Costco (1983-, Formerly Price Club (1976-1997) - A Washington-Based, Membership-Only Retailer - the Second-Largest Retailer in the World

[lperry]

Costco's parchment paper is very good. It's thick enough that oil doesn't seep through into the pan, and it comes in a giant roll for a really low price ($6 I think?) I also bought their package of three Miu silicone baking mats. I compared these to my Silpat, and they are a little thicker but don't have the slightly raised bead at the edge. The fiberglass mesh looks the same. Two half-sheet and one quarter-sheet size for $20.

[monavano]

Costco's parchment paper is very good. It's thick enough that oil doesn't seep through into the pan, and it comes in a giant roll for a really low price ($6 I think?) I also bought their package of three Miu silicone baking mats. I compared these to my Silpat, and they are a little thicker but don't have the slightly raised bead at the edge. The fiberglass mesh looks the same. Two half-sheet and one quarter-sheet size for $20.

I like Costco's parchment paper and the mega-rolls of Reynolds heavy duty foil.

[astrid]

I love the parchment paper too. It's just thick enough to be used directly on the rack, so that I can get a nice pizza/flatbread crust without the mess. I've been making parchment paper packets cook vegetables as well, that method works great with mushrooms but the juices do seep through a little bit.

Did anyone else pick up a Kitchenaid Pro Mixer ($250 after a $30 mail-in rebate)? I agonized over this purchase, as there is a lot of mixed reviews about this mixer and I don't really have the kitchen space. But it looked like a great deal and I will have 1 year to return it if something breaks.

[monavano]

I love the parchment paper too. It's just thick enough to be used directly on the rack, so that I can get a nice pizza/flatbread crust without the mess. I've been making parchment paper packets cook vegetables as well, that method works great with mushrooms but the juices do seep through a little bit.

Did anyone else pick up a Kitchenaid Pro Mixer ($250 after a $30 mail-in rebate)? I agonized over this purchase, as there is a lot of mixed reviews about this mixer and I don't really have the kitchen space. But it looked like a great deal and I will have 1 year to return it if something breaks.

I bought the KA Professional 5 a few years ago from Costco. I used a rebate check towards the purchase and it works great and I've never had a problem. The bowl has seen many banana bread and biscotti doughs!

I paid about the same price so the newer one is a good deal at that price point.

[Chef Tom]

The much anticipated DC Costco will be opening November 29.

In addition to Beer and Wine they will also be offering Spirits.

http://www.wtop.com/109/3122665/New-Costco-to-open-in-time-for-holiday-shopping-season

[B.A.R.]

... will also be offering Spirits.

http://www.wtop.com/...shopping-season

If they maintain their usual 14-16% mark-up, this will be the cheapest liquor store in the area by far. Of course, you may have to purchase everything in 1.75L bottles

[zoramargolis]

The much anticipated DC Costco will be opening November 29.

In addition to Beer and Wine they will also be offering Spirits.

http://www.wtop.com/...shopping-season

If they maintain their usual 14-16% mark-up, this will be the cheapest liquor store in the area by far. Of course, you may have to purchase everything in 1.75L bottles

Costco stores in California have always sold liquor. And yes, for the most part, what they sell comes in large-format bottles. That said, prices are exceptionally good on high-quality, familiar brands.

[darkstar965]

Great for consumers and, of course, tough for local merchants. Hopefully most in the surrounding area will be able to adapt and survive with better, more focused service and different, unique products since not feasible for a small store to compete on price. Unlike a few of the other "big box" retailers, Costco is a very well run and even ethical (if not always sensible--their chief wine buyer being exhibit A) company. The main thing they have in common with Wal-Mart, Sam's, Home Depot and the like is scale, which gives them a big cost/pricing advantage tough for any small fry to overcome.

[astrid]

Thanks Zora! It's comforting to know that the Kitchenaid should be good for multiple years of regular service. I've been eyeing the Kitchenaid for years, but Costco's low price and 1 year guarantee finally broke through the impasse.

[lperry]

Pentagon City has two-pound bags of raw hazelnuts for $10.99. Great quality, and I see homemade Nutella in my future.

[silentbob]

I wish all the locations sold Cento canned tomatoes. Pentagon City carries it only every so often.

Making stock from the rotisserie chickens has become my bimonthly weekend ritual.

[lovehockey]

The Costco at Route 1 and Sherwood Hall Lane in Alexandria opens next month. While I'm sure it will take some pressure off the Pentagon City Costco, between it and the WalMart next door the traffic will be terrible. (For those who are familiar with the area, for years there was a movie theater at that location.)

[ol_ironstomach]

You can never keep enough good chicken broth around the house, so we normally keep a case or two of Pacific organic chicken broth in the pantry simply for convenience, even though the flavor is rather weak.  But the other week, the Kirkland house branded organic chicken stock was on sale (also in aseptic cartons) so I picked up a case of each in case the latter turned out to be a dud.  Surprise: the Kirkland organic is good.  Really good.  Still falls short of homemade, and obviously lacking in gelatinous goodness, but it has a much more strongly concentrated chicken flavor than any other ready-to-use broths that I've tried, without any weird notes or bizarre ingredients.

It's good enough to sip: I'm a bit under the weather at the moment, so stirring in a dab of minced ginger from a jar, and adding a shake of white pepper into a cup of the stock, then nuking it briefly, has been super convenient and tastier than usual.

[rockcreek]

Hear, hear. Also cheaper than Pacific Organic, which Cooks Illustrated favors - or used to. I forget - they may have moved onto Swanson's.

Regardless. Good for the larder.

[LauraB]

Kirkland house branded organic chicken stock was on sale (also in aseptic cartons) so I picked up a case of each in case the latter turned out to be a dud.  Surprise: the Kirkland organic is good.  Really good.  Still falls short of homemade, and obviously lacking in gelatinous goodness, but it has a much more strongly concentrated chicken flavor than any other ready-to-use broths that I've tried, without any weird notes or bizarre ingredients.

Thanks for this tip.  I'm curious to know the sodium content of the Kirkland chicken stock.

[mdt]

Thanks for this tip.  I'm curious to know the sodium content of the Kirkland chicken stock.

Google is great, click.

[Barbara]

Google is great, click.

Rats! 400 mg of sodium is just too high for the way I use this stuff.

[thistle]

I've been sucked into the Costco zone-since the new store on Rt. 1 (right around the corner) opened, & my kids dragged me here for the opening night preview on Wed.-I think my son ate enough of the free samples that night to cover the membership...most prices seem comparable to the commissary/PX & now I get to try out all the Kirkland stuff that DS insists is 'awesome'.

[lperry]

Thumbs up for Costco's extra virgin coconut oil.  Great aroma and delicate flavor, super fresh, and makes a nice piecrust. 

[KMango]

Thumbs up for Costco's extra virgin coconut oil.  Great aroma and delicate flavor, super fresh, and makes a nice piecrust. 

Good to know!  I keep two jars of coconut oil in the house; one for the kitchen, one for the bathroom.

Coconut oil hair masque once a month (30 minute minimum; overnight at most) keeps hair in impossibly good health.  A tiny amount is also a gloriously effective eye makeup remover, with bonus points for moisturizing at the end of a long day (especially in this Texan's dry air adventures).  A keenly versatile natural product, I will be checking out the Costco aisles soon to snag their version.

[thistle]

Coconut oil really is amazing stuff, even if I can't get used to sautéing w/ it-I have it all over the house also, & probably use it more for cosmetic use, rather than cooking. Now that Tom is gone (we dropped him off at GMU on Thurs.), it won't be much fun shopping at Costco (he's their biggest fan). I think we bought him enough toiletries for the full 4 years.

[mr food]

Kirkland olive oil is a great buy for every day use..

[mr food]

The much anticipated DC Costco will be opening November 29.

In addition to Beer and Wine they will also be offering Spirits.

http://www.wtop.com/109/3122665/New-Costco-to-open-in-time-for-holiday-shopping-season

They now appear to have a beverage manager there as he said that's all he does. I asked if they could get cask strength scotch and he said they are working on it. They were out of their Oakville cab which was a great buy under $20. More might be coming.

[Rhone1998]

You know what's not absolutely the worst thing in the world? Costco rugallah.

[Pat]

You know what's not absolutely the worst thing in the world? Costco rugallah.

I haven't bought them in quite a while, but I used to like them.  I'm glad to know they're still good, but keeping them around the house means I eat them .

[thistle]

I am trying to avoid the 'Costco Sinkhole'-I went in today, I only needed to pick up dog food, but other items kept throwing themselves in my cart- gloves, jeez, it's freakin' cold outside today & I have no gloves, chicken broth, apple cider, a big honkin' bottle of Pinot Grigio, & a slice of cheese pizza for lunch. I really need to study how Costco's business model has totally replicated my shopping weaknesses.

[Pat]

I am trying to avoid the 'Costco Sinkhole'-I went in today, I only needed to pick up dog food, but other items kept throwing themselves in my cart- gloves, jeez, it's freakin' cold outside today & I have no gloves, chicken broth, apple cider, a big honkin' bottle of Pinot Grigio, & a slice of cheese pizza for lunch. I really need to study how Costco's business model has totally replicated my shopping weaknesses.

I think one of the ways they get you is that you don't know what they'll have on any given day.  If there is a particular brand of clothing I know fits me in what size and they only carry it sporadically, I'm buying it when I see it. I hadn't seen the pierogies I love in a while, so grabbed them on my last trip because they were there, not that it was on my list.

Likewise for something I've been thinking about getting and see there at a discounted price.  It's not that different from my buying off the shopping list habits at other stores, except the range of what they carry is so much vaster, the range of products that applies to is bigger.  I rarely make completely impulse purchases, but I often realize once I'm at the store that there is something I wanted/needed that I hadn't put on my list.  Or something I know I'm low on (toilet bowl cleaner?  laundry detergent?) that I'll need in another month.

[thistle]

I agree, because I hesitated today for a long time over some gnocchi (4 pk) , Lizzy likes gnocchi, but this was a large quantity, almost makes me want to cook for the masses...

[jayandstacey]

I am trying to avoid the 'Costco Sinkhole'-I went in today, I only needed to pick up dog food, but other items kept throwing themselves in my cart- gloves, jeez, it's freakin' cold outside today & I have no gloves, chicken broth, apple cider, a big honkin' bottle of Pinot Grigio, & a slice of cheese pizza for lunch. I really need to study how Costco's business model has totally replicated my shopping weaknesses.

This is EXACTLY their model.  They call it "targets and treasures" I think.   The notion is that you came in with a list (targets) but you "discover" other items (treasures).  Mainly because they are cool or inticing, or possibly because they are priced agressively.  They might turn a product into a treasure by offering a free sample ("I discovered this!") and then you buy a 50lb bag.  Once you run out, that item is now on the targets list.

The temporary nature of some items helps drive the treasure aspect ("I better get this before its gone") as do the scarcity of like items or competing brands ("they only sell one bike - it must be the best!").   The layout of the store generally forces you to pick up the targets around the outer edge, allowing you to see the treasures in the middle a bunch of times from different angles.

It really is amazing.  Ask me about the $2K video arcade game I have in my basement - it plays 200 games, including classics like asteroids, space invaders, golden tee and others.  How lucky am I that I bought it the one and only time I saw it?    (it was not on my list.)

[thistle]

I don't have a problem w/ being a model customer (I used to get dog food from Amazon, on subscription)-the gloves were a total impulse purchase, & I had a couple of guys watching me try on gloves, & debating the merits (I thought the gloves ran a little small). I still like Costco...

[Rhone1998]

I don't know if this is of interest to anyone, or even whether it's an unusual product at all (though I haven't seen it before) but the DC Costco was selling Mexican (sugar, not HFCS) Fanta yesterday -- 24 packs, mixed orange, grape, and strawberry.

[mr food]

They still have some of their own brand of 18 year old Highland scotch for $37. I tried it last night and it's absolutely worth getting. They wouldn't tell me who makes it but the last 18 year old they had was Macallan; however this is not the same scotch. The only Costco in the area that sells booze besides beer and wine. 

[ElGuapo]

We've had good luck with the Kirkland Malbec (around $8). We buy a lot of staples and other items there (paper towels, laundry/dishwasher detergent, TP, etc). We also get bags of frozen fruit for smoothies & margaritas.

Since my Bourbon Pecans have been a big hit with friends & family, I've taken to buying 2lb bags of pecans there, 3-4 bags at a time.

I noticed while stocking up at a Orlando-area location during our last Disney trip that they also sell Mayorga Coffee. They have 5# bags of the Hawaiian Hazelnut on their site for $39.99!

[lperry]

Pentagon CIty has cases of Bold Rock Hard Apple cider, 24 bottles for $29.99.  (That's more than a 6-pack for free compared to what I've been paying.)  They also have the veggie Better than Buillon now in addition to the beef and chicken, and bags of fresh cranberries are already in the cold room.  Time to start the cranberry liqueur. 

[astrid]

Costco's October coupon book has discounts for both Victoria marinara sauce and Palermo thin crust margarita pizzas.  I find that Victoria has one of the freshest and least processed tasting sauces, so it's a good base sauce for cooking with.

[astrid]

Has anyone seen Kirkland parchment paper at any of the DC area Costco locations?  I'll need a new roll soon and couldn't find it in Pentagon City.

[TedE]

Has anyone seen Kirkland parchment paper at any of the DC area Costco locations?  I'll need a new roll soon and couldn't find it in Pentagon City.

I just got some at the D.C. location.  After going through our previous supply early in the Spring I had been checking every time we went over the summer to restock but they never had it available.  It turns out Costco considers this a seasonal item (holiday baking I guess?) and only stock it in the Fall/Winter. The woman behind me abandoned her place in the checkout line to go get some when she saw it on the conveyor belt. On a Saturday afternoon that was no small sacrifice!

[sandynva]

got some huge pomegranates (pom brand) there this weekend and they were great. i haven't had pom brand in a while (mostly been getting mine at asian markets) but either these are a great batch or they've made some real advances in breeding. quite sweet and easier than usual to get the seeds out. they're about $2.50 each, but they really are at least 50% larger than the usual size.

[thistle]

We got those huge poms, too & I told my dear daughter she'd better eat them before I chuck them- the first one went quickly, but the others are languishing.

[lperry]

The Costco at Route 1 and Sherwood Hall Lane in Alexandria opens next month.  While I'm sure it will take some pressure off the Pentagon City Costco, between it and the WalMart next door the traffic will be terrible.  (For those who are familiar with the area, for years there was a movie theater at that location.)

I've been sucked into the Costco zone-since the new store on Rt. 1 (right around the corner) opened, & my kids dragged me here for the opening night preview on Wed.-I think my son ate enough of the free samples that night to cover the membership...most prices seem comparable to the commissary/PX & now I get to try out all the Kirkland stuff that DS insists is 'awesome'.

I was down south today and stopped by this Costco because it was convenient.  After my usual trips to Pentagon City, it was like Costco in the Twilight Zone.  I was there at noon on a Friday and the staff were friendly and helpful, the atmosphere was relaxed, I didn't have a near accident in the parking lot, there were only two people ahead of me in line, nobody was yelling or plowing people down with a cart, I parked about 60 meters from the door and didn't have to deal with a surly attendant or malfunctioning ticket machine...  *sigh*  It's not worth the horrific traffic for me to make this store a regular stop, but I will certainly drop in if I am close by.

[zoramargolis]

Apparently, Costco will be severing its relationship with American Express next year.

click

[darkstar965]

Apparently, Costco will be severing its relationship with American Express next year.click

Huge shift but nothing lasts forever. This will be good for Costco, very good for consumers and pretty bad news for American Express and it's investors.

Change can be very good.

[Mark Dedrick]

I'll probably give up my AmEx card then. I pretty much use it exclusively at Costco. 

[silentbob]

Apparently, Costco will be severing its relationship with American Express next year.

click

I'm not sure this changes anything -- members have (as long as I can recall) been able to buy Costco cash cards online with any major credit card and I assume that won't end regardless of any exclusivity deals.

[darkstar965]

I'm not sure this changes anything -- members have (as long as I can recall) been able to buy Costco cash cards online with any major credit card and I assume that won't end regardless of any exclusivity deals.

Perhaps but clearly it changes what'll happen at the registers. They'll get more customers who don't have AmEx and, in this era of a zillion partner loyalty cards like airlines and hotel, many will opt for Visa or MasterCard once given the choice. Some difference there for customers but huge, huge difference for the two companies.

[lovehockey]

Meanwhile, in Canada...

[darkstar965]

Meanwhile, in Canada...

This probably belongs in a different topic on sustainable seafood but the Canadian Costco news is part of the global focus on the growing problem. This was just in the Post here a day or two ago.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/sea-hunt-officials-plan-to-track-seafood-bait-to-plate-to-end-fraud/2015/03/14/0ab191d8-c7fe-11e4-aa1a-86135599fb0f_story.html

[Pat]

WARNING:  Pentagon Centre is being redeveloped and construction has begun on a parking garage in the middle of the existing Costco parking lot.

The number of parking spaces has been greatly reduced.  It's a mess, and it's a very long-term project.

When Fort Lincoln opened, the parking lot and lines at Pentagon City improved dramatically.  The current state of parking has me thinking I'm going to have figure out how to do the drive to Ft. Lincoln without getting lost.

[silentbob]

WARNING:  Pentagon Centre is being redeveloped and construction has begun on a parking garage in the middle of the existing Costco parking lot.

The number of parking spaces has been greatly reduced.  It's a mess, and it's a very long-term project.

A mess indeed.  But still less than a mile from my office so probably still worth visiting in the meantime.  I went around 4:30 pm yesterday and parking was manageable but can't imagine coming here much later on weekdays or anytime on weekends.

[Sundae in the Park]

Just in case others are ignorami like myself, you can use debit cards at Costco! I'd been hoarding cash for every trip, since I don't have an Amex. Much worse for disciplined shopping, but much less annoyance that I can't pick up a one-time treasure that wasn't on The List! Also, Costco.com has free shipping for some of its items and takes regular credit cards, plus you can renew your membership online with a credit card. So now I check to make sure the bulky stuff/sale items aren't available online for free shipping before I head out to the store. It's so much nicer when giant boxes of diapers come to my doorstep!