4 Costco Kitchen Gadgets That Aren't Worth The Price

Let's start by saying that we're fans of Costco. We can often be found bargain hunting in the aisles, on the website, and at the food court. This doesn't stop us from noticing when the warehouse store gets it wrong. Not everyone bats a thousand — even Shohei Ohtani occasionally strikes out. So, while Costco has plenty of hits on deals for kitchen appliances, we're here to point out when the store whiffs on a product. 

We combed through Costco's offerings to find items for the kitchen that didn't quite live up to the usual high standards expected from the retailer. We looked through reviews on the Costco website, Reddit posts, and drew from personal experience to choose these four gadgets: Keurig K-Crema Single Serve Coffee Maker, Frigidaire Crunch Countertop Nugget Ice Maker, Nuwave Hot Brew Temperature Control Mug, and GreenPan Convection Air Fry Oven. Everything is situational — some of our items we're flagging may work for you. Whether these are all big swings and misses is up to you.

Thanks to Costco's generous return policy, buying a Keurig from the store is relatively low-risk. In fact, according to Costco employees on Reddit, Keurigs are the popular coffee maker brand that is one of the most returned items. Keurig users on other Reddit threads report the machines breaking often. "In the past 20 years, I've owned 17 Keurig[s]. They stop working every 6 to 8 months, and I have to buy a new one," explained one Redditor. 

Costco's price for the K-Crema model is $189.99, which is around the same price as Target, but Costco throws in four boxes of K-Cups on top. Reviews on the Costco website give the coffee maker an average of three out of five stars. The most common complaint is the same one oft-repeated elsewhere — the machine prematurely breaks down. 

Even if the machine worked, it isn't worth the price. Buying a Keurig locks you into using K-Cups, which are more expensive than buying a bag of coffee. Costco sells a box of 72 Starbucks Pike Place Roast K-Cups for $51.99. Each K-Cup has 12.5 grams of coffee, meaning the box has 1.98 pounds. Compare this to $19.99 for a 2-pound bag of the same coffee from Costco, and you're more than doubling the cost of your morning brew.

A countertop ice machine seems like a good idea — if you have an in-home bar, it might be useful. However, the amount of work and energy the machines use makes them questionable purchases at best. Costco sells the Frigidaire Crunch Countertop Nugget Ice Maker for $159.99. The same machine is currently on sale at Home Depot for $149. While Costco's return policy is better than Home Depot's, the issue is with the machine itself.

Looking at the reviews on Costco's website for the ice maker, you'll see a trend. Many users complain about the poor design of the way the ice is created. "I had to constantly move the ice forward in order for the machine to continue to make ice. If you do not do this, it will get stuck in [the] dispenser, and the machine thinks the basket is full," reports one reviewer. Other negative reviews agree on the amount of constant checking that's needed. The reviews sit at 3.3 stars out of five. Ice makers already require constant cleaning to keep them sanitary — why buy one that also needs continuous attention to work properly?

For some people, spending almost $100 to keep their coffee hot is worthwhile. If a well-insulated thermos works for you, then you can save your money. This coffee mug comes with all the bells and whistles — a rechargeable battery, an LED readout, presets for brewing different drinks, and adjustable heating with a range of 70 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. If you wish your ceramic mug had more bells and whistles, then this gear is for you.

As someone who has received a warming mug as a gift, I can tell you I'm glad I didn't spend money, as I never use it and it's currently buried in a cupboard. It sounds handy, but for many people, a preheated mug is the perfect answer to drinking hot drinks. Reviews on Costco's website are mixed, with the mug receiving 3.9 stars out of five. Users complain about the technical aspects malfunctioning. Some had issues with the mug not recognizing the liquid inside, and others found the battery life to be shorter than advertised. According to reviewers, the particles from dairy, sugar, and foam can interfere with the liquid detection system. Adding $95 worth of electronics to your mug introduces $95 worth of new ways to fail.

Costco has many deals on air fryers – this isn't one of them. At the high cost of $299.99, you expect an air fryer that is sure to work. Unfortunately, according to reviews on Costco's website, this brand has quality control issues, and the overall rating is only 3.5 stars out of five. Multiple people report their new machine not turning on, the screen showing gibberish, or the machine turning on but the display showing nothing. Others get it to work for a while before it breaks down. If you enjoy waiting in line at the return counter, this could be worth the high cost. The culprit appears to be the screen — customers who can use the digital readout have no problems with the air fryer.

You're better off buying the Gourmia digital air fryer that's on our list of high-end kitchen items at Costco that are worth the cost. With an overall rating of 4.6 stars out of five, the $59.99 price is a steal. The only downside is that you have a lower chance of using Costco's strong return policy.