirkland Protein Bars
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Finally, you may want to skip that box of Kirkland protein bars.
“They’re heinous, dry and chalky,” complained one shopper.
“I couldn’t believe that Kirkland actually sold something with such a revolting texture and flavor,” said another. “I did not get a hint of peanut butter or chocolate. I am not usually a picky eater, but it genuinely felt like something that should not be edible.”
“The only food item I’ve ever returned to Costco,” shared a third.
Content shared from bestlifeonline.com.