Costco’s ‘Holy Grail’ item

In a recent thread on the Costco Reddit forum, one Redditor asked a simple question that garnered a flurry of responses. The question was “What is your holy grail Costco item?” The most upvoted response was not the rotisserie chicken, the tequila, or even the iconic $1.50 hot dog. What people really love, it turns out, are big bags of nuts.

Candied mixed nuts with bitters from Martha Stewart Living Magazine

Kirkland (Costco’s house brand) nuts come in relatively large packages compared to the tiny pouches of nuts you find in most supermarkets. Their price point is usually far lower per pound than even the large sized containers in other stores like Target and Walmart. The three pound bag of almonds, for example, sells for $13.69 USD, which is about 28.5 cents/ounce. In comparison, the 25 ounce size of Great Value (Walmart’s house brand) almonds clocks in at $9.62, which is 38.5 cents/ounce. Of course, you do not have to purchase a membership to shop at Walmart, but even in our household of two we save enough on food, cleaning supplies, batteries, and the like to more than make up for the membership fee.

My Costco ‘holy grail’ item isn’t a food, it is a boring household necessity: dishwasher tablets. If you catch them on sale (which happens frequently), they are about 2/3 the price you will find anywhere else. Running a close second is bulk yeast. It is astoundingly less inexpensive compared to the single packets in the grocery stores, and also less than bulk yeast sold by King Arthur Baking or other online baking supply stores. What is your Costco ‘holy grail’ item?

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9 Comments

  • FuzzyChef  on  July 23, 2025

    Haloumi, and occasionally buffalo mozzarella.

  • lean1  on  July 23, 2025

    Roasted Chicken

  • tmjellicoe  on  July 23, 2025

    Leslie Stowe crackers. Costco has a pack of 3 for a dollar more than one at the grocery store.

  • Jane  on  July 23, 2025

    Halloumi, avocado mash, “extra-fancy” mixed nuts and basil pesto are my go-tos at Costco.

  • breakthroughc  on  July 23, 2025

    My holy grail item has to be generic Claritin. A whole year’s worth is $15! That is what a two week supply costs at the drugstore. I love their roasted almonds and mine just started carrying King Arthur Bread Flour, with a 10 pound bag just under $9. Even with a household of two we buy a lot of groceries at Costco including oatmeal, maple syrup, canned black beans, ramen noodles, peanut butter, tomato paste, better than bouillon, mayonnaise, oat milk, peanuts, eggs. Love Costco!

  • Fyretigger  on  July 23, 2025

    So many items…
    Unsalted Roasted Cashews
    Kirkland EVO
    Frozen Triple Berry Blend
    San Francisco Roasting Co Coffee
    Oatmeal
    Pork Loin
    San Marzano Tomatoes
    It just goes on and on…

  • Zephyrness  on  July 23, 2025

    Campari tomatoes in a clamshell. These actually taste like tomatoes and are no longer available at any of my local groceries. I can have tomatoes all year long. Milk and heavy cream are also regulars as are fish sticks, limes, lemons, grapefruit and frozen salmon. In the fall, they consistantly have a “gift pack” of 4 bottles of bordeaux that is a great bargain.

  • UrsEva  on  July 25, 2025

    I always buy the rack of lamb and the Ciabatta rolls

  • TBipp  on  July 25, 2025

    I’m with Darcie-nuts. I buy plain walnuts and pecans and roast them in addition to cooking with them.

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