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7 Costco Kirkland Products That Shoppers Call 'Totally Overrated'

Shoppers say to avoid these Costco-branded items—they don’t live up to the hype.

Costco's in-warehouse brand, Kirkland, is famous for offering lower-cost, high-quality goods, ranging from food to diamond engagement rings. Shoppers are usually quite supportive of the brand, but every now and then, there is a Kirkland product that fails to impress. Here are 7 Costco Kirkland products that shoppers claim are "totally overrated" — some may surprise you.

Kirkland Caesar Salad

Kirkland Signature Caesar Salad with Caesar Dressing & Croutons
Instacart

Costco sells lots of popular bagged salads. However, there is one that several shoppers advise against buying: The Caesar Salad. "WAY too much lettuce, ingredients are basic and not flavorful. No spice packet. And the dressing is just plain bad. Don't think I'll get another one," one shopper claimed on Reddit. "The Caesar salad used to be my favorite thing from Costco, but I've found it seems to have changed over the last year and doesn't taste as fresh/good anymore… the quality of the lettuce can be hit/miss, the cheese doesn't seem to be fresh and gets wet/soggy from the lettuce, and the dressing also seems to be less tasty," another agrees.

Kirkland Sliced Turkey

Kirkland Sliced Oven Roasted Turkey Breast
Costco

While shoppers don't have a huge issue with Dietz & Watson or Columbus deli meat, they don't recommend The Kirkland sliced turkey 3 pack. "It's slimey and tastes gross. I thought it was bad but have seen other people complain about it and I think it's just how it comes," one shopper maintains. "The turkey is not just wet. It's drippy and too thick. Not worth buying," another agrees.

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Kirkland Laundry Pods

Kirkland Laundry Pods
Costco

If you are shopping for laundry pods, several shoppers suggest splurging on a name brand and avoiding Kirkland laundry pods, which they maintain don't work the same way. "They don't dissolve well at all and keep staining my clothes blue!" one says. "I don't like them either. Thankfully, I don't have the blue problem but nothing ever felt clean, and always felt filmy. I was so disappointed!" a second person chimed in.

Kirkland Toilet Paper

Costco toilet paper
Shutterstock

Regarding paper products, shoppers maintain that Kirkland toilet paper isn't what it used to be. However, they are supportive of the Kirkland paper towels. "Toilet paper quality has gone downhill. Now it's thinner," one shopper notes. Another claims that it also "gets dust everywhere. My bathroom is always covered in white dust and I hate it," they write. "Never, ever been good. The paper towels are bussin though," a third adds.

Kirkland Chicken Salad

Shutterstock

You should skip the Kirkland chicken salad, several Redditors suggest. "Maybe I'm crazy but I remember it being addictive. Nowadays it tastes like somebody walked by and knocked a salt shaker into it. No flavor except straight salt," one shopper commented. "Yes it changed and now it seems like they just add a cup of oil to the recipe. Used to love it, no more," agrees another. A third, who was previously a fan, maintains that the "last few times was inedible."

Kirkland Batteries

Kirkland Signature batteries
Costco

One of the most mentioned items to avoid in a Reddit thread? Kirkland batteries. "I recently bought a pack of AA batteries. They die rapidly, I have had to replace the batteries in the TV remote 2 times in the past month and similar problem with a wireless mouse. Batteries normally last for about a year in the remote," one shopper claims, with many others agreeing. "This! Kirkland batteries have destroyed many of our home accessories (flashlights, headlamps, remotes, etc). They're absurdly bad," another supports.  "Yeah, I hadn't seen a battery leak in years until I bought batteries at Costco," a third says.

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Kirkland Pepperoni Pizza

kirkland signature pepperoni pizza with thin crust
Costco

While Costco sells a lot of top notch frozen pizza, shoppers advise against throwing Kirkland Pepperoni Pizza in your cart. "Pepperoni pizza yeah there are 4 of the most mid pizzas you will ever eat. I will literally eat any pizza and I hated those pizzas," one writes. "I bought it thinking it was the same pizza they serve in the cafeteria (I like it for what it is), and boy was I wrong. The frozen peperoni pizza was one of the worst things I've ever eaten," another adds. "Ugh my 14 year old boy who will eat anything couldn't choke those pizza's down, they're awful!" a third reveals.

Leah Groth
Leah Groth has decades of experience covering all things health, wellness and fitness related. Read more about Leah
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