American warehouse chain store Costco may be known for selling high-quality beef, discounted wines, bulk packages of toilet paper or paper towels, and delicious rotisserie chickens, but for careful shoppers, there are more underrated and value-for-money products to be found while browsing Costco, with most of them being food products.
Costco often sells products in bulk, so it’s important to consume them before they expire. If living conditions are cramped or there’s not enough space at home to store large quantities of food, it’s not recommended to purchase large bags of various flours, sugars, and other baking essentials at Costco. However, there are also value-for-money food products that don’t take up much space to store, which are worth buying.
Adam Dolge, a food editor, recipe developer, and a father who manages the family budget with spreadsheets, wrote an article on June 19 on the Eating Well website about why he enjoys shopping at Costco – to find great deals on products.
Below are Dolge’s top ten favorite value-for-money products at Costco, priced at $15 or below (prices may vary with time and location).
Nuts are perfect for snacking, not only delicious but also super healthy and versatile. However, nuts can be relatively expensive, and buying in bulk can save money, which is a key reason for purchasing nuts at Costco.
Costco sells a 3-pound bag of almonds for $9.99, a 2-pound bag of pecans for $10.99, and a 3-pound bag of walnuts for $7.99. These nut prices are hard to beat by competitors.
How should you store them? Dolge suggests storing them in individual, freezer-safe zip-top bags in the refrigerator.
According to Food & Wine, whole nuts can be stored in the fridge for up to a year, but roasted or ground nuts can only be stored for about six months.
Like nuts, pumpkin seeds are a nutritious but relatively expensive food, perfect for buying in bulk and storing in the refrigerator.
At Costco, you can buy a 22-ounce bag of shelled pumpkin seeds for $9.99. Similar to nuts, pumpkin seeds can be stored in the refrigerator in freezer bags and last for several months.
For $10.99 at Costco, you can buy a twin-pack (28 ounces each) of Kirkland’s Signature organic peanut butter.
Peanut butter is a very healthy food that can be spread on whole wheat toast for breakfast or enjoyed as a tasty snack.
Fresh seasonal fruits are delicious, but having frozen berries all year round is also great.
Dolge introduces Costco’s 3-pound pack of Kirkland Signature organic blueberries for $7.99, a 4-pound pack of Kirkland Signature organic strawberries for $10.99, and a 3-pound pack of Townsend Farms organic Berry Supreme (mixed berries) for $10.79. These berries can be stored in the fridge for six months or longer.
It takes a whole season for a mature maple tree to produce a gallon of maple syrup, which is why maple syrup is costly. Cheaper alternatives contain artificial flavors and higher fructose. Maple syrup also has a rich, sweet taste of maple wood.
A 33.8-ounce can of Kirkland maple syrup is priced at $14.99, which is at least a few dollars cheaper than in regular grocery stores or big box stores like Walmart.
Whether it’s maple syrup or cane sugar, sugar is sugar, but pure maple syrup uses less sweetener.
Dolge writes that Wild Planet brand wild Pacific sardines are sold in a pack of 6 cans for $9.99 at Costco, and he can use this fish to make several pasta dishes or salads.
He states that canned sardines are very healthy and undervalued. These canned fish are lightly smoked, giving them a toasted bread flavor.
Vanilla extract is one of the most expensive ingredients in baking (in terms of volume). Dolge mentions that purchasing a bottle (16 fluid ounces) of pure vanilla extract from Costco costs only $11.99. For comparison, a popular vanilla extract brand would cost $100 or even more for the same amount.
Vanilla extract is made by soaking vanilla beans in a solution of water and alcohol (like vodka). Alcohol extracts a flavor called vanillin from the vanilla beans, hence the name vanilla extract.
Vanilla extract has a long shelf life, and its flavor only improves with time as it sits in a cool, dark cabinet. If stored in a cool and dark cabinet, it can be used indefinitely, but it’s best to use it up within five years.
String cheese is convenient to eat and has a high protein content. A 48-piece pack of Polly-O mozzarella string cheese costs $11.49 at Costco. Dolge mentions that his family can typically enjoy it for a month or two.
Olives are a staple in the Mediterranean diet, healthy, delicious, and one of Dolge’s favorite foods. He mentions keeping a large jar of olives in the fridge to snack on. Pickled olives can be stored in the fridge for up to a year or longer.
At Costco, you can buy a 27-ounce can of Parthenon pitted kalamata olives for $9.99 or a 19-ounce can of Asaro organic Castelvetrano olives for $7.79.
Dolge mentions that he always enjoys buying a box of 2-pound greenhouse-grown cocktail tomatoes, priced at about $7.99, as they are affordable, delicious, and versatile compared to similar tomatoes at other supermarkets which might cost $6 per pound.
Depending on the season, you can get a 1.5-pound box of cherry tomatoes for $8.99 or a 2-pound box of grape tomatoes for $5.69 at Costco.