You already know that Costco is the place to go for super-size packages of breakfast cereal, big bottles of vanilla extract, and a plethora of protein bars, but food isn’t the only kitchen deal you can get at the big box warehouse. If you’re in the market for a new set of dishes, it might be worth considering some of Costco’s large dinnerware sets, which can have as many as 40 pieces. At the average department or discount store, dishes are typically sold in sets with 16 pieces, which is enough for four place settings, but these big packages can cover a table for 10. Now, you might not think you need that many dishes, but we’re here to tell you that a bigger dinnerware set might just be one of the smartest kitchen upgrades ever.
The most obvious excuse for buying a large set of dishes is to serve a big family. A household of five, for instance, will burn through five sets of dishes in one meal, so if you have the storage space, it makes sense to have 10 settings on hand at all times. You also can’t beat the price if you need a lot of dishes on a small budget, like in a shared apartment or for a vacation rental. A 16-piece set of textured white porcelain dishes at Target costs around $70, or $5.83 a piece, while a 40-piece set of similar dinnerware at Costco costs $124.99, or $3.12 per piece.
Small households can also benefit from large sets
A big set of dishes isn’t only useful for bigger families, however. Smaller households who frequently host need lots of extra dishes to pull off dinner parties and other events. They also make meal prepping a little easier because you’ll always have extra pieces available for holding ingredients while you work without feeling like the plate cabinet is bare.
It’s also always nice to have extra matching plates, cups, and other pieces as backups when a few of them inevitably break or crack (be careful of that hot stovetop, for example). If you don’t have a ton of space in your kitchen, take half of the large set and put them into circulation for use every day, and store the other half in a closet for replacements. And since you’ve already got a membership, you can also score a good deal on cookware to fill out the rest of your kitchen.
If you live alone or with one other person, consider buying dishes the same way single people shop for other bulk items at Costco: split the box with a friend. For around $3 a piece, you and a buddy can stock up the kitchen with enough dishes for five days, which is the perfect amount for getting through the work week. With the money left over, the two of you can split a case of toilet paper and still have plenty of funds for the food court.
