The Best & Worst New Foods To Buy At Costco In 2024
Costco warehouses constantly rearrange their shelves to accommodate new alluring products, but not all are worthwhile buys. With such a wide selection, it can be hard to discern which are best for your family and tastes. On the other hand, part of the joy of shopping there is finding and trying new items. Often, these purchases are fun and delicious, but occasionally you'll run across a dud.
Unfortunately, the members-only warehouse sells large portions and packages. In other words, trying something new means risking having to eat or throw away massive quantities of the stuff if it turns out to be unpleasant. That can put a damper on picking up different products than your usual groceries.
We've compiled a list of several new inventory items that Costco has added in 2024, along with shoppers' opinions and experiences with each one — we'll explain how we came up with this list and picked our favorites in more detail below. All of the prices mentioned here are accurate for mid-Michigan warehouses at the time this article was published. With luck, our advice will help you on your next grocery run to the warehouse giant.
Buy: White chocolate cranberry cookies from the bakery
Cookies are always yummy, but Costco's bakery has gone above and beyond with its new Kirkland white chocolate cranberry cookies. At around $10 for 24 or under 50 cents a cookie, these are a great deal just like the warehouse's other cookies. Even better, they're a crowd-pleaser, so whether you're providing snacks for your next book club meeting or planning a birthday party, these should be at the top of your list.
Redditors are raving about these cookies, with RedditModsFailedIRL declaring, "Omfg yes they're amazing!" Reddit user Suitable-Telephone80 agreed, posting "Careful, they're dangerous!" Finance and budgeting expert Seren Parry lauded both the price (of course!) and the taste, telling us in an email interview, "[Costco gives] great value for money ... The white chocolate cranberry cookies from the bakery were a delightful surprise; they strike the perfect balance between sweet and tart, making them a hit at our family gatherings."
The only reason to steer clear of this product is the size of the package — if you're planning on eating them solo, 24 cookies is a lot. The last few might get stale before you manage to consume them, but that's what freezers are for.
Don't buy: Blueberry bagels from the bakery
Costco bagels have generally gotten good reviews, except the blueberry bagel which was discontinued years ago and recently reappeared. Not all connoisseurs loved the taste of these. One Redditor, Ragincajun1986, wrote, "These were just okay for me. The blueberry flavor was subtle. It didn't taste right with cream cheese and was better with butter and cinnamon on it. Not terrible but wouldn't buy again."
At many warehouses, Kirkland Signature bagels cost between $8 and $10 for a dozen, which is higher than other grocery store bagels. For example, Walmart peddles a half dozen for between $2 and $4. Costco's price is a great deal, though, when you compare it to bagel shops like Einstein Bros, which offers a baker's dozen for around $16.
Finally, some Redditors on r/Costco pointed out that this bakery product molds quickly, within about two days of purchase in some cases. It's hard for a single family to eat 12 bagels in that amount of time, so many people choose to store them in the freezer instead.
Buy: Chicken taco dip by Good Foods
Costco put out its new inventory item, Good Food's Chicken Taco Dip, as a sample to tantalize shoppers before the Super Bowl this year. The warehouse's iconic white muffin wrappers for samples came with tortilla chips buried in a deliciously creamy, cheesy, chicken dip. Anyone who likes Southwestern flavors will enjoy it. In addition to the fantastic taste, the texture is fun, with a combination of whole corn kernels and tender bits of shredded chicken. Being too salty, especially when combined with already salt-bathed tortilla chips, is its only failing.
Redditors liked it as well even though some of them mistrust the Good Foods brand name — LawyerNotYours19 quipped, "Introducing the 'Just OK' product line at Costco! Our products are adequate." Others like pleasedwithadaydream reviewed the dip more seriously, posting, "I personally think it's delicious and even better heated up."
While the flavor and texture make this dip a worthwhile purchase, you will have to shell out more than you would for run-of-the-mill products. A 24-ounce tub costs nearly $10 or around 40 cents per ounce, whereas you can find French onion dips at Walmart for as low as 20 cents per ounce.
Don't buy: Kirkland House Blend Coffee
Shoppers in 2024 will notice Kirkland's House Blend Coffee has changed significantly since the beginning of the new year. Starting with the packaging, the top half used to be creamy white with a smooth green bottom and a label that read, "Custom roasted by Starbucks."The name of Kirkland's house coffee may not have changed, but the product did. The coffee giant has disappeared from the new darker green packaging, leading consumers to believe that Starbucks no longer partners with the warehouse.
Reviews of this coffee on Reddit were unforgiving, with twinsnakelover making this evaluation: "It's really bad ... Dark and super oily. Such a disappointment. Tastes awful." According to Costco's website, it costs about $13 for 40 ounces of beans, although members will likely get a lower price on-site at the warehouse. That's a great deal, but if it doesn't taste good enough to drink, it's money down the drain.
Buy: The food court cookie
Costco channeled its identity as a store that sells massively sized items into this single $2.49 food court treat. The chocolate chip cookies are so large that r/Costco posters recommend sharing just one among three or four people. Redditor PlsNoPineapplePizza even created a thread with a photo showing the cookie's measurements. The diameter is 5 inches and it looks about an inch thick, giving Subway's $5 footlong cookie a run for its money. It's hard to know which is actually bigger, but either way, it's a lot of cookie!
Unsurprisingly, this dessert also contains a hefty calorie content with 750 of them. Live a little and try this cookie, even if it's just once. Costco shopper Ray Pierce admitted to us via email, "The giant food court chocolate chip cookies are my guilty pleasure ... They're warm, soft, and loaded with chocolate chips." It's a great way to reward yourself and your family after a long afternoon of deal-hunting.
Don't buy: Thai chili mango salad by Taylor Farms
Taylor Farms Thai Chili Mango Salad is a tempting buy, but if you add the approximately $8 two-pack to your cart you may end up disappointed. Its bold flavors promise to whisk you away to a tropical paradise, but what comes in the bag of prepped veggies suggests otherwise.
Costco enthusiast Kayden Roberts emailed us, explaining they always find the experience of trying new products at the warehouse thrilling, but this product was a miss. Roberts wrote, "The salad lacked the freshness I anticipated, and the dressing was overwhelmingly spicy, masking the mango's natural flavor. While I usually enjoy bold flavors, this salad's imbalance made it a one-time purchase."
Sunita Yousuf, Costco shopper and founder of the Wannabe Cook Blog, was also disappointed with the salad. Via email interview, she clarified, "Even though the name says mango salad, there are few mango pieces in the salad that get drowned by the excessive amount of broccoli, sunflower seeds, and cauliflower ... In the end, it's a plain cauliflower salad with a spicy Thai sauce that lacks the namesake ingredient: mango."
Don't buy: Fried calamari snack by Mama's Choice
Sitting on a sunset-bathed beach with a disposable tray of fried calamari in one hand and a beer in the other is one of life's greatest pleasures. Try and put that experience in a cellophane wrapper, though, and it loses its appeal. Recently, Costco added bags of Mama's Choice fried calamari to warehouses, but the snack fell short of expectations. Shoppers felt the price was too high, the calamari too chewy, and the breading too thick.
Redditor Johabi asked, "[Are] they chewy for anyone else or is that just the kind I got?" User ducationalfall added, "Nah don't get it. Too much breading," while Peepeetodapin said, "13 bucks for 1?!?!" Some people on the thread recommended baking or air-frying the product to improve it, but that may be too much work for a simple snack. You'd probably be better off heading to Red Lobster to satisfy your craving for fried calamari.
Buy: Turtle Chips by Orion
No one has anything bad to say about this product aside from joking about the name — to clarify, there are no real turtles in the ingredients. Shoppers nearly unanimously love Turtle Chips by Orion, and most of them effusively expressed their enjoyment. For example, Redditor Siqbal01 posts, "YESSSSSSSSS. I will gladly pay the $4.50 at my local store. These. Are. My. Favorite."
This treat is a hit because it combines three of humanity's favorite flavors — sugar, chocolate, and cinnamon. The light crunchiness of these chips makes the bag hard to put down. Costco shopper Kayden Roberts elaborates in an email about the flavor and texture, "Absolutely delightful!! The crunchiness, paired with a subtly sweet and savory flavor profile, made these chips a standout addition to my pantry." They recommend sharing this product at gatherings or even just eating them solo for a movie night.
Many posters on the r/Costco thread are already familiar with this snack from their local H Marts and suggest going there to find more flavors like sweet corn and chili lime. Anyone too far from H Mart, which is only located in 14 states, will have to depend on Costco for their turtle chips.
Don't Buy: Grazing mix by Bassé
If you're a fan of trail mix, stick to mixing up your own instead of spending on the new grazing mix by Bassé at Costco, which includes dried fruits, nuts, and crackers. The concept is fantastic and it's a shame the mix doesn't live up to expectations when you purchase it. The problem comes down to the sealed plastic packaging that traps extra moisture. The little humidity left in the dried apricots and cranberries is enough to seep out and affect the crackers and pretzels, which lose their crunch and end up tasting a little stale.
Members of r/Costco didn't hide their disappointment in this product. Moonlightxmania wrote, "I was so excited to try it, and the flavors are actually really good together, but the crunchy bits just taste a little stale. They lack the, well, crunch I was hoping for. Such a bummer!"
The good thing about this product is the price. On Bassé's website, this 24-ounce bag goes for about $20, but at Costco, it costs significantly less at around $10 on sale. That would make it a fantastic purchase if only it tasted better.
Buy: White chocolate raspberry candy by Truffettes de France
Shoppers looking to indulge in a sweet treat should grab a bag of white chocolate raspberry candy made by Truffettes de France. These delicate candies have dark chocolate raspberry ganache centers dotted with crispy bits of quinoa and a white chocolate-covered exterior. By all accounts, they taste even better than they look on the package.
Costco shopper Ray Pierce describes his love for this candy in an email, "At $9.99 for 20 pieces, it's an indulgent but worthwhile splurge. The raspberry filling is tart and sweet while the white chocolate melts in your mouth." Fellow shopper Shawn Manaher agreed in an email, "Truffettes de France's White Chocolate Raspberry Candy is a personal favorite of mine." He points out, though, that this product is not low-budget. There are many cheaper candies and chocolates out there, but if you like the taste of these, they are well worth spending a little more.
Don't buy: Organic dark chocolate peanut butter filled bars by JoJo's
The image on the package of JoJo's Organic Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Filled Bars is tempting. Even just the name is enough to make your mouth water. Then, you take a look at the nutrition facts and this snack seems too good to be true — the bag trumpets there are only 2 grams of sugar in each bite. Compare that to any other candy and you'll find it's incredibly low. The problem according to some shoppers though, is this candy doesn't live up to the hype and costs more than it's worth — about $10 for 9 pieces, weighing a total of 3.6 ounces.
Penjengw shared these sentiments on a Reddit thread: "... they weren't good. I can't even say that they tasted bad. For being chocolate and peanut butter, they surprisingly had very little taste at all." Mindless_Sale_2960 didn't mind the taste so much but didn't like the price, saying, "I would buy them again if on clearance or a really good deal. However, I would not pay full price."
Buy: Indomie Mi Goreng instant fried noodles
If you're at Costco to find a large quantity of filling sustenance at the lowest price, add a box of Indomie Mi Goreng Instant Fried Noodles to your cart. The pack comes with 40 servings and costs about $24 on Costco's website. The price in person, at the warehouses, is even lower.
At first glance, these look like any other pack of super cheap instant noodles, but shoppers swear these taste superior. Redditor PrettyPinkDiamond wrote, "These are the ONLY instant noodles I will eat and it has to be the spicy one. This brand is soooooo good!" In an email, frequent Costco shopper David Bakke explained why he prefers them, "They taste like actual homemade fried noodles."
Redditor bobotheboinger especially liked the price, saying, "I normally buy the 30-pack from Amazon for $22, so that is a good price. And it's halal. Kids really love it." Meanwhile, others on the thread wistfully remember times when ramen-style noodles went for much less than Costco's current price. It's true, you can still find other brands like Maruchan for cheaper. Still, this box from Costco provides a massive amount of food at an accessible price.
Methodolgy
Evaluating Costco products was a three-step process. First, I scrolled through r/Costco on Reddit. This half-a-million-person community focuses on all things warehouse. Every month, the moderators publish a meta-thread asking members to post about new finds. Contributors upload opinions, photos, and their region since store inventory can depend on geographic location. This gave me a rough list of new products.
Next, I interviewed the frequent Costco shoppers whose names appear above via email, asking them to evaluate my list of products focusing on price and taste. They heaped praise on their favorites but shied away from expressing anything too negative, making it more difficult to come up with a list of foods not to buy. The anonymity of Reddit provides more fertile ground for criticism.
I headed to my local, mid-Michigan Costco, pushing my cart through every aisle and trying samples. The samplers chatted and talked up their products, but didn't always give clear information about when the store started stocking them. Other shoppers offered opinions and purchasing advice.
I tried to maintain objectivity with this list, but that doesn't mean an item will be right (or not) for you or your family. After all, Russle Noga, frequent Costco shopper and CEO of Medisupp couldn't have said it better in their email: "It's essential to consider factors like personal taste preferences and dietary restrictions when making purchasing decisions. Always ensure to check product reviews and ingredients to make informed choices that align with your preferences and values."