This Opinion article is part of a Narcity Media series. The views expressed are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
If you go to Costco for your weekly grocery shop or sometimes tag along with someone you know who's a member, you've probably seen Kirkland Signature products on shelves.
Those items are known for being cheaper than name-brand versions you can get at grocery stores in Canada.
Kirkland Signature is Costco's house-label brand that was created to ensure better value for members.
Since I don't shop at the wholesale retailer often, I haven't tried most of the Kirkland products that are available.
So, with my Costco membership in hand, I went shopping at my local warehouse and bought a bunch of Costco Kirkland products.
Then, I bought name-brand versions at my local grocery stores to compare not just the taste but also the price.
I tried all of the products without looking to find out if I could actually taste the price difference.
Here's a comparison of seven Kirkland Signature items to name-brand versions, including which products taste better for less and which are worth paying full price for!
Tortilla chips
Costco's tortilla chips are a brand partnership which means they're Que Pasa but also Kirkland Signature.
The chips are thin without a lot of texture but there is a lot of salt — the only plus for me.
It costs $6.39 for a 908-gram bag which is $0.70 per 100 grams.
Que Pasa chips from the grocery store are thicker with lots of texture on the chip and taste natural without a lot of salt.
It costs $4.99 for a 350-gram bag — $1.42 per 100 grams — at Fortinos.
I correctly guessed which chips were Kirkland and which chips were name-brand because the Kirkland chips were thinner which made me think they were cheaper.
Kirkland doesn't taste better for cheaper with these tortilla chips, in my opinion.
Coffee
Costco Kirkland Signature coffee isn't too bitter but it's also not very strong and doesn't have much flavour — even after I put a bit of cream and sugar in my cup.
It costs $18.99 for a 907-gram bag of house blend coffee which breaks down to $2.09 per 100 grams.
With the Starbucks house blend, it's a bit bitter but the taste lingers and it has a strong coffee flavour, even with a bit of cream and sugar.
It costs $10.97 for a 340-gram bag — $3.22 per 100 grams — at Walmart and $24.99 for a 793-gram bag — $3.15 per 100 grams — at Fortinos.
Without knowing before tasting, I was able to figure out which was Costco and which was Starbucks in just a few sips.
Even though the Kirkland coffee is roasted by Starbucks, I liked the Starbucks coffee better despite it being more bitter because it had a stronger, more obvious taste.
So, Costco's Kirkland Signature coffee doesn't taste better for less money.
Maple syrup
Costco's Kirkland Signature maple syrup isn't too sweet and has a smooth, not overpowering taste that lingers.
It costs $15.99 for a one-litre bottle at the wholesale retailer.
Old Fashioned Maple Crest — which calls itself the "original" maple syrup — has a sweet, lingering taste.
It costs $18.99 for a one-litre bottle at Fortinos.
After tasting both, I thought that the name-brand product was the Kirkland version because I assumed it would be the sweeter maple syrup.
While I liked each of these maple syrups, Kirkland Signature does taste better for cheaper, in my opinion!
Honey
Costco Kirkland Signature honey is gooey, not very sweet, and tastes flowery and perfumy.
It costs $19.99 for three bottles that are 750 grams each which is $0.88 per 100 grams.
Billy Bee has a gooey, smooth texture and tastes sweet — but just a bit — and flowery.
It costs $8.99 for a 375-gram bottle at Fortinos which breaks down to $2.39 per 100 grams.
I couldn't tell the difference between these brands and I didn't correctly guess which honey was Kirkland and Billy Bee.
Since I'm not a fan of honey, I didn't like either but they were similar tasting.
If I were looking to save money I'd go with the Kirkland version since the taste isn't that different but the prices are.
Hazelnut spread
Costco's Kirkland Signature hazelnut spread isn't too sweet but it's very thin and not creamy. Also, it tastes a bit artificial.
It costs $12.99 for a pack of two jars that are one kilogram each which is $0.64 per 100 grams.
Nutella is sweet and creamy. Plus, it actually tastes like hazelnuts and chocolate.
It costs $12.97 for two 725-gram jars — $0.89 per 100 grams — at Walmart and $12.99 for two 725-gram jars — $0.89 per 100 grams — at Fortinos.
Even without looking at what I was eating, I knew from the first taste which hazelnut spread was Kirkland and which one was Nutella.
Kirkland Signature's hazelnut spread doesn't taste better for cheaper and I'll always pay more for the name-brand.
Popcorn
The Kirkland Signature microwave popcorn at Costco isn't too buttery or salty and is crunchy but soft at the same time. Plus, it tastes really good.
It costs $19.99 for a box of 44 bags and that breaks down to $0.45 per bag.
Orville Redenbacher microwave popcorn is also not too buttery or salty. It tastes really good too.
It costs $10.97 for a box of 24 bags — $0.45 per bag — at Walmart and $15.99 for a box of 24 bags — $0.66 per bag — at Fortinos.
I couldn't figure out which popcorn was Kirkland and which was Orville Redenbacher because both tasted very similar.
So, if the choice comes down to saving money, I'd go with Costco because I get more at the wholesale retailer.
Nut bars
These Costco Kirkland Signature nut bars are salty right away with quite a bit of sweetness. It had a lot of nuts too.
It costs $15.99 for a 960-gram box of 24 bars which breaks down to $0.66 per bar.
Kind nut bars aren't that sweet and the saltiness didn't come through right away. It also had a lot of nuts.
It costs $7.97 for a 200-gram box of five bars —$1.59 per bar — at Walmart and $22.99 for a 480-gram box of 12 bars — $1.91 per bar — at Fortinos.
I correctly guessed which bar was Kirkland and which bar was Kind because I thought the Costco version of the name-brand product would be sweeter.
While Kirkland had the better overall taste, in my opinion, the nut bars did have a lot in common.
So, the Kirkland Signature nut bars taste better for less money!
Lisa Belmonte with Costco Kirkland Signature products and name-brand items from grocery stores.Lisa Belmonte | Narcity
So, Kirkland tastes better for cheap with the nut bars and maple syrup — in my opinion, of course.
Since the Kirkland Signature honey and popcorn taste very similar to name-brand versions, those have my pick if it comes down to saving money and getting more bang for my buck.
Then, I'd pay a higher price for name-brand versions rather than saving money with Costco's coffee, tortilla chips and hazelnut spread because the Kirkland products didn't taste as good.
I Compared 7 Costco Kirkland Products To Name Brands & These Items Taste Better For Less
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