We Tried (And Ranked) Every Kinder's Seasoning At Costco

If you've never experienced the pleasure of having one seasoning brand that satisfies all your flavor needs, turn to Kinder's Seasonings. Available at Costco, the brand boasts over 20 seasoning blends well-suited to whatever you may be preparing for your next soirée; in fact, the company's website even has a page of recipes utilizing its seasonings, in case you're at a loss of what to prepare.

As a flavor fanatic, I was more than excited to try and rank the 13 seasoning selections the company sent me. Though all of them were at least good, a few blew me away with the punch they packed. I even found myself impressed by the company's simplest seasonings. To test the products, I sprinkled a generous amount of each seasoning on a small piece of chicken and a small piece of potato before oven-roasting them. Fair warning: I'm about to toss out my whole cabinet of seasonings to make room for these Kinder's bottles, because I honestly haven't had any better blends. 

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

Unfortunately, Kinder's Buttery Garlic & Herb seasoning took the bottom spot on this list. Though I definitely didn't dislike the blend, one of the selections had to come in last, and this buttery blend drew the short straw. I wonder if the company has been working on this blend — its website has a couple of garlic herb seasonings as well as a buttery garlic seasoning, so it seems possible that it's still trying to hone in on the correct balance here. Unfortunately, this seasoning didn't quite nail it.

The individual flavors in this seasoning were good, but the ratios weren't on point. First, I found it to be a tad too salty, which I think was amplified by the buttery-ness of the seasoning, leading to an overpowering, rich flavor that eclipsed any herbs present. I was looking for the herbs while tasting this seasoning and hardly found any. I think this would be a good blend to sprinkle on sautéed vegetables or even to make homemade croutons with, but I probably wouldn't put it on everything. When I do use it, it will probably be in small amounts.

Kinder's Garlic Parmesan seasoning packed a punch of flavor that wasn't entirely unwelcome, but tasted, to be honest, slightly artificial. I wasn't sure what to make of this seasoning — again, I didn't dislike it, but had I tasted it blind I'd have been hard-pressed to identify its flavor. The garlic was very potent, and, similar to the last pick, I found it tasted slightly too salty for my liking (which is unusual — I tend to want more salt than the average taster).

Other than garlic salt, I struggled to identify any other notes of interest — even the parmesan took a backseat, as I think it was fighting too hard with the salt for attention. I liked it better on the potato than on the chicken and I think it would make a good homemade French fry seasoning or addition to a marinade. I could also see it being lightly sprinkled over a Caesar salad or used to balance out a lemony pasta dish. However, when using this, I'd be wary of using too much, as it could definitely overpower other flavors you may want to stand out in your recipe.

The only reason Kinder's Lemon Pepper seasoning ranked as low as it did on my list was because it didn't feel like a very all-purpose seasoning — and maybe it's not supposed to be one. However, this means I could see it sitting in my cabinet and only being used on occasion, and I have to take frequency of use into account when considering seasonings. One big thing I appreciated about this seasoning was how finely ground it was — an issue I had with some of the other seasoning blends — meaning it could hide well in certain dishes when used in small amounts.

The lemon pepper seasoning was very zesty in a great way, and its sugar balanced the slight bitterness from the lemon peel nicely. I'd add this to roasted potatoes in a heartbeat, but if I had to venture a guess, I'd say this was probably formulated with fish in mind. The blend tastes like it was made to be put on seafood, and this seasoning would definitely take fresh tuna to the next level, but I'm not sure it would taste the best on other cuts of meat. I can see it being a gorgeous addition to a fish and asparagus dish, though, or even added to oil and vinegar for a zesty salad dressing.

I was really torn on where to rank Kinder's Red Jalapeño Garlic seasoning. I think my biggest qualm with the seasoning was a personal one — its spiciness hit me head-on and made it hard to taste many other identifiable notes. However, I should mention that I'm more sensitive to spice than the average consumer; if you tend to be pretty tolerant of the heat, this may not be an issue for you.

When I first tasted this seasoning, my immediate thought was that it was surprisingly good. I definitely got the garlic but struggled to find the jalapeño flavor — until the heat hit at the end of my bite. It sat on the back of my tongue long after I swallowed which distracted me from any other tasting notes I may have gotten. I also didn't get any jalapeño flavor aside from spice, which almost makes me wish the company had used the milder green jalapeños instead of red so the flavor could shine through. Overall, I could see some really enjoying this seasoning, but it wasn't for me.

Kinder's aptly named its All Purpose seasoning, as you can definitely use it on anything. This is one of those seasonings that you'll find yourself grabbing when you need to season a whole meal without curating flavor combinations. It's subtle and just the slightest bit spicy; it would add a nice zing to anything from roasted veggies to chicken, potatoes, steak, and even as an addition to a meaty stew.

If there's anything to be wary of with this all-purpose seasoning, it's the paprika; it's definitely strong in this blend, so if you don't like the spice (personally, I do), keep that in mind. I could also see some finding it too salty if you used too much of it, but that was by no means a deal breaker for me. It also boasts notes of garlic, onion, and chili. It's the kind of seasoning blend you could make at home if you really wanted to, but who has time for that? I'd opt for a bottle of Kinder's over the homemade version any day. 

Kinder's classifies its Buttery Steakhouse blend as a rub rather than a seasoning, and for good reason — though I used it as a seasoning, I found myself wishing I had rubbed it on the chicken to give the flavors time to marry with the meat. This seasoning would take a steak or a roast to new heights when used as a rub, and I thought it was very well balanced. I recommend using this in dishes that are slow-cooked to get the full depth of flavor it has to offer.

This seasoning, as its name would suggest, was pretty smoky and buttery. It smells exactly how I'd expect it to upon opening the bottle: rich butter hits the nose first, quickly followed by a smokiness from the garlic, onion, and pepper. An ample amount of dried parsley provides a nice balance to the otherwise relatively sharp spices, and the turmeric is barely present, but works to round out the whole blend. This product would make a great seasoning for a steak sandwich, though I don't think I would put it on much more than steak and potatoes.

Kinder's The Blend seasoning is less mysterious than the name makes it sound. This simple seasoning is possibly the most wide-reaching in terms of its uses, which is one reason it got as high of a spot on this list as it did. It would be a great seasoning to use if you're feeding a crowd and need to ensure your dish is palatable to even the pickiest of eaters. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if you use some version of this blend at home already — after all, it's just salt, pepper, and garlic.

Though the seasoning isn't the most noteworthy in terms of flavor profiles, the flavors it does boast will pack a punch in any dish. Salt, pepper, and garlic are a classic seasoning combo, and Kinder's found a great balance of the three in this blend. I'd buy this one over having three different seasonings in my cabinet any day; not only is it convenient to sprinkle on pretty much anything, but I also don't think I could replicate the ratios in this blend at home.

Kinder's Santa Maria was another seasoning blend that I found hard to place on this list. I'd say it was definitely the most herb-forward of any of the blends, which is probably why I liked it so much. However, while other seasonings left me no doubt as to what they should be used on, I found myself unsure of Santa Maria's purpose. It tasted delicious on the chicken and potato I tried it with and I can see it being a delightful roasted vegetable seasoning as well; beyond that, I'm honestly unsure how I would use it.

This blend was more lemony than I expected in a way that delighted me. Unlike the slight bitterness of the lemon that needed to be balanced with sugar in the Lemon Pepper seasoning, the lemon here was bright and zesty. The herbs were flavorful and aromatic, and though the company doesn't list the herb blend it uses, I detected parsley and some thyme. I don't see many people disliking this blend, but other than its strong herbal qualities I didn't find much to set it aside from the following selections.

Kinder's The Taco Blend is absolutely my new favorite unique taco seasoning — notes of lime set it apart from other taco seasonings I've tried, and it was spicier than I usually go for in a taco seasoning. The only reason this blend didn't rank higher is because it's only meant to be used on tacos, but don't let that stop you from picking up a bottle the next time you're at Costco, as you may just find your new favorite taco night accompaniment.

The flavors of this blend are packed with chili and paprika, and though it was slightly spicy, I didn't find the spice overwhelming at all. This is a great all-purpose taco seasoning that could make any meat evoke taco night vibes — I could even see it being adequate enough to disguise tofu as taco meat in a pinch. Though I don't think you'd need a ton to flavor taco meat, I also think it would be hard to go overboard with this seasoning, unlike some others on this list. You really could use as much or as little of it as you'd like without it being too overwhelming or underwhelming.

I loved Kinder's The Steak Blend, and, if you're looking for the epitome of steak seasonings, this is it. What really makes this smoky, garlicky blend perfect for steaks is its mustard seed, which adds some umami to the blend and balances out the other spices very well. Though this is definitely a seasoning for steak, I'd argue you could use it on pretty much anything. It even made the chicken I applied it to taste like steak, which earned this seasoning major brownie points from me.

My only qualm with this seasoning was that it's slightly grainy — I found myself crunching some spices as I was eating the chicken and potato bites, but not even that could detract from my high opinion of this steak blend. The flavors are impeccably combined and evoke the perfect balance of smoke and spice that I look for in a good steak seasoning. You should absolutely use this to season your next steak, but it's also a steak seasoning that would enhance your grilled vegetables and other meats, as well.

I was shocked by how much I enjoyed Kinder's Cowboy Butter seasoning. It boasted a balance that the company's other buttery blends just didn't — it was neither too salty nor overwhelming, and the butter married beautifully with the dijon and chili in a way that will make you want to sprinkle this on everything just to see what it does. It's full of umami and has a richness to it that undoubtedly comes from the butter. It also has the slightest hint of paprika, and I appreciated the spice taking a backseat in this blend.

This seasoning is even slightly spicy, but the fullness of the butter works to balance the spice enough to make it barely noticeable. The flavors in this seasoning lingered with me long after the bite was over and made me wish I had more — it gave the chicken a ton of flavor and was simply out of this world on the potato. I could see this seasoning seriously elevating your pork chops, vegetables, and anything starchy. I'd even be tempted to try it mixed into some softened butter as a spread for toasted bread.

The only reason Kinder's Woodfired Garlic ranked above its Cowboy Butter blend is because the flavors here are, in my opinion, more universally applicable and palatable. While I could see the Cowboy Butter being too much for some consumers, the Woodfired Garlic blend would be hard to upset even the pickiest eaters. Garlic and smoked paprika are the main identifiable flavors in this blend, but they definitely pack a punch. 

I greatly appreciated the smokiness of this seasoning, which came through beautifully on the potatoes. It's reminiscent of the inside of an old smokehouse and the garlic is almost (but not quite) overpowered by the smokiness in a way that I loved. This seasoning could sophisticate any meal while also being appealing to any guest, provided they don't hate garlic. It got its number two ranking for its fullness and simplicity — but unlike my number one ranking, it failed to blow me away.

Though I know truffle can be a slightly divisive flavor, it was subtle enough for me to feel very comfortable giving Kinder's Prime Steak seasoning the top spot on my list. I hardly know where to start with this blend — it combined all my favorite aspects of the other blends into one bottle and then had the audacity to add truffle, which I absolutely adore. I'll be putting this on everything I season, and it's officially taking the place of Trader Joe's Umami seasoning as my go-to, all-purpose seasoning blend.

The full umami flavor present in this seasoning is unmatched, except perhaps by the brand's Cowboy Butter blend. It's packed with black pepper which adds enough spice for you to feel it, but not nearly enough to overwhelm. It's delightfully buttery but the butter doesn't take center stage; rather, it enhances the richness of the black garlic to let it shine in its full glory. And finally, the truffle, which isn't at all overwhelming and almost teases me with every bite. The flavor balance in this blend is impeccable and leaves me wanting to take bite after bite, and I think even truffle-averse consumers would be hard-pressed not to enjoy this seasoning.

To rank these seasonings, I tried them each on their own and on the same food palate. Though each of these seasonings should, by their nature, have varying applications, it was important for me to establish a good baseline of comparison, which is why I chose to test each of them with the pretty neutral roasted chicken and potatoes. I also added a bit of olive oil so neither the chicken nor the potatoes would dry out too much in the oven.

I took a few things into consideration when ranking these seasonings. First, the seasoning itself had to be well-balanced — I didn't want to be overwhelmed by one flavor while searching for another. Second, I had to take into account what the seasoning could be used on. Unless it absolutely blew me away (like the taco seasoning), any seasoning that I didn't see having many applications would rank lower on my list (such as the lemon pepper seasoning). Finally, I took into account how universally appealing I thought the seasoning would be to various consumers. For example, The Blend may have ranked lower if I was just focusing on a blend's uniqueness; it ranked as high as it did because it would be almost totally universally enjoyable.