The Costco Kirkland Brand Spice You Should Leave Out Of Your Pantry

It's easy to get swept off your feet by the myriad spices in a grocery aisle. But when taste and money are on the line, it becomes more important to discern which spice is worth entering your basket, and eventually your pantry. Hopefully, our ranking of 11 popular Kirkland spices and seasonings at Costco will help you determine that. We ranked highest the seasonings with dynamic flavors, a fresh essence, versatility in terms of application, and cost-effectiveness. Unfortunately, Costco's Kirkland Organic No Salt Seasoning fell short on all counts and ultimately left us confused about what we'd just sprinkled.

The biggest problem with this seasoning was its chaotic mélange of herbs and spices, including at least 20 ingredients. This is a huge disappointment because the seasoning's breadth of flavors spans from herby to sour and nowhere near salt-like. Yes, we know this is a no-salt seasoning, but the point is that it doesn't work in place of salt in a diet.

With so much going on with this seasoning, it was hard to ascertain an appropriate dish that would call for it, but our taste tester Joshua Carlucci eventually landed on unseasoned chicken stock. The best the seasoning did was register its aromas, but it didn't extract the stock's flavors, leaving us and others who tried this product to conclude that it's not the best salt substitute for sprinkling directly onto food just before eating. This no-salt seasoning may work better in soups and sauces, perhaps with an actual salt substitute.

One 14.5-ounce shaker of Costco's Kirkland No Salt Seasoning was $8.49 at the time of testing ($9.99 at the time of this writing). For a product that delivered little seasoning and lots of confusion, this price was a mismatch. Sure, it's a sizable offering that lasts up to 2 months while using it liberally, but at the cost of braving through under-seasoned meals. Purchasing this seasoning is virtually throwing money down the drain especially if it doesn't win you over as in our case. This product would work better as a non-wholesale product offered in a smaller spice shaker for at least half the cost as that would ease the blow of a wasted investment.

At that price, you're better off buying one of Costco's higher-ranking items on our list, such as the crushed red pepper which was $3.99 for a 10-ounce spice bottle. Unlike the No Salt Seasoning, this spice owes its vibrancy to one potent ingredient. It doesn't have too much going on and delivers the unfettered heat it promises. That, along with Kirkland's 30-ounce sea salt for $3.29 will better season your dish. The latter suggestion wouldn't work for those following a no-salt diet, in which case we'd suggest using green salt or one of the other options from our best substitutes for salt.