Right now, across Reddit threads and grocery forums, Costco members are doing something kind of unusual — they’re warning each other away from the store’s own brand. Kirkland Signature, the private label worth an estimated $86 billion, has built a reputation for quality that rivals (and sometimes beats) name-brand products. But not everything with that Kirkland label deserves a spot in your cart. Some products have earned near-universal scorn from the very shoppers who love Costco the most. And honestly? A few of these surprised me.
The Cold Brew That Broke Coffee Lovers’ Hearts
Cold brew coffee is supposed to be smooth. That’s the whole point. The long, slow brewing process pulls out the good stuff and leaves most of the bitterness behind. So when Kirkland’s canned cold brew hit shelves, people had reasonable expectations. They were disappointed almost immediately.
Costco shoppers on Reddit have called it “the worst cold brew I’ve ever had” and described it as bitter, burnt, and sour — basically the opposite of what cold brew should be. One particularly fired-up reviewer suggested it wasn’t even real cold brew at all, claiming it tasted like it had been “heated in a massive vat somewhere and piped into the cans.” Another commenter said it tasted like dirty water. When your coffee product gets compared to dirty water, something has gone very wrong. Every grocery store sells a dozen alternatives, and most of them apparently taste better.
A Spiced Rum That Doubles as Hand Sanitizer
Costco sells a lot of alcohol. Their liquor section is genuinely impressive, covering everything from budget bottles to surprisingly good wines. So it made sense to offer a Kirkland Signature spiced rum — a Captain Morgan competitor at a fraction of the price. On paper, it’s smart. In the glass? Not so much.
One detailed review on the r/rum subreddit gave it a 2 out of 10, describing a “bitter, medicinal quality” and aromas resembling “a worn-out rubber band.” Multiple reviewers mentioned an overpowering, cloying vanilla flavor that seems designed to mask the low-quality base spirit. The real kicker: people said it tasted bad even mixed with Pepsi. One Redditor said they’d “rather eat the Merino wool socks.” If your budget rum ends up being useful only as a cleaning product, maybe just spend a few extra bucks on Captain Morgan.
Protein Bars That Might Actually Chip Your Tooth
You’d think a protein bar is hard to mess up. Pack in some protein, add a decent flavor, keep it from tasting like chalk. That’s the bar — no pun intended. Kirkland Signature protein bars have 21 grams of protein per bar and come in flavors like brownie and chocolate chip cookie dough. Sounds fine, right?
But the complaints are relentless. “Very dry and very chalky” is a common refrain on Costco’s own website. Someone on the Costco subreddit actually claimed a Kirkland protein bar chipped their tooth. Others describe them as dense bricks with wildly inconsistent quality from box to box. The cookies & cream flavor has been called straight-up inedible, while peanut butter gets a grudging “passable.” With so many protein bar brands out there offering dozens of flavors and better textures, there’s really no reason to commit to a bulk box of something that might send you to the dentist.
The Toilet Paper Nobody Expected to Be This Bad
This one genuinely caught me off guard. Kirkland toilet paper used to appear on “best of Costco” lists. It was a staple — affordable, decent quality, and you got a mountain of it. Then, according to a lot of shoppers, something changed.
Many customers trace the decline to the pandemic era. “The quality went way down a few years ago during the great toilet paper hoarding of covid and never came back up,” one Redditor explained. Others say it’s thinner, rougher, and doesn’t dissolve well. Plumbers have apparently flagged it as one of the worst TP brands you can buy. That’s not a great endorsement. The price also crept up, which makes the quality drop sting even more. “The only thing that went up is the price!” someone added. For a product that literally every household needs, this one feels like a real betrayal.
Mac and Cheese So Bad Costco Pulled It
Want to know how poorly a product performed? It got removed from shelves entirely. Kirkland Signature’s boxed mac and cheese couldn’t survive in a world where Kraft and Annie’s exist, and Costco stocks both. Shoppers called it bland, starchy, and “weirdly off.” One person said their college roommate ruined a good pot making it. A cashier reportedly told a returning customer that “everyone thought it was horrible.”
That’s the thing about mac and cheese — it’s comfort food. People have strong feelings. And when Costco’s own prepared foods section sells a perfectly good version, the boxed Kirkland alternative never stood a chance. It’s one of those rare cases where a product failed so thoroughly that the store just quietly moved on.
When the Trash Bags Smell Worse Than the Trash
Here’s a question: what’s the point of a scented trash bag if the scent is worse than what’s inside it? Kirkland’s scented trash bags were supposed to combine toughness with a pleasant lavender aroma. The reality, according to shoppers, is something much more aggressive and stomach-turning.
“These things smell worse than the literal garbage they carry,” one customer wrote. “They fail at both of their jobs, and I hate them. I hate them so much.” Beyond the scent problem, people also report that they leak and tear easily. So you’ve got a bag that can’t hold garbage, can’t mask garbage, and actively adds its own offensive odor to your kitchen. That’s impressively bad at the one thing it’s designed to do.
Batteries That Work Great Until They Destroy Your Electronics
Kirkland batteries show up on almost every “what not to buy at Costco” thread. The issue isn’t that they don’t work — they do, at least for a while. The problem comes later. They leak. And not occasionally. Consistently.
“For nearly the past 10 years, I’ve found that the Kirkland brand batteries leak without fail,” one Reddit user shared. “Doesn’t matter what size, they all leak.” Another person gave up on both Kirkland and Duracell alkaline batteries after experiencing leaks that damaged electronics beyond repair. Which, honestly, is kind of wild when you think about it — the batteries cost a few bucks, but they can ruin devices worth much more. A dietitian quoted on another site had previously listed Kirkland batteries as a recommended buy, which shows how opinions have shifted over time. The value math doesn’t work if you’re replacing a remote control every year.
The Frozen Foods That Should Have Stayed Frozen — Forever
A few more Kirkland products round out the hall of shame, and they’re all from the frozen or prepared foods aisle. The Kirkland Signature burnt ends — those heat-and-eat brisket chunks — have been described as chewy, dry, and weirdly flavorless despite being drowning in sauce. One Redditor said they’d “sooner call a stack of McRibs authentic BBQ” before recommending them. The giant chicken pot pie, which costs about $20, gets hammered for excessive sodium and a crust that multiple shoppers called the worst they’ve ever eaten.
And then there’s the Kirkland pepperoni pizza. Frozen pizza isn’t trying to be gourmet — everyone understands that. But shoppers on the Costco subreddit have called it “terrible,” which is rough for a product that’s supposed to be the easy, no-brainer dinner option. The organic marinara sauce has similar problems. Multiple reviews describe it as “watered-down” and bland, which is disappointing for an organic product made with California vine-ripened tomatoes. At $25 for a three-pack, you’d expect more flavor than that.
The bakery cinnamon rolls also deserve a mention. They look incredible — big, swirled, loaded with glaze. But looks can be deceiving. “They make me feel like an anaconda choking down a beach towel,” wrote one shopper. Another noted that “whoever said they were a dupe of Cinnabon has never had Cinnabon.” At $12.99 a tray, they’re not expensive enough to feel like a major loss, but they’re not cheap enough to shrug off, either.
Some Misses Don’t Mean the Brand Is Broken
Here’s the thing about Kirkland Signature — most of the lineup is genuinely good. The olive oil, the rotisserie chicken, the vodka, the laundry pods (different from the detergent, which gets more mixed reviews) — these products have loyal followings for real reasons. Costco partners with major manufacturers and keeps prices low by skipping the fancy branding. That formula works brilliantly most of the time.
But no brand bats a thousand. When you cover as many product categories as Kirkland does — from spiced rum to toilet paper to frozen pizza — some things won’t land. The smart move is to check reviews before committing to a bulk purchase you might regret. And remember, Costco’s return policy is famously generous, so if something misses the mark, you’re not stuck with it. Most of this comes down to doing a little homework before loading up that oversized cart. Your wallet — and your taste — will thank you.
