There are so many reasons to love Costco; The economical groceries in bulk sizes, the samples, the numerous hacks like scoring bakery items in bulk. And, obviously, Costco’s viral food court hot dogs or pizza. But not everything is bigger and better at Costco, so you shouldn’t automatically assume everything is a great deal or stellar quality. Such is the case for the rice — so says the internet.
It always pays to do a little item-by-item comparison before you buy anything and everything at Costco. Certain items, like bulk produce, are best skipped since it almost always turns soggy and mushy before you can eat it all. And there are money-saving concerns of course — one being that fresh fruit is a terrible deal at Costco. Another such example is the Costco brand of rice which some shoppers have called out for its costlier-than-you’d-think price tag and lackluster quality.
Shoppers and internet foodies have shared that the 25-pound bags of jasmine rice aren’t as cheap pound-for-pound as what you’d find at your local grocery store or Asian supermarket. Do the math yourself, but don’t assume that just because the bag is bigger, it’s a true deal. Make sure to always look at the unit price tag if you really want to save money at Costco, or anywhere. Depending on your palate and usage, Costco rice may or may not deserve a spot in your shopping cart.
Costco rice comes down to price and quality
Prices vary at Costco as well as your other local markets, so what holds true for one city might not be the same story elsewhere. For areas where groceries tend to be sky-high, 25-pound bags of Costco rice might be an excellent savings. It’s truly up to you to crunch the numbers for yourself.
You also may have seen a TikTok video where one user found, uh, bugs in a 20-pound Costco bag of organic brown rice. However, viral as it went, there’s no way to verify this one video or prove the bugs didn’t come from her pantry — which can happen (though rare) to any old or unsealed grains. Alleged bugs aside, as far as the taste, quality, and flavor of Costco rice compared to other brands at the store, and beyond, there doesn’t seem to be a widespread consensus. Once again, it comes down to personal preference.
Of course, you might decide the rice is fine and dandy for your purposes. In that case, one consideration is shelf life of jumbo quantities; Rice is one of those foods that don’t last in storage as long as you think. For anyone who is picky about their rice, or looking for a specific type (Costco’s offerings are often limited to basmati or jasmine rice), it might be best to shop elsewhere for truly great grains. Based on how the math checks out, how often you cook rice, and your personal preference on flavor and taste, stocking up in bulk at Costco may truly pay off over time.
