Why Some Costco Fans Aren't Loving These Premade Açaí Bowls

Making a fresh açaí bowl at home is a simple matter of blitzing up frozen açaí with a handful of fruit and a splash of milk to make a super-thick smoothie you can devour with a spoon. Topping your bowl with crunchy additions, like granola and seeds, lends this filling brekkie a satisfying texture. However, this requires having all the fixings on hand to beautify your bowl each morning. Luckily, Costco stocks prepped açaí bowls (with a topping) that you can stash in your freezer, completely nixing the need for fresh ingredients. But some Costco fans aren't loving these premade bowls because of the broken packaging and the disappointing taste.

According to a Reddit thread discussing the drawbacks of these frozen bowls, the original poster said, "These were on sale and [I] decided to try them out. At least half the bowls in the box are cracked/open." The accompanying picture shows the partially open film on top of a couple of the bowls, which also have damaged rims and cracked sides.

Regarding the taste, one commenter said, "These tasted [like] cold wet overripe banana. Very gross, not worth the price," while someone else followed up with, "Seconding the best way to describe them is gross. Gross taste. Gross texture. Not helped much by the toppings."

What's in Costco's acai bowls?

A box of Costco's açaí bowls (made by the Tattooed Chef) contains six plastic bowls filled with frozen blueberries, strawberries, and acai puree, and six little packets containing a mixture of sweetened granola and coconut. According to the preparation instructions, you're supposed to thaw the bowls for 60 to 65 minutes before stirring in the granola. Alternatively, you can microwave the bowls for 45 seconds, stir, and heat for 10 more seconds to defrost the fruit faster before mixing in the granola packet.

Despite the negative reviews, Costco's açaí bowls do have some devotees. One commenter said, "People don't like them because they're not absolutely loaded with sugar. Açaí by itself is NOT sweet. It tastes more like cocoa than anything, but the stuff you typically get at a shop has a ton of sugar in it. I like these because they're not hyper sweet and it actually feels like I'm eating something healthy lol. I love them."

Several commenters on a different Reddit thread even discuss tips on how to elevate the bowls with extra toppings. For example, one poster said, "I usually add 2 big spoons of Fagè Greek yogurt, 3 tablespoons of honey, mix it until it becomes a yogurt consistency. Then I add the ingredients packets to it and top it off with fresh fruit and top it with peanut butter, fig butter spread, or [if] I'm cheating I'll add Nutella."

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