11 Costco Items Shoppers Say They'll "Never Buy Again"
Costco shoppers are a passionate group—they have very strong opinions about the items they love, and just as strong opinions about the things they will never, ever, ever buy again. Shopping at Costco is not like popping into your local grocery store: Visiting the warehouse chain takes planning and preparation, so taking things back is stressful, even with Costco's very generous returns policy. Certain items come up frequently when shoppers talk about the products that were the most disappointing, both name-brand and Kirkland Signature. Here are 11 items Costco shoppers say they will never buy again.
Think! Protein Bars
Some Costco members are very critical of the Think! brand protein bars. "Decided to try some Think! Protein bars. I should have Thought! Again. They were horrible. No one in my house could manage to eat them. Made me nauseous just trying to eat half of one. Never again," one unhappy shopper said. "SAME! Two boxes and I ate one bar from each. Such a waste," another agreed.
Kirkland Signature Chicken Wings
The Kirkland Signature Chicken Wings ($35.49 for 10 lbs) are not worth the money, some shoppers say. "I didn't mind that I had to pluck some feathers off when they defrosted, but the taste of the wings were not enjoyable. I even tried brining them to get them to taste like chicken wings. Baked, air fried, and BBQ nothing worked," one Redditor shared. "We made this mistake too and the feathers just about put me off of chicken wings completely!" another agreed.
Reese's Frozen Banana Slices
Shoppers are not impressed with the Reese's Frozen Banana Slices. "Couldn't pay me to eat them again," one member said. "We were expecting a lot more. There is no peanut butter taste to them. They taste just like those frozen banana popsicles dipped in chocolate, nothing like a Reese's," another Redditor shared.
Phillips Crab Cake Minis
The Phillips Crab Cake Minis are another no-no, shoppers say. "The mini crab cakes. I had shells in every bite. I thought I was crazy until I pulled out AN ENTIRE CLAW SHELL. These were MINI crab cakes. That makes each bite like 40% shell," one shopper said. "These are horribly greasy. I really wanted to like them. I tried making them with the instructions on the box, they were still squishy. I tried crisping some up in my air fryer, still mushy. I used a spoon to flatten some and then put them in my air fryer, you can probably guess by now, still mush," another wrote in the reviews.
Organic Cilantro and Lime Rice
Many shoppers have complaints about the Organic Cilantro and Lime Rice. "I hated it and I'm fine with cilantro otherwise. It had a chemical taste that I could see being soapy to some," one Redditor shared. "My exact sentiment as well. I LOVE Qdoba or Chipotle cilantro rice. This product is garbage," another agreed.
Rana Maine Lobster Ravioli
Costco shoppers loathe the Rana Maine Lobster Ravioli. "Lobster Ravioli. Made some for New Year's Eve dinner a few years ago. Had terrible food poisoning. Sick for days. Worst way to start the new year," one shopper said. "Not a favorite in this household. We tried it a few years ago and never bought it again. Honestly, I'm not sure why Costco still carries it – not good. The Kirkland 5 cheese is SO much better," another commented.
Bai Coconut Water
The Bai Coconut drinks are not a hit with some shoppers. "Bai coconut drink (one of the few things I have ever returned) and Dole pineapple whip," one unimpressed customer said. "It was a huge disappointment. Borderline terrible. Wouldn't buy it on clearance," another said.
Kirkland Signature Medium Roast Coffee
Costco members are not fans of the Kirkland Signature Medium Roast Coffee. "Kirkland 'medium roast' coffee. Tastes burnt and it's definitely dark roast. Actually returned it. Was that bad," one customer said. "Funny enough, a friend of ours just offered us a bag of this coffee cuz she bought it and hates it lol," another Redditor shared.
RELATED: 7 Costco Items That Have Gotten 'Way More Expensive,' Say Shoppers
Kirkland Signature Organic Chunky Guacamole
Some Costco shoppers are not happy with the Kirkland Signature Organic Chunky Guacamole. "They used to carry Wholly Guacamole but switched to making their own. It is so full of garlic that you can't taste anything else," one member said.
Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Jalapenos
Costco members have strong feelings about the Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Jalapenos. "The bacon wrapped jalapenos are absolutely terrible," one said. "Those are so bad. Tried to pawn them off on my college aged son who literally will anything. Nope – just threw them in the garbage," another agreed. "I will eat almost anything… old food, cold food. I used to live in South Africa, though I live in the US now, and I just have this aversion to food waste of any kind. Even food I don't like, I'll eat just to not waste. These I found so absolutely inedible I threw them away. I honestly can't believe how terrible they are," a third added.
Frozen Chicken Breasts
Many Costco shoppers say the chicken breasts have a "woody" texture. "I bought one of those 3-packs of Kirkland chicken breasts, on sale? The price was too good, I should have been suspicious. I made some chicken breast dish. Texture was simply awful, and they were tasteless… I used to routinely keep a package of the breasts and a package of thighs in the freezer. Never again with the breasts," one Redditor shared. "We also quit buying these because every third one was like eating an old sponge," another commented.
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