Costco's Worst Kirkland Signature Products, According to Shoppers

Costco’s private label, Kirkland Signature, is not your average bargain-bin brand, and calling it a “generic” label doesn’t quite cover it. Costco partners with big-name manufacturers, keeps the branding low-key, and passes the savings on to you. So you get premium products without the premium markup — and without the label telling you who actually made it.  

Nevertheless, while many Kirkland items punch above their price, there are plenty of duds among them, and Costco members don’t hold back when calling them out. We looked through many Reddit threads and chose the most collectively hated Kirkland Signature items, according to those who had to suffer through them. 

It’s supposed to be a budget-friendly dupe for name-brand TP, and it does look like a deal, but Kirkland’s house-brand toilet paper is hated with a burning rage among customers. Customers say it’s not as soft or strong as advertised, and it can feel thin or rough. Some even claim it doesn’t dissolve well, and plumbers call it “one of the worst brands of TP to buy.”  

Some users claim it wasn’t always that bad, and blame the pandemic for its downward spiral. “The quality went way down a few years ago during the great toilet paper hoarding of covid and never came back up,” explains one Redditor. “The only thing that went up is the price!” added another.

So maybe skip those towering, shrink-wrapped Kirkland TP packs — unless, of course, you’re planning to TP a house. Then, it’s perfect.

Costco’s attempt to offer a Captain Morgan-style spiced rum in a generous bottle size seemed smart on paper. What people got instead was… well, not exactly a taste of the Caribbean. 

“It tastes like the smell of hand sanitizer, Liquid Smoke, and sweeteners added in,” said one disappointed drinker. “I would rather eat the Merino wool socks.” 

Most reviews mention an overpowering chemical note — like someone tried to infuse barbecue essence into rubbing alcohol. Whether mixed or sipped straight, it’s often described as undrinkable. If your budget rum ends up as a cleaning agent, it’s time to call it. 

You know something’s wrong when the product meant to mask the smell of trash smells worse than the trash itself. That’s the case with Kirkland’s scented trash bags, which are supposed to combine durability with a subtle lavender aroma. Instead, users say they leak, tear easily, and unleash a scent that’s aggressively artificial and stomach-turning. 

“These things smell worse than the literal garbage they carry,”said one enraged customer.“They fail at both of their jobs, and I hate them. I hate them so much.” 

Coffee drinkers are a passionate bunch, and when they say Kirkland’s canned Cold brew is the worst available by quite a large margin.”, they mean it.  

It’s often described as bitter, burnt, and sour — lacking the mellow richness that makes cold brew popular in the first place. Some users go as far as blaming it for not being a cold brew at all, at the first place. “This is heated in a massive vat somewhere and piped into the cans.” one Redditor said. “You literally cannot make a flavor this bad with Arabica beans if you are making them at room temperature or below.” 

Even bargain hunters say the Kirkland Signature Boxed Mac and Cheese item is not worth stocking up on. Shoppers slam it as bland, starchy, and weirdly off. “My college roommate ruined one of my good pots making it. It's so gross and starchy.” one Redditor complains. Another added, “The cashier said everyone thought it was horrible” when they returned it. 

The overall consensus is that when compared to Kraft or Annie’s — both of which are now stocked at Costco — it doesn’t stand a chance.  

You might like the heat-and-eat brisket chunks — if you’ve got strong teeth and low expectations. The Kirkland burnt ends have quite a reputation among Costco members, and not the flattering kind. As one Redditor lamented, “I would sooner call a stack of McRibs authentic BBQ before I would ever suggest eating these.” 

Chewy, dry, and strangely flavorless despite being drowned in sauce, they’ve been returned more often than reheated.  

This is one of those products that shows up on nearly every Reddit thread titled “What Not to Buy at Costco.” Kirkland batteries might keep your gadgets running — for a while. Then they leak — into your remotes, your clocks, your whatnots. One Reddit user shared, “For nearly the past 10 years, I've found that the Kirkland brand batteries leak without fail. Doesn't matter what size, they all leak.” Another noted, “They are awful. I gave up on Kirkland AND Duracell AA/AAA alkaline batteries after leaks that damaged electronics to the point where they wouldn’t work anymore.”

Costco’s giant chicken pot pie is a dinner shortcut that might send you to the pharmacy. At about $3.99 per pound, a single pie clocks in at nearly $20 and consists of flaky crust, rotisserie chicken, and creamy veggie filling. But according to most shoppers, it mostly includes salt. Like a lot of it. Like mummy levels. “That chicken — if we can call it that — has enough sodium to kill an elephant,” one Redditor quipped. Occasional soggy bottoms and dry filling are other frequent complaints. “The chicken is dry, the gravy tastes salty and the veggies are awful and don't get me started about the crust. The crust was by far the worst pie crust I've ever had in my life” adds another unhappy Costco shopper.

The oversized cinnamon rolls from Costco's bakery section look like a Cinnabon rival — swirled high, glazed thick — but don’t win over every sweet tooth. Many shoppers say the taste doesn’t deliver. 

“The bakery cinnamon rolls are dry as hell,” one Redditor said. “They make me feel like an anaconda choking down a beach towel.” Another added, “Whoever said they were a dupe of Cinnabon has never had Cinnabon.” 

At $12.99 for a tray, they’re not a bargain if they end up in the trash.