13 Gourmet Foods At Costco That Are More Affordable Than You Think

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When most of us think of Costco, we think of bulk quantities and affordable prices on many of the items our families know, love, and depend on daily. Yet, one of the perks of membership there is gaining access to exclusive products that are hard to find and typically cost-prohibitive to purchase.

You may have walked past any number of these or noticed them for sale on the Costco website and thought "is that actually affordable, or is it just hype?" This is a legitimate question and one that may require a little guidance from an expert to navigate.

As a professional chef, I am always scanning grocery stores for the best prices on some of the more gourmet foods I prefer using, and this is no less true when I'm shopping at Costco. Believe it or not, that nearly $1,000 wheel of cheese and that $150 Japanese Wagyu steak is more affordable than you think, and I'm here to explain why.

Since Wagyu beef burgers are popping up on restaurant menus everywhere, the appearance of a 16-ounce Japanese Wagyu ribeye that sells for over $150 a steak might make some people skeptical; but understanding what makes this steak special is the key to assessing its affordability. First, a majority of the Wagyu produced in Japan seldom makes it to the U.S., which means its sheer presence at Costco makes it a worthwhile consideration for gourmet steak aficionados.

Additionally, Japanese Wagyu differs from that produced domestically in notable ways. The American variety of Wagyu cattle are cross-bred, producing meat that is more robust in flavor, but less intensely marbled than that hailing from Japan. They also aren't fed a diet that is as high in quality and are processed far sooner, which impacts the grade of the beef. This ultimately leads to a subpar steak in comparison with those sourced from its Japanese cousins.

Lastly, a comparable steak will often retail for upwards of $12.50 a pound elsewhere, if you can find one, making this a really great deal if you can get your hands on one. And, keep in mind that the average serving size for Wagyu beef is less than 2 ounces per person due to the richness of the meat, meaning a 16-ounce steak would easily feed a party of eight. This can help eliminate a bit of the initial sticker shock you might feel when you shell out that kind of dough for one.

When it comes to baking, one could easily make a case for using imitation vanilla extract over the pure variety depending on the recipe. That said, if you are a serious baker and are producing desserts where the vanilla is a star ingredient, it pays to seek out the highest quality extract you can get your hands on.

Many, including celebrity chefs like Ina Garten, swear by the Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract from the Nielsen-Massey brand. This vanilla, which can often retail for nearly $50 for an 8-ounce bottle at other stores, is available in a two-pack from Costco for the same price or less.

So what makes this vanilla so spectacular that you'd be willing to spend that much money on it? It's all about the unique growing conditions, terroir, and the way vanilla is processed in Madagascar compared with elsewhere. The tropical climate and nutrient-dense soil yields vanilla that is uniquely delicate and sweet in taste compared with its spicy Mexican or fruity Tahitian cousins. Additionally, the vanilla in Madagascar undergoes a distinct curing process whereby the beans develop a very sophisticated flavor profile that shines in both sweet and savory applications.

For beef lovers seeking a potentially healthier and more sustainable option, grass-fed meat may be a great alternative to conventionally-raised cattle. There is some research to suggest that grass-fed beef contains more omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamins than grain-fed cattle. Proponents also point to potentially lower levels of antibiotic resistant bacteria in grass-fed cattle, which have been linked to the spread of superbugs.

Unfortunately, finding high-quality, affordable, grass-fed beef can be a challenge, which makes the Antibiotic-free Grass-fed Angus Steak Box from Rastelli's an appealing investment, indeed. This assortment of eight steaks and two packages of Himalayan sea salt, yielding almost 4 pounds of meat in total, retails for under $100 at Costco. A similarly-priced package sold directly from the Rastelli's website includes just four steaks, along with some gourmet butter and seasoning.

Ultimately, the value of these steaks may have to do with how well you can adjust to their flavor and texture. Grass-fed beef can be far leaner than its grain-fed alternative and have a somewhat distinctive flavor. It is best enjoyed medium-rare and can benefit from various tenderization techniques. If you prefer steak that is more well-done and has a less assertive flavor, this may not be the option for you. That said, if you are interested in experimenting with grass-fed beef, you are unlikely to find a better buy.

While this one may be a stretch, there is one item that is sold at Costco that is incredibly affordable, if not necessarily practical for the average Joe. You can obtain a 72-pound wheel of authentic, imported Parmigiano Reggiano that has been aged for no less than 24 months for under $950. This is a steal if you know anything about the woes of obtaining real Parmigiano Reggiano cheese that has been produced according to the rigorous standards of the Consortium Parmigiano Reggiano using fresh milk obtained from the Parma and Reggio Emilio provinces in Italy. Similar sized wheels of authentic Parmigiano Reggiano typically sell for well over $1,000, if you can get your hands on one.

What makes real Parmigiano Reggiano so desirable is its quality and unique characteristics. Aged Parmigiano Reggiano has a complex flavor that is rich in nutty, fruity, salty, and savory notes. These are accompanied by a distinctly grainy, almost crystalline, mouthfeel that develops as moisture evaporates from the cheese during the aging process. This is unmatched by domestically-produced, un-aged varieties of Parmesan-style cheese.

If you aren't in the market for almost 80 pounds of fromage, Costco breaks this cheese down into 2-pound blocks and also offers it in shredded form for those seeking quality without the hassle of having to grate your own. These are every bit as good a buy and you can obtain them at virtually any Costco location, any time of year.

Lamb is a delicacy that doesn't often make it onto the dinner table in America. People tend to shy away from purchasing it, because it can be pricey and they aren't sure how to cook it. This is unfortunate, because lamb has the capacity to be delicious, if you choose the right kind and know what to do with it. Costco offers grass-fed lamb from New Zealand for sale, and if you are thinking of expanding your culinary horizons, you probably won't do better in terms of affordability and quality.

New Zealand lamb is world-renowned for a number of reasons. It has been a staple part of the Kiwi diet for centuries, and New Zealanders take animal husbandry very seriously. These animals consume a strictly grass-fed diet and are generally slaughtered at a much younger age than those raised domestically. This means that while the meat will have a distinctive, earthy taste, it will be incredibly tender when cooked properly.

The Grass Fed New Zealand Lamb Premium Selection Box sold at Costco is a particularly good buy because it enables a lamb newbie to experience various premium cuts, from leg of lamb to loin chops to frenched racks. This "best of" selection retails for under $175 for almost 10 pounds of meat. Similar collections elsewhere often skimp on the premium cuts, augmenting the box with ground lamb, making them less of a value.

While many are familiar with Parmigiano Reggiano, fewer are well-acquainted with its cheesy relative, Pecorino Romano. This Italian, sheep's milk cheese is frequently used interchangeably with Parmigiano Reggiano, but has very particular characteristics that make it special and a worthwhile buy if you are searching for something unique.

Like Parmigiano Reggiano, Pecorino Romano is often imitated domestically using cow's milk. The authentic, PDO-certified variety is much harder to find, making it a luxury item. This variety from Costco hails from Sardinia and boasts many of the quintessential qualities that make real Pecorino Romano so desirable. Aged for about 8 months, this cheese has a salty, earthy, umami-rich taste and a firm, crystalline texture that is ideal for grating.

At just under $650 for a nearly 60-pound wheel of cheese, this may seem like a cost-prohibitive investment, but not when compared with similar products sold elsewhere, which can retail for as much as double that price. While this may not be a regular buy, if you are hosting an event, this would certainly make a spectacular centerpiece that would have your guests raving for years to come.

Costco has no shortage of quality fish and seafood available for sale. While even its farmed salmon is a respectable buy, its Northwest Fish Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon Fillets are a real prize to score if you can get your hands on them. These sustainably-caught, boneless salmon filets are sold frozen, with skins on, for under $175 for approximately 10 pounds of fish, a fraction of the cost of similar quality seafood available from other retailers.

As for the merits of sockeye salmon in particular, there are many. This fish is characterized by its assertive crimson hue, which is attributable to a diet rich in zooplankton. Its meat is lean and firm, and its flavor tends to be more robust than other species of salmon. It is also high in omega-3 fatty acids, making it a nutritional powerhouse.

This type of salmon benefits from simple preparation methods, where the natural flavor of the fish can shine. If you are accustomed to farmed salmon, keep in mind that wild salmon cooks more rapidly and tends to be less greasy, so care needs to be taken to not overcook it. That said, when properly prepared, this fish is a delicacy.

King crab legs are a delicacy that I often consume only when eating a celebratory meal at a restaurant. Not only are they somewhat labor-intensive to prepare and consume, they can be quite expensive. King crab legs can retail for upward of $70 a pound, making them a cost-prohibitive investment for most home cooks. That said, if you are thinking of making a restaurant quality seafood meal at home and want to obtain king crab legs for a ridiculously low price, Costco has you covered. Its Golden King Crab legs retail for about $60 a pound, a notable savings.

While most people are familiar with red king crab legs, golden king crab legs are equally as delicious, if not slightly different. They tend to be smaller in size and have spinier shells that can be a little more challenging to bust through. Once you do, however, you are in for a treat, as their meat is delicately flavored and even sweeter than that of red king crab legs.

These crab legs are sold pre-cooked and frozen. Once thawed, they can easily be reheated by steaming them. Serve them with clarified butter and some durable seafood scissors, like these from the Calary brand.

If you are a single malt scotch whisky aficionado, you will want to pay attention to the offerings at Costco. While this retailer is consistently praised for its affordable selection of quality booze, it is especially adept at sourcing more bougie and difficult-to-find offerings, like The Balvenie 12 Year DoubleWood Scotch. This single malt scotch whisky can be found at select Costco locations at a retail price ranging between $42 and $68, depending on the store. It typically retails for anywhere between $62.99 and $109.99 elsewhere, making this a fantastic buy for an award-winning scotch.

What makes this an especially well-appreciated single malt scotch whisky is the maturation process it undergoes. It experiences a "wood finishing" process in two different types of casks. For its first 12 years, it rests in American oak casks, which confer rich vanilla and spicy notes. It is subsequently transferred to European oak sherry casks for another nine months, where it takes on a sophisticated and rich notes of honey and fruit. What results is a smooth, complex scotch whisky that has an ABV of 43%. This scotch whisky is as well-suited to new scotch drinkers as it is to those who have an experienced palate.

While Costco sells a healthy selection of Kirkland Signature brand wine that is quite potable and would pair well with any meal, it does on occasion stock some rare, award-winning wines that are too good to pass up. On a recent trip to my local Costco branch I happened upon a few bottles of Chimney Rock 2021 Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon. These retailed for $87.99 a bottle, which is a steal considering this wine retails for $110.00 on the Chimney Rock website.

This wine was awarded 5th place overall in Wine Spectator's Top 100 list for 2024, with a score of 94. It is an especially coveted vintage because the 2021 growing season was punctuated by below average rainfall, which meant a lower yield, with only 13,363 cases made of this wine.

It is characterized by a full body, mellow tannins, and a lengthy finish. It has fruity, berry notes, with hints of licorice and a floral presence that makes it quite complex, yet perfectly well-balanced. This is a wine that deserves to be featured alongside a perfectly grilled steak, which you can fortunately grab while you are visiting Costco.

If you are a fan of Spanish cuisine, you might already be familiar with Manchego cheese. This semi-hard, sheep's milk cheese is produced in the La Mancha region of Central Spain. It is made from at least 60% milk sourced exclusively from the Manchega breed of sheep. This cheese is known for its distinctive, inedible rind, which looks like a woven basket, and its grassy, pungent, nutty, and toasty flavor, which pairs beautifully with sweet and savory dishes alike and is incidentally the ideal accompaniment to a classic gin and tonic.

Though Manchego-style cheese is produced domestically, the authentic, PDO-certified variety can only be made in Spain, and is much more difficult to get your hands on in the U.S. For this reason alone it is worth investing in these 2-pound blocks of cheese from Costco. Additionally, this cheese retails for about $12.49 a pound at the warehouse store. Similar products can be found available from other online retailers, but they will cost you double the price and you will probably have to pay for shipping, which makes this a gourmet food that is a must-buy from Costco.

For those of us who enjoy making homemade tomato soup or sauce from scratch, finding quality canned tomatoes can be a challenge. Though there are plenty of brands out there, few sell authentic San Marzanos, which are the gold standard for these recipes.

San Marzano tomatoes hail from the Agro Sarnese Nocerino region of Southern Italy. This area located near Mount Vesuvius is prized for its unique microclimate, which gives authentic San Marzanos their superior quality. San Marzano tomatoes are coveted for their distinctive characteristics, which include thinner skins, fewer seeds, meatier flesh, and an intensely sweet flavor, which makes them ideal for cooking.

Costco sells real deal San Marzano tomatoes under the Kirkland Signature brand label that are labeled with both the red and yellow DOP seal and the mandatory Consorzio San Marzano certification number stamped onto the cans, authenticating them. A three-pack retails for just about $15, which is a steal for these gourmet tomatoes. That said, these are worth the investment less for the cost than for the quality, particularly because they are so challenging to come by. In fact, I'd argue they are worth the trip to Costco alone.

Having had the opportunity to sample and rank Kirkland Signature brand olive oils from Costco, I can safely say that you can't really go wrong with purchasing this staple at the warehouse retailer. While they are all of decent quality, there were a couple of standouts that are worth your attention. One such olive oil was the Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil Terra Di Bari Bitonto P.D.O.

What made this particular oil remarkable, besides the fact that it is organic and produced according to strict PDO standards, is its unique aroma, flavor, and the fact that it is a single-origin oil. Single-origin olive oil differs from blended ones in that they are produced using olives from a particular farm or grove, in this case one from the region of Puglia in Southern Italy. The olives grown here are known for their floral, earthy, and slightly bitter notes that gives this oil a unique complexity. This oil can be used for cooking, but is best-suited for raw applications, as a finishing oil or dipping oil for crusty bread.

Though you can obtain other types of single-origin, organic olive oils that are also PDO-certified, this one is quite well-priced at $21.99 for a 1-liter bottle. Comparable products retail for upwards of $35 for a 1-liter tin and might not be readily available at a grocery store near you.