4 Bulk Pantry Items From Costco Worth Every Penny And 5 You Should Skip

Costco is famous for helping shoppers stretch their grocery budgets, especially when it comes to pantry staples. The warehouse makes it easy to purchase and store bulk products and multi-packs at prices that often beat traditional grocery stores. But buying in bulk isn't always the smartest move, and just because Costco carries it doesn't necessarily mean it's a bargain. When you're filling your cart with Costco-sized pantry items, you have to think about more than just the price tag. Shelf life, storage space, and how often you'll actually use a product all play a major role in whether a bulk purchase is truly worth it.

Some pantry staples last long enough and get used often enough to justify the bulk size and lower price per ounce. Others sit in your pantry for months, losing flavor, going stale, or simply taking up valuable space before you can finish them. So, it's important to be selective before buying bulk pantry items at Costco. We've done the research to take the guesswork out of shopping. We've rounded up four pantry items you should pick up on your next Costco visit and five that you should skip.

Cooking oils are a staple in any kitchen, but unfortunately, they can be pretty pricey. Thankfully, cooking oils are one of the absolute best Costco food bargains. The warehouse has tons of high-quality cooking oils sold in bulk at reasonable prices. Shelf life varies based on the type of oil and how it's stored, but these products can usually last between six months and a year in the right conditions. To extend the shelf life as much as possible, most oils should be stored in a cool, dry place without direct sunlight, so the pantry is the perfect spot.

Kirkland Signature's Extra-Virgin Olive Oil is a popular brand for both quality and value, but the store also offers several high-quality options for other types of oils. The Chosen Foods 100% Avocado Oil is pure, with just one ingredient, and the Kirkland Signature Organic Virgin Coconut Oil comes in a huge 84-ounce jar and is cold-pressed and not chemically treated. Unrefined coconut oil, like this one, can last between two and three years if stored properly. Because we use oils in so much of our cooking and their shelf life is generous when stored correctly, Costco is a great place to pick up this pantry staple.

While Costco is well known for its impressive prices, cereal is one product that isn't always a better bargain at the warehouse compared to traditional grocery stores. In fact, name-brand cereals often go on sale at traditional grocery stores, so if you keep an eye on deals and coupons, you will likely be able to get a better deal on this breakfast staple somewhere other than Costco.

As an example, Honey Nut Cheerios cost almost the exact same price at Costco and Walmart, ringing in at about 20 cents per ounce at the time of this writing. But there's another reason you might want to avoid buying cereal at Costco. The enormous boxes of cereal are bound to grow stale if they're sitting in your cupboard and have family members opening and closing the bag daily, and you might be forced to throw some away. Instead of letting giant boxes of stale cereal sit in your pantry for months, consider buying in smaller quantities from the grocery store to avoid food waste and get a better value. 

Protein powders offer a great solution to bulk up smoothies and yogurt bowls, fuel your workout, or help with recovery. And if you're looking for a wide selection, Costco has tons of high-quality protein powders sold in large quantities. The store carries several popular brands that are praised for their high-quality ingredients, and the variety in flavors matches the selection, including everything from basic chocolate and vanilla to peanut butter and fruity blends like pineapple and strawberry lemonade. One dietician on Instagram approves of Orgain Organic, Vital Proteins, and Ascent for the clean ingredients, high-quality protein sources, balanced nutrition, and overall taste.

One of the most cost-effective options is the Kirkland Signature Whey Protein, which costs $55 for 70 servings. A commenter on Reddit claims the Kirkland product is their number one protein choice for "best balance of flavor and price." The ISO Pure brand has zero carbs and zero fats, so it's an excellent option for anyone who is keto. If you plan to use protein powder frequently, it's well worth purchasing in bulk because it can have a shelf life of up to a year when stored properly. Plus, it doesn't go bad like regular food, but simply loses its quality and nutritional value over time.

Most of us are guilty of keeping spices for far too long, with some that have probably been hiding in the back of our cabinets for years. However, what many shoppers don't realize is that spices do actually expire. While they might not go bad in the traditional sense, spices and dried herbs lose their flavor and potency over time, so buying them in bulk isn't necessarily the best idea. Not to mention, those large bulk containers take up valuable space in the pantry or cabinet.

Many spices will start to lose their potency and flavor after six months, and because most recipes call for a pinch or a teaspoon here or there, it is highly unlikely that you will burn your way through a 24-ounce Costco-sized spice or seasoning. The exception here might be for the spices you use frequently and in larger quantities, like salt, pepper, or garlic powder. As a general rule of thumb, only buy spices in quantities that you're confident you will use within three to six months.

In general, if you eat, or in this case drink, something every day, it's probably a good purchase to make in bulk. If you're a caffeine fiend, and especially if you drink more than one cup daily, Costco is a great place to stock up on your cup of joe. The store carries tons of varieties of coffee, and customers on Reddit explain that warehouses even carry local bean varieties, so inventory will vary based on location. You'll also find name brands like Starbucks and Peets, as well as coffee under its Kirkland Signature brand, for a more affordable option. You choose your preferred roast level, region, and flavor profile. Not to mention, you can choose between whole bean, ground, or K-Cups.

Buying coffee at Costco tends to be cheaper than at the grocery store. For instance, the same Peet's Major Dickason's Dark Roast costs 94 cents per ounce at Target and just 78 cents per ounce at Costco. Plus, the Costco bag is almost twice the size of the largest bag offered at Target. One thing to keep in mind if you are buying your coffee in bulk is that ground coffee loses its flavor faster than whole beans, so for the freshest cup, consider grinding your own coffee at home instead of purchasing pre-ground beans. Pro tip: Costco also has tons of other products that will take your coffee to the next level.

Nuts can be on the spendy side, and Costco does have some of the best deals on nuts in bulk, so it can be tempting to purchase them on your grocery trip to the warehouse. The store has everything from pistachios and pecans to almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and more. But many of the products come in 2 to 3-pound bags, which can take a long time to make your way through. While it might seem economical to buy the enormous bag and eat them slowly over time, nuts actually go bad sooner than you might expect.

Nuts have varying shelf lives based on a few factors: the type of nut, how it's stored, heat, light, and humidity can all impact how long they last. When kept at room temperature, they can go rancid, which might be part of the reason that Costco's nuts are frequently returned by shoppers. Shelled nuts typically last from six to nine months at room temperature, while non-shelled nuts may only last for four to six. So, unless you have freezer storage space to spare, nuts in bulk might not be the safe pantry staple you once thought.

Canned tuna is an excellent item to have on hand for when you need a quick, easy, protein-rich meal or snack. But not every canned tuna is worth purchasing, as many come with a mushy texture or fishy flavor. Kirkland Signature's Albacore Solid White Tuna is a worthy bulk canned item from Costco for several reasons. Namely, its value is excellent, especially considering canned tuna can get pretty expensive. You get eight 7-ounce cans for $18.99, and each can is packed with 42 grams of protein. That's roughly $0.34 per ounce. In comparison, the Bumble Bee Solid White Albacore Tuna from Target comes in individual 5-ounce cans for $1.99 each, or roughly $0.40 per ounce.

But it's not just the price that makes this pantry staple an immediate add-to-cart; it's the quality as well. One Redditor claims of Costco's store brand product, "Tuna is absolutely the best price for high-quality canned anywhere near me." Others commend the large can sizes and appreciate the chunk texture for being less mushy than many other canned tuna products. It's one of the best Costco foods for meal prepping, as it's easy to throw into a casserole, pasta salad, or tuna melt.

Unless you're an avid baker, you typically don't need to buy most of your baking supplies in bulk. Lots of these items only require small amounts per recipe, and they'll end up sitting in your pantry for months, if not years, beyond their expiration date. Such is the case with flour. Depending on the type of flour, the storage conditions, and its ingredients, flour can have a shelf life of between three and eight months. It's whole wheat flour that goes bad fastest, as it has oils in it that go rancid over time, especially in room temperature environments.

A previous employee of King Arthur explained on Reddit, "White flour is fine as long as it remains contamination-free. Whole wheat, on the other hand, should be stored in the freezer generally because it will go rancid." You can tell if flour has gone rancid by the smell, which some Redditors describe as sour or like fresh paint. Costco sells its Kirkland Organic Unbleached All-Purpose Flour for just $1 per pound, which sounds like a steal, but unless you're planning on supplying a baked goods sale, you probably don't need 20 pounds of flour taking up room in your pantry.

Rice has a pretty long shelf life, so it may seem like the perfect purchase to make in bulk. White rice can last for up to two years, and brown rice has a shelf life of three to six months. However, the reason you might want to reconsider buying rice at Costco has everything to do with pantry space. As is typical of the warehouse, the bags of rice at Costco are enormous, ranging from 25 pounds to 50. A bag that large is not easy to store, especially if you're low on pantry space. Not to mention, it will likely take you several months, if not years, to work your way through that much rice.

Additionally, buying rice at Costco isn't necessarily the best deal. One Redditor states, "If you have Asian grocery stores in your area, they tend to sell rice below Costco prices. If it's brown rice you're interested in, they sell it significantly below Costco price."

To determine which pantry products are worth purchasing in bulk from Costco and which would be better off purchased elsewhere, I took into account shelf life, size, product quality, and price. Products with a shorter shelf life are not good candidates to buy in bulk because they will likely go bad before you can use them all, resulting in food waste. Additionally, the sheer size of bulk containers can take up storage space in the pantry that many shoppers don't have to spare.

I also took into account product quality based on customer reviews and commentary on social media and Reddit threads. I gathered opinions and anecdotes from shoppers who have personally purchased these products. Lastly, I reviewed and compared the price of Costco products listed in this article with the same or comparable products at other grocery stores to determine whether the Costco products are high-value enough to justify buying them in such large quantities.