I have written about Kirkland brand products in several posts ((Who makes Kirkland products? (Part 1 of 3); (Who makes Kirkland products? (Part 2 of 3)); (Who makes Kirkland products? (Part 3 of 3)); (More Top Notch Kirkland Products); (Kirkland Products: 12 to buy)) They are known for being high quality and, being the store brand for Costco, are an (even) better deal than some other items in the store. The following article discussed 19 Kirkland products of which members may not be aware. Obviously, you can just read the article. However, I like to add a few stories, comparisons if I’ve tried them, and also comment on some of the financial savings. I have not tried many of these items but now should look at them.
https://financebuzz.com/overlooked-kirkland-brand-items
1. Kirkland Brand Vanilla Almond Ice Cream Bars
Price: $10.99 for 18 vanilla ice cream bars coated in milk chocolate and almonds
I am definitely odd in many ways. One minor way is that, despite my love for ice cream, I do not really like ice cream novelties. I used to like those strawberry shortcake Good Humor bars. On the rare occasion that I was able to get one at school, (I always brought my food and rarely bought anything from the cafeteria), it was a real treat. Although I would eat an ice cream sandwich or chocolate coated bar, I would always prefer regular scooped ice cream. These days, I actually find them somewhat aversive and have no interest. I think I would still eat those cones with the peanuts on top as I always liked how soft the cone got. (Yes, I prefer soggy cones and sometimes made ice cream cones at home, left it in the freezer, and then ate it when soggy.) I also still like fudgcicles and would be tempted by the strawberry shortcake because of those yummy crunchies, but fear it would be too sweet. (Wow, can I talk about ice cream or what?)
In contrast to my preferences, many people love novelties, with the chocolate coated being one of the favorites. So here is a good option at Costco. Certainly they are going to be higher quality than the typical store brand. I looked up the price of Haagen-Dazs bars and they seem to consistently cost $5-6 for three. Sure, HD is a premium brand but that would make 18 bars $36! Clearly these Kirkland bars is a better price point.
2. Kirkland Brand Organic Margarita Cocktail Mix
Price: $8.79
I have never been a drinker and therefore have very little knowledge of price or quality of alcohol. So I will not comment. Hopefully anyone reading this post who has tried this product can comment for others.
3. Kirkland Brand Basil Pesto
Price: $9.89
In an early episode of Seinfeld, Jerry, Elaine, and George are deciding what to order in a restaurant. George comments on how “everyone loves pesto” and then of course they start debating whether or not that is true. I find this scene funny because I agree that pesto seems like something everyone (including me, of course) should like. When I was much younger and ate in non kosher restaurants, I ordered pasta with pesto sauce for the first time. Despite being a very adventurous eater without any fear of strong tastes, I was not a fan. I found it much too strong and dominating. I have rarely had pesto since then and doubt it would be my top choice of flavor, I think that it seems like a food I *should* like (e.g., pesto tortellini, pesto pasta salad). y
Away, as usual, I’m way off the point. Obviously, I have not tried this pesto. However, according to this article, you should!
4. Kirkland Brand Sparkling Flavored Water
Price: $10.99
I have never liked seltzer, despite really wanting to. The flavors sound so good and I like the idea of a very cold glass of a flavored fizzy beverage. There are a few reasons for my lack of interest in seltzer. Despite knowing better, I expect it to taste like a fruity soda with a lot more taste than it actually has. I run into this same problem with tea. I read “lemon ginger” or “raspberry” and want that flavor…but then the taste is so subtle. Without high expectations I can tolerate tea. However, I don’t tend to like fizziness.. don’t like soda anymore (I still remember last time I drank soda…sophomore year of college…cherry coke), although I would still drink a mix of fruit juice (cranberry or orange) and seltzer. Therefore, I could add juice to this Kirkland seltzer.
For the many people who drink seltzer all the time either for the taste and/or as a more interesting way of staying hydrated, this product is a great option. Each bottle is almost a half liter. Given that $1 is generally a good deal for a 1 liter bottle of seltzer, being able to get 24 of these for $11 is even slightly better than the sale price. In addition, because they are smaller, they will likely stay fizzy vs going flat as happens with larger bottles.
5. Kirkland Brand Breaded Panko Shrimp
Price: $18.99
Again, as I keep kosher, I do not buy these but hopefully people can comment on them.
6. Kirkland Brand Colombian Cold Brew Coffee
Price: $14.99
I actually don’t drink coffee either. (Yes, I really only drink water, milk, and juice…I am five years old). I love the smell so much but just never got into it (people have said that i may be the only person who completed a PhD program without drinking any coffee) and don’t think it makes sense to “try” to become a coffee fan now.
I know people have very strong opinions about coffee, so please comment if you have tried this coffee.
7. Kirkland Brand Organic Dried Tart Montmorency Cherries
Price: $10.79
I love fresh fruit and much prefer it to candy. Fortunately these days we can get fresh fruit year-round. However sometimes dried fruit (the “middle ground” between fresh fruit and candy) is a good alternative. Fresh fruit is certainly more consistent than fresh fruit and therefore less “risky” (to get a second Seinfeld reference into this post, as Jerry says “fruit is a gamble. I know that going in”). It stays fresh for times when people cannot get to the store. It is more convenient for transport. Dried fruit is also a good mix-in with nuts for trail mix. And, of course, dried fruit can be a very efficient way to reduce constipation.
I always preferred the dried apples and pears which were few and far between, unlike the super present prunes (jokes and associations with bowel regularity aside, I actually like prunes now…in small quantities because they are so sweet). At one point, I found little packs of a combination of white raisins and dried cherries. The cherries were delicious and something I rarely see in dried fruit mixes.
As the article points out, these cherries can be tasty additions to other foods. Although I tend to avoid all but the two “cherry extremes” (i.e., fresh or super fake candy…that I do like), i can imagine that they would taste good in oatmeal, cereal, or trail mix.
8. Kirkland Brand Microfiber Towels
Price: $17.99
The article mentions that these towels are great for washing the car. I don’t have a car and therefore do not wash a car but I am curious to know what others think.
9. Kirkland Brand Extra-Large Absorbent Pads
Price: $18.99
The article mentions that these pads are great for dog owners. I don’t have a dog but, again, am curious to know what others think.
10. Kirkland Brand Ultra Soft Facial Tissue
Price: $17.49
I remember playing a “game” growing up where we generated a list of items that are virtually interchangeable with the brand name (e g., Q-tip, Band-Aid). Kleenex was one of these products. Growing up, I never paid attention to the brand as we typically bought whatever paper goods were on sale. I don’t have strong preferences when it comes to facial tissue and likely would not even be able to tell the difference. I actually don’t know if I’ve used these but I can’t imagine they wouldn’t be completely satisfactory.
11. Kirkland Brand Organic Reduced Fat Chocolate Milk
Price: $18.49
Again, having a lot of the tastes of a child, I like chocolate milk. (I actually didn’t like chocolate milk as a child because, except in cereal, I didn’t like milk..too much association with warm milk cartons after the dreaded naptimes in kindergarten. I really started drinking it in college.) However, I have a block against drinking milk that does not need refrigeration. I have had shelf-stable chocolate milk a few times (after making it cold) and it is ok. However, the concept is still disconcerting to me. In addition, I have always had a problem with certain packaging and so drinks in a bag-like container (and yogurts in a tube, applesauce in a pouch, etc) are not appealing to me.
For people without my hang-ups, this product is very helpful. If people are unlikely to go through a whole refrigerated carton of chocolate milk, it reduces financial and food waste. It also saves space because one can put a few cartons in the fridge at a time. Probably most important, as I’m guessing kids are the most common consumer of these drinks, they can easily be transported to school.
12. Kirkland Brand Crystal Clear Cutlery
Price: $14.99
I’m a little afraid that the environmental police may come after me (ah, but at least they don’t know my real name) but I will admit that my household uses a lot of plastic utensils. However, we often actually reuse them a lot (yes, I realize that defeats the main purpose). Most of the time we use the cheaper white utensils. However, for the past several years, we have used the fancier ones on holidays rather than metal cutlery. It makes preparation and clean up easier (after we use a lot, we do toss them vs washing) and because plastic cutlery is easier when accommodating different kosher requirements.
These are high quality utensils. They are strong, large, and look nicer on the table than the plain white ones.
13. Kirkland Brand Ultra Fresh In-Wash Scent Booster
Price: $9.99
My family doesn’t add scent to our laundry. Although scent can be nice on occasion, I actually prefer a more neutral smell.
14. Kirkland Brand Coastal English Cheddar
Price: $6.39
In other posts, I have admitted that I have quite “simple” taste when it comes to cheese. LINKS In addition, because much cheese is not kosher, I have not tried this cheese. I know many people love and have very strong opinions about cheese. Perhaps people who have tried this cheese can comment for others.
15. Kirkland Brand Wild Alaskan Fish Oil
Price: $21.99
I stick with my standard multivitamin and have not tried these. I also eat a lot of fish. Perhaps I should take fish oil but I don’t see that happening anytime soon. For people who do take these supplements, is it true that they often make burps smell and taste fishy?
16. Kirkland Brand Moisturizing Body Wash 2-Pack
When I was growing up, the big birthday gift to give to females (it was a different time and i am just reporting on how it was) was Virtual anything from the Body Shop or Bath and Body Works. My friends and I were all about the strong smelling lotions, body washes, perfumes, etc. Although I would guess that the Kirkland body wash is not as strong smelling as any of those, I still prefer plain soap. Again, I prefer neutral smells.
Price: $9.99
17. Kirkland Brand Non-Drowsy AllerClear
Price: $11.49
I don’t have allergies so therefore I don’t have use for these. I actually think the only time I have taken antihistamines was actually to *get* the sleep-inducing properties when anxious to go on an overnight school trip in middle school. I was afraid I would not be able to fall asleep so I packed some Benadryl.
18. Kirkland Brand Hydrocortisone Anti-Itch Cream
Price: $7.99
I have not used this but have bought a similarly packaged antibacterial cream. It was great to have the multipack and it was a good deal, so I imagine this is the same.
19. Kirkland Brand Flushable Wipes
I think that the only time (at least in relatively recent history) I have used flushable wipes was when I unfortunately had to stay in the hospital. However, they probably would be good to keep in the car or have on hand at home.
Price: $14.99
We’re you aware of most of these items? Do you use them? Comments?
Cruising Costco 