Even A Killer Deal Can't Get Costco Fans To Buy La Colombe Canned Coffee
While many Costco food items have cult followings, not every product is so lucky. La Colombe's canned coffee, for instance, seems to have really struck a nerve with Costco shoppers, especially after Instagram account Costco Buys touted the coffee as being "so tasty."
Despite a sale discounting a 12-count box from $22 to $18, Costco shoppers were less than thrilled with the canned beverage, even if it is a cold brew made with arabica beans. Countless Instagram users called the product "the worst" canned coffee on the market, with one person even likening the taste to that of batteries. Another shopper commented that they "don't mind coffee that tastes like diesel," but La Colombe coffee still ranked dead last in their bad coffee lineup.
Of course, this all begs the question of what exactly has Costco shoppers so put off by this particular grocery store cold brew coffee. Is it simply the taste? The ingredients? Pre-existing prejudice against canned coffee?
La Colombe changed its can design – perhaps for the worse
Don't get us wrong, we realize that no single coffee can please everyone, and every brand is bound to have its naysayers. However, one Reddit user suggested that people have been less than fond of La Colombe canned coffee since the brand removed the plastic tops in 2021. They explained that these plastic tops help the beverage "foam" as you drink it.
As it turns out, La Colombe stated in an earlier post about its plastic tops that the piece not only aids in canned coffee's texture, but also helps prevent an aluminum flavor from seeping into the milky brew. As such, the removal of the plastic top could mean a difference in the coffee's texture, as well as a jarring change in taste.
This particular change seems to be backed up by customer reviews — one on La Colombe's website says that the drink does not froth. Others commented that the coffee left a strange aftertaste in their mouth, and while they didn't specify what the weird taste was, it's very possible that it was from the aluminum can reacting to the milk.