6 Costco Brand Items That Rival Popular Name Brands — Eat This Not That

By Ghuman

Introduction

Costco is known for its great deals on bulk items, but did you know that they also have their own brand of products that rival popular name brands? From snacks to frozen meals, Costco’s Kirkland Signature brand offers a variety of items that are just as good as the name brands, but at a fraction of the cost. Here are six Costco brand items that are just as good as their name brand counterparts.

6 Costco Brand Items That Rival Popular Name Brands

Costco is known for its great deals on bulk items, but did you know that they also have their own brand of products that rival popular name brands? From snacks to frozen meals, here are 6 Costco brand items that are just as good as the name brands.

1. Kirkland Signature Organic Salsa

Kirkland Signature Organic Salsa is a great alternative to popular name brand salsas. It has a great flavor and is made with organic tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, and cilantro. Plus, it’s free of preservatives and artificial flavors.

2. Kirkland Signature Organic Tortilla Chips

Kirkland Signature Organic Tortilla Chips are a great alternative to popular name brand chips. They are made with organic corn, organic sunflower oil, and sea salt. Plus, they are free of preservatives and artificial flavors.

3. Kirkland Signature Frozen Pizza

Kirkland Signature Frozen Pizza is a great alternative to popular name brand frozen pizzas. It is made with a thin crust, real cheese, and a flavorful sauce. Plus, it is free of preservatives and artificial flavors.

4. Kirkland Signature Organic Popcorn

Kirkland Signature Organic Popcorn is a great alternative to popular name brand popcorn. It is made with organic popcorn kernels, organic sunflower oil, and sea salt. Plus, it is free of preservatives and artificial flavors.

5. Kirkland Signature Frozen Vegetables

Kirkland Signature Frozen Vegetables are a great alternative to popular name brand frozen vegetables. They are made with fresh vegetables that are frozen at the peak of freshness. Plus, they are free of preservatives and artificial flavors.

6. Kirkland Signature Trail Mix

Kirkland Signature Trail Mix is a great alternative to popular name brand trail mixes. It is made with a mix of nuts, dried fruit, and chocolate chips. Plus, it is free of preservatives and artificial flavors.

These 6 Costco brand items are just as good as the popular name brands, and they are a great way to save money while still getting quality products. So the next time you’re at Costco, be sure to check out their Kirkland Signature brand items.

Eat This, Not That! is reader-supported and every product we feature is independently vetted
by our editors. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission.

In terms of sales, Costco’s Kirkland Signature brand is America’s biggest consumer packaged goods brand, according to CNN, it brings in more revenue than top retail brands such as Hershey, Campbell Soup, and Kellogg’s. Kirkland has also become highly competitive with many of the name-brand items American households commonly keep in their kitchen, with devotees claiming they are just as good or better than popular name brands.

“Kirkland Signature is a $74B brand—they only stock products customers love,” says Christopher Durham, retail brand expert and president of Velocity Institute, a global groundbreaking private brand industry association.

It’s safe to say that Costco members are fully committed and loyal to the wholesale grocery store brand, and even more so, they have never been afraid to say it. “The internet is full of rabid Kirkland fans who extoll the virtues of golf balls, bourbon, olive oil, laundry detergent, and nuts, just to name a few,” Durham explains.

When it comes to name-brand products at the grocery store, there are still some undeniable staple products that may never taste the same coming from any other box. But as a result of top-notch quality, the low price for large quantities, and an overbearing Costco fanbase, these 6 Kirkland items seem to be better than their long-lived name-brand counterparts.

containers of kirkland signature coffee
Shutterstock

“Costco has created a brand that shoppers know, love, and trust,” says Durham. That’s why “Shoppers are excited to try everything from whole-bean coffee to yoga wear.”

Move over Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts—the Kirkland brand has developed coffee beans that consumers are constantly craving every morning so much so that they’ll move mountains to get it. “I buy three bags at a time [and] we live a hundred miles from Wichita Costco,” member Jim Raymond wrote on a Costco Facebook post.

The two main hitters that members seem to love are the Kirkland Signature™ House Blend (medium roast) and the Kirkland Signature™ Columbian Coffee (dark roast).

Kirkland Signature Chicken Tortilla Soup
u/thegrandkameron / Reddit

Even though soup season is barely coming around the corner, this Costco classic is sold and enjoyed by members anytime they can get their hands on it. Not only is this product raved about for its delicious taste, the soup also comes at an affordable, unbeatable price. Coming out at about 18 cents per ounce, according to GO Banking Rates, you get a whole lot of soup for almost half the price of the name-brand ready-made soups you might see at the grocery store.

And as for quality, many happy shoppers have gone on to Reddit and even personal blogs to rave about how phenomenal they find this soup to be. One Redditor said, “this soup is better than in some Mexican restaurants. I just add crispy tortilla strips to it.” You’ll find that this product is “super flavorful without being spicy, [and has] quality chicken pieces (no weird icky bites)” the blogger, Cost Contessa, wrote.

Kirkland Signature Organic Ancient Grain Granola
u/GrandeUte / Reddit

Granola isn’t always the cheapest product at the grocery store, but finding good quality granola is another challenge of its own. Nature Valley was a top name-brand granola shoppers found to be reliable until Kirkland rolled around with their own take on the product.

Business Insider compared the two products and found that Kirkland Signature Organic Ancient Grain Granola is much more flavorful, plus, the addition of whole grains and nuts brings texture and an excellent variety of tastes.

kirkland brand shredded cheeses
u/Madseal579 / Reddit

Buying a bag (or two) from Kirland Signature’s shredded cheese line can be the best bang for your buck and it has the perfect melty-cheese-quality everyone needs for an ideal crispy, grilled cheese or quesadilla. While the wholesaler does often carry beloved cheese brands, like Tillamook and Sargento, that’s not what members flock to.

Members are frequently reaching for the Kirkland Signature Shredded Cheddar Jack Cheese, while others swear by the Kirkland Signature Mexican Style Four Cheese Blend. However, the general consensus, according to a Reddit discussion thread, is that both are flavorful cheeses—one possibly milder than the other—and when the portion is too big for a household, freezing some of the product does wonders for making it last!

RELATED: 7 Surprising Rules Costco Employees Have To Follow

kirkland brand liquors
u/GammeRJammeR / Reddit

If you already have your go-to cocktail ingredients, you might want to think again. Costco’s Kirkland Signature brand has expanded into the world of alcohol in form of hard liquor, beer, and wine—and even a few spritzers here and there—some of which can be just as good or even better than name-brand bottles.

In 2022, the Tik-Toker, @TheNeverEndingFall, went viral for pinning Costco’s alcohol against name brands in an ongoing series of videos called “Can it Kirkland?” Whether it’s been Grey Goose vodka or Jameson whiskey, the blind tastings almost always come out in favor of the Kirkland brand over the name brand.

kirkland super premium vanilla ice cream
Costco / Facebook

Costco’s members scream for this ice cream. In a thread dedicated to finding Costco products that surpassed those of name brands, Redditor @captainthepuggle wrote, “Came here to say this. It’s the best vanilla ice cream by miles, nothing comes close.”

The dessert item comes in two half-gallon containers, making it enough to feed an army. But what makes this product even more superior is the “Super Premium” aspect within the label, per Mashed, because it differentiates that this is a higher quality ice cream. Ice cream’s that are considered “Super Premium” are those that have been made with far less air (than on average) and more butterfat, giving it the creamy texture Costco members praise.

This isn’t to say Häagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry’s are going out of business anytime soon, but the Kirkland brand’s vanilla ice cream has put up quite a competitive fight.