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


Pat

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I use the Pyrex pieces everyday. They have replaced 97% of plastic containers in my kitchen. I wash them in the dishwasher (lids on top rack, of course) and have seen no change in them in more than a year.

Another advantage: I tend to use up leftovers that would otherwise tie up limited containers.

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Got the Pyrex set and love them. Thanks for the reassurances! Opinions here are worth infinitely more IMO than random online reviews. They seem very sturdy (both the glass parts and the lids, which were my concern) and bonus that I can open them with one hand (when the other is occupied holding a baby). 

I've had them for years, the rubber on the lid starts to get sticky for a while.  But Pyrex was pretty generous with replacing the lids for free (they actually sent me new glassware+lid).

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I've had them for years, the rubber on the lid starts to get sticky for a while.  But Pyrex was pretty generous with replacing the lids for free (they actually sent me new glassware+lid).

Ooooooh, that's great to know! The lid tops on several pieces of my older pyrex set have split and I was thinking about hunting up new ones. I'll call in and see what they can do. Thanks!

I'm pretty sure that the Kirkland brand Luxury Belgium Chocolates in the white cube boxes are actually Neuhaus chocolates.  I bought a box last year and later got some of the same pieces in a Neuhaus sampler.

Do you recall if they taste the same/equivalent? If so, uh oh.....

I figured out how to multi-quote, yeah!!! (It's the little victories... :))

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I'm a recent Costco devotee, having moved last year to within 2 miles of one (Wheaton) and become a member for the first time in my life. I have a general non-food question:

On one of my first visits I bought Kirkland dishwasher detergent, which I thought was fine, and when I went to buy it again several weeks or possibly months later, I couldn't find it again. They only had Cascade. I don't remember the price of the Kirkland stuff, but I assume it was cheaper than Cascade. It's been several months now that I haven't been able to find the Kirkland stuff. Does this mean they stopped making it, or do they sometimes stop carrying something and bring it back (like Trader Joe's does, I think)? I haven't checked other stores, but I haven't been able to find the Kirkland stuff at my store.

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I'm a recent Costco devotee, having moved last year to within 2 miles of one (Wheaton) and become a member for the first time in my life. I have a general non-food question:

On one of my first visits I bought Kirkland dishwasher detergent, which I thought was fine, and when I went to buy it again several weeks or possibly months later, I couldn't find it again. They only had Cascade. I don't remember the price of the Kirkland stuff, but I assume it was cheaper than Cascade. It's been several months now that I haven't been able to find the Kirkland stuff. Does this mean they stopped making it, or do they sometimes stop carrying something and bring it back (like Trader Joe's does, I think)? I haven't checked other stores, but I haven't been able to find the Kirkland stuff at my store.

They do the thing where they have something and then they don't. Sometimes it will come back and sometimes it won't.  It might be that the contract they had with whatever company made the Kirkland brand detergent ended and they haven't gone forward with anybody else.  Some things they seem to have only when they have them on a sale (e.g., the cans of Izze juice drinks).  And different stores sometimes stock different products.

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Interesting -- thank you! I'll keep looking for the Kirkland detergent and some of my other favorite products that I hope they'll stock some day (Woolite for delicates, Deer Park sparkling water, etc.).

Having a product in stock and then not having it in stock is part of their business model.  It's done by design.  If you go there planning to buy, say 10 things, likely they won't have one or two in stock, so you'll tend to come back sooner/more often to grab it when you can.  So it's a way to get you to come back more often and (this is the key) end up buying more other stuff that you didn't intend to buy.  All part of the Costco "targets and treasures" game.

You said it yourself -- you will go back looking for those things you're waiting for them to stock.  And when you do, they'll have lots of stuff to tempt you.  Not having a few things is one way to draw you back in more often.  
 
Note --this applies primarily to the package goods on the high racks on either side of the store, not so much the perishables in back or the one-time stuff on the tables in the center.  But even there you see it.  I was in Costco a week ago and saw, of all things, some packages of just the cap from rib eye (there was a thread here on Rockwell about that cut some time back--click).  I've never seen that before anywhere.  And like an idiot I didn't buy any.  Major Fail. Next time I'm in there I'll look for it but it won't be there.
 
Edit 1 day later:  I was back in that Costco this eve., and lo and behold once again I am proven wrong.  They did have some of the cap meat.  I now I remember why I didn't buy it before -- it's prime and is priced at $18.99/lb.  But this time I sprang for some.  Anxious to see how it turns out.
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Note --this applies primarily to the package goods on the high racks on either side of the store, not so much the perishables in back or the one-time stuff on the tables in the center.  But even there you see it.  I was in Costco a week ago and saw, of all things, some packages of just the cap from rib eye (there was a thread here on Rockwell about that cut some time back--click).  I've never seen that before anywhere.  And like an idiot I didn't buy any.  Major Fail. Next time I'm in there I'll look for it but it won't be there.
 
Edit 1 day later:  I was back in that Costco this eve., and lo and behold once again I am proven wrong.  They did have some of the cap meat.  I now I remember why I didn't buy it before -- it's prime and is priced at $18.99/lb.  But this time I sprang for some.  Anxious to see how it turns out.

We've gotten the prime ribeye caps from the Pentagon City Store. We put them in the sous vide then seared them off. They were delicious.

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We got the Waring waffle iron that is on sale just this week. Goodness knows where we are going to store it and whether we will actually use it but my husband is dying of happy anticipating waffles in the morning so...yay early Xmas?

Also got a box of the chicken stock because we drank up our freezer stores during The Sickening and need a lot for Tday. I plan to use Kenji's trick and doctor it with some gelatin if necessary.

Oooh, plus a beautiful box of chanterelles.

Yeah, they got me good today!

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I have another non-food Costco question if people will indulge me:

I bought my husband a pair of Levi's at the Wheaton Costco a few weeks ago. He wore them a few times and they tore when he was getting in the car (not on a seam, of course). They fit fine, so it's not an issue of them being too tight. Do people think Costco would take them back? I'd even just do an exchange assuming they still have the same jeans. I might even have the receipt. I think I read somewhere that they're pretty good about returns, but I thought I'd get some other intel before I make an attempt.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts!

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They're awesome about returns! Officially, no time limit (except on specific items like electronics) and no receipt required (though highly recommended). But the returns lines can be long.

I have another non-food Costco question if people will indulge me:

I bought my husband a pair of Levi's at the Wheaton Costco a few weeks ago. He wore them a few times and they tore when he was getting in the car (not on a seam, of course). They fit fine, so it's not an issue of them being too tight. Do people think Costco would take them back? I'd even just do an exchange assuming they still have the same jeans. I might even have the receipt. I think I read somewhere that they're pretty good about returns, but I thought I'd get some other intel before I make an attempt.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts!

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They're awesome about returns! Officially, no time limit (except on specific items like electronics) and no receipt required (though highly recommended). But the returns lines can be long. 

They are very good about returns.  They, in fact, were being taken advantage of on electronics, which is why they tightened that policy up a couple of years ago.  A month or two ago, I bought oysters (shucked and canned, in liquid, in the refrigerated section).  I opened them a day or two after buying (long before the date on them), and they were disgusting.  I was no way going to keep them around to go in for a return, and they refunded my money just with a receipt and explanation of the problem.  Return lines can be very long, though.

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They're awesome about returns! Officially, no time limit (except on specific items like electronics) and no receipt required (though highly recommended). But the returns lines can be long. 

They are very good about returns.  They, in fact, were being taken advantage of on electronics, which is why they tightened that policy up a couple of years ago.  A month or two ago, I bought oysters (shucked and canned, in liquid, in the refrigerated section).  I opened them a day or two after buying (long before the date on them), and they were disgusting.  I was no way going to keep them around to go in for a return, and they refunded my money just with a receipt and explanation of the problem.  Return lines can be very long, though.

Thank you both so much. I'm going to give it a shot. The one time I returned something (just a standard return of an unused item that my husband bought but we didn't need) there was no line for returns -- I must've lucked out that time. I'll steel myself for a possible wait this time. Thanks again!

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Thank you both so much. I'm going to give it a shot. The one time I returned something (just a standard return of an unused item that my husband bought but we didn't need) there was no line for returns -- I must've lucked out that time. I'll steel myself for a possible wait this time. Thanks again!

I made a quick run over to my local store (Gaithersburg) last weekend. I got there 5 minutes after the doors opened, and there were already 15 people lined up for returns.

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I made a quick run over to my local store (Gaithersburg) last weekend. I got there 5 minutes after the doors opened, and there were already 15 people lined up for returns.

Yikes. I have every other Monday off from work, so that's when I usually go. Hopefully it'll be less busy this Monday when I make my attempt.

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Thank you both so much. I'm going to give it a shot. The one time I returned something (just a standard return of an unused item that my husband bought but we didn't need) there was no line for returns -- I must've lucked out that time. I'll steel myself for a possible wait this time. Thanks again!

I returned my husband's jeans yesterday. I had a brief speech ready about how he'd only worn them a few times and they tore but they clearly fit, so there must have been something wrong with them, blah blah, but the cashier didn't seem to care. She just (pleasantly) took them back and handed me my cash (I did have my receipt).

Perhaps more newsworthy was the fact that once again there was no line for returns. This was around 3pm on a Monday in Wheaton. So if you have any flexibility about when you try to make a return (I realize many people don't), I suggest going on a weekday.

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My wine supply is running low and I'm thinking about making a pilgrimage to the DC Costco to stock up. (I live 2 miles from the Wheaton Costco, but, alas, it doesn't carry alcohol.) It probably goes without saying that I don't generally drink very high end wine. :-) I also don't know a whole lot about wine, but I know I generally prefer lighter reds and drier, crisper whites. Can anyone recommend wines in these categories that Costco generally carries? I'd be looking to spend about $10-15 a bottle. Thanks!!

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They typically have a good selection of New Zealand sauvignon blancs, that are extremely drinkable. I also know that they tend to have a couple of Oregon Pinot Noirs that also sit in around that range, typically Erath, King Estate, or A to Z, which are all good everyday reds. 

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What are the highest quality non-Kirkland brands of liquor sold at Costco in DC?  My Google searches yielded very little.

I'm looking for a wedding present and was going to shop at Ace Beverage or MacArthur, but will already be a couple of miles away from Costco during rush hour this afternoon and would prefer avoiding an extra trip across town if possible.

If there's nothing at Costco that rises to the level of present-worthy, for my own personal consumption do they at least sell anything like St. Germain, or even Tito's? 

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14 minutes ago, silentbob said:

What are the highest quality non-Kirkland brands of liquor sold at Costco in DC?  My Google searches yielded very little.

I'm looking for a wedding present and was going to shop at Ace Beverage or MacArthur, but will already be a couple of miles away from Costco during rush hour this afternoon and would prefer avoiding an extra trip across town if possible.

If there's nothing at Costco that rises to the level of present-worthy, for my own personal consumption do they at least sell anything like St. Germain, or even Tito's? 

They sell a range of high-end liquor.  You're not going to find much in the way of small batch producers, but I've seen some very good bourbon at decent prices.  There is even a locked display case where you could drop a few hundred on single malt or even a couple thousand on a bottle of cognac (not kidding, they usually have Remy Martin Louis XIII in stock).

And they do sell Tito's along with many other name brand staples.  Can't remember if I've seen St Germain.  The liqueur selection tends to be thinner than the higher proof stuff.  That being said I have never been disappointed with the Kirkland brands for regular cocktail use; all of the "premium" bottles are private-labeled at a serious discount, though it's hard to find out exactly what you are getting (if the vodka = Grey Goose, bourbon = Buffalo Trace, gin = Tanqueray, etc.).  There are people that try to track those things, but Costco does a good job of hiding the source, for obvious reasons.

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I've bought Laphroaig there and Jamesons, as well as Hendricks gin. I haven't paid attention to the vodkas. They sometimes have specials off the already amazing for the size of bottle price.  That Laphroaig was one that was additionally discounted.  I've never bought anything out of the locked case.

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So I went last night.  Yeah, the selection is actually quite good for the popular name brands, and there's definitely some high-end stuff.  The Kirkland brand prices are insane.  I didn't find much by way of small batch gins though, and ended up making a quick trip to MacArthur this morning (grabbing the last two bottles of St. Germain on sale for $25 each as well).

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On the whiskey side, I know you can get Whistle Pig rye, Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye (I think you can also get their gin), Jefferson's bourbon, Colonel Taylor bourbon and whiskey, Booker's bourbon, Knob Creek (bourbon and rye), Bulleit (bourbon only), Templeton rye, and I know a whole bunch of others that I can't remember. It's a quite decent selection. On gin you can get Henricks, Bombay Saphire, Beefeater, and I believe a couple of others. 

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1 hour ago, silentbob said:

I know they became somewhat trite a few years ago, and can't speak for other locations, but the Costco in Gaithersburg recently started selling bags of shishito peppers.  Great when deep-fried in olive oil and topped with Maldon sea salt, not as great but still decent when tossed in sesame oil and grilled.

Either way, they are so addictive!

Still getting the ~10% spicy ratio from the Costco ones?

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An alternative cooking method is to toss in EVOO, char them on the grill using a grill pan and then sprinkle with Sea Salt.  Chow down with a Sauvignon Blanc.  The peppers at Traders Joes have been great, I'll have to check the ratio next time.

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Do the East Coast stores stock Golden Island jerky? Ours has it, usually in the 2nd row of snacks near the front. We're big fans of the KBBQ-flavored pork jerky. It's a bit sweet for my taste but otherwise just about my Platonic ideal of jerky in taste and texture (thin pieces, easily pulled into long strips, moist but not wet and dry enough to have a nice, firm, chewy bite). Their beef jerky is just OK (much tougher and the flavor is nothing special) - it's really the pork version that shines.

A couple other snacky products we usually buy now (always if they are on sale) are the Parmesan Whisps (crunchy parmesan-only baked discs, sized for snacking or topping pretty much anything) and the almond Barkthins (dark chocolate almond bark, broken into fairly thin pieces). Both are also found in the snacking section.

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I'm very interested in those Parmesan whisps, but I'm pretty sure I can't be trusted to have them in the house.

I like the Salem Baking Meyer lemon cookies, which I think they always have. They were on sale in the last couple of months. They sometimes also have Biscoff cookies, which I love even though they remind me of flying on Delta.

I haven't noticed Golden Island jerky, but I expect to be in the DC Costco tomorrow and will keep an eye out.

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Yes, I have seen pork jerky in all the east coast Costcos that I have been to.  They are similar to Chinese pork jerky that I grew up with, but better because they are not stale.

I love the parmesan whisps as well, I really regret not stocking up on more when there was a coupon.   A bit pricy but a bag goes a surprisingly long way for snacking.

I also really hope the truffle Gouda will make a triumphant return in a couple months.  It's by far the best truffle cheese I ever had, and I've tried every truffle cheese I ever come across.

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