Costco might be the worst place in America to buy strawberries. That sounds absurd, I know — the store practically prints money by selling things in bulk at low prices. But the people who work there every day, stocking shelves and processing returns, have quietly assembled a “do not buy” list that would surprise most card-carrying members. Some of these items aren’t bad. They’re just not worth it.
What’s Wrong With Costco’s Bananas?
One employee put it bluntly on Reddit: “At least half the time, they don’t ripen.” That tracks with what dozens of shoppers have reported — green bunches that stay green for weeks, stubbornly refusing to turn yellow. Some people tried the old paper bag trick. Others tossed an apple in the bag to speed up the ethylene gas. Neither worked. The bananas just sat there, unripe and useless, until they went straight into the trash. If you’re going to buy bananas at Costco, at least check for intact necks — that’s the stem area that seals the fruit from the outside environment. Missing that feature? Walk away.
The Strawberry Problem Nobody Talks About
Fresh produce doesn’t get returned to Costco very often. But according to one employee, if it did, strawberries would lead the pack. They’re cheaper by a buck or two compared to other stores in most areas, which makes it easy to grab a huge container. Then reality hits. Fresh strawberries last maybe two days on the counter. You’re suddenly racing against the clock to eat three pounds of berries before they turn to mush, or playing Tetris trying to cram them into an already full fridge. The sheer size of Costco strawberries — some Redditors have posted photos of single berries the height of a water bottle — looks impressive but doesn’t translate to better flavor or longer shelf life.
Skip the Soda Aisle Entirely
This one catches people off guard. Costco is supposed to be the cheapest place for everything, right? Not soda. Your local grocery store almost certainly has a better deal. Supermarkets use soda as a loss leader — they slash prices on popular items like Coke and Pepsi to get you through the door, hoping you’ll fill your cart with higher-margin stuff while you’re there. An anonymous Costco employee confirmed this: try your luck at the supermarket instead. Same goes for canned goods, by the way.
Do You Really Need That Much Mayo?
A Costco employee from Minnesota told Business Insider it’s possible to have too much of a good thing. Specifically, too much mayonnaise. The gallon-sized jars at the warehouse are a spectacle — the kind of thing that the Finnish internet has literally dubbed “American size.” Unopened, the jar sits fine in your pantry until the expiry date. But once you crack the seal, you’ve got two to three months to use it all, and it needs to be refrigerated. That’s a lot of mayo to power through, even if you’re slathering it on every sandwich in sight. Redditors jumped in with similar complaints about oversized packaging across the store — buckets of yogurt, drums of olive oil. The savings evaporate when half the product goes bad.
The Baked Goods Dilemma
Nobody’s saying Costco’s bakery section doesn’t smell incredible. It does. But multiple employees have flagged baked goods as something they personally avoid buying. An Iowa-based worker told Business Insider the packaging was just too big for their household. A Pennsylvania-based colleague echoed the same complaint — the stuff takes up more storage space than it’s worth. Here’s the math: a 12-count pack of croissants sounds great for a Sunday brunch with a crowd. Living solo or as a couple? You’ll be stress-eating pastries for days trying to finish them before they go stale. Some shoppers freeze their haul, which works for certain items like cake. But cookies with icing? Those don’t survive the freezer well at all.
Wait, the Toilet Paper Is Bad?
Kirkland Signature toilet paper might be the single most controversial product in the entire store. On the Costco subreddit, it comes up constantly, and while it has a few loyal defenders, the majority of commenters are… not fans. One home organization expert described the experience perfectly: the paper shreds too easily but won’t tear where it’s supposed to, and you end up using more than you would with another brand. Other shoppers report it clogging toilets and septic tanks. The recycled tissue angle makes environmental sense, sure. But if each trip to the bathroom feels like a gamble, most people would rather just buy the Charmin sitting on the next pallet over.
Large Meat Packs Sound Like a Deal Until You Get Home
A California-based Costco worker told Business Insider they skip the large meat packs because the quantity just exceeds what their household can realistically use. And this is someone who presumably has an employee discount working in their favor. The issue isn’t quality — Costco’s raw cuts are generally well-regarded. It’s logistics. Meat needs to be frozen as soon as you get home. If your house is more than 30 minutes from the store, you should be transporting it in an insulated cooler. Then you’ve got to portion it out and get it into the freezer immediately, which assumes your freezer actually has room. For smaller households, the bulk savings just don’t pencil out when you factor in food waste and storage headaches.
The Kirkland Coffee Controversy
Kirkland coffee beans are one of those products people see constantly flying off shelves, which creates the impression they must be great. Not everyone agrees. A professional chef described them as “flat and highly acidic.” Reviews of the Colombian Supremo have noted a shift toward bitterness. The French Roast? One reviewer called it “the blandest, most underwhelming coffee” they’d ever had. There’s also a practical problem with the ground coffee — it goes rancid quickly once opened, and unless multiple people in your household are heavy coffee drinkers, you probably won’t finish the bag before it turns on you. Smaller bags from a local roaster cost a few bucks more but taste significantly better.
That Chicken Bake Isn’t the Bargain You Think It Is
Christina Polovina has managed a Costco in California for over a decade. When someone asked her on Quora what the worst food court item was, she didn’t hesitate: the Kirkland Signature Chicken Bake. At under $4, the serving size is generous enough for two people, which sounds like a steal. But the calorie count exceeds 1,000 for a single chicken bake. “Crispy dough, cheese, chicken, bacon and Caesar dressing with a coating of Parmesan cheese on top,” Polovina described it. “A treat once in a while if you are into it, but definitely not a daily go-to.” She also noted it’s not great for Costco’s profit margin, which — honestly — is kind of wild to hear from a manager.
What About Spices, Flour, and Cooking Oil?
These three get lumped together because they share the same fundamental problem: they expire faster than most people realize, and Costco sells them in quantities designed for restaurants. Spices lose their potency within months. A standard bag of flour from a regular grocery store will likely expire before you’ve used it all — so a 25-pound bag from Costco is borderline absurd unless you bake professionally. Cooking oils? They go off within a few months of opening. Six quarts is way too much for one family. You won’t get sick from expired cooking oil, but your food will taste off. These are all cases where the per-unit savings vanish once spoilage enters the equation.
The Kirkland Diaper Disaster of 2025
This one deserves its own section because it’s still ongoing. Kirkland diapers used to be legendary — essentially Huggies in different packaging, made by the same manufacturer (Kimberly-Clark). Parents swore by them. Then, in January 2025, Costco switched suppliers to First Quality, and things fell apart. Sometimes literally. Parents described the new diapers as “paper-thin.” Reports of leaks, less stretch, and babies waking up in soaked pajamas flooded online forums. One Costco supervisor admitted the backlash in-store was intense. “The amount of blowback we’ve gotten over these diapers is crazy,” he said. A store even posted a sign by the diaper display explaining the new design was thinner but more eco-friendly. Parents weren’t buying it — figuratively or literally. The supervisor himself switched to Huggies for his own kid. If that doesn’t tell you everything, I don’t know what does.
So What Should You Actually Buy There?
So yeah — Costco might actually be the worst place to buy strawberries. And bananas. And toilet paper, apparently. But here’s the twist that makes this worth knowing: the employees aren’t saying avoid the store. They’re saying be selective. The rotisserie chicken is still a cult classic at $4.99. Raw meat cuts are solid quality. Kirkland olive oil, laundry pods, and plenty of other staples have earned their reputation. The difference between a smart Costco trip and a wasteful one usually comes down to one question: can your household actually use this much before it goes bad? If the answer is no, your local grocery store is right down the street. And the employees there probably have their own list of things they’d never buy.
