8 Facts About Costco's Kirkland Coffee You Should Know

When it comes to private label brands, few can hold a match to Costco's Kirkland Signature. It does an excellent job debunking the myth that in-store labels are inferior to name brands. Kirkland Signature coffee, for example, has a diverse selection of blends that impress even the most staunch coffee aficionados. Many are just as tasty as popular go-tos and often more affordable. From better whole-bean coffee and pantry-worthy house blends to bulk-buy ground coffee, Costco is a one-stop fix for caffeine cravings.

Kirkland coffee is frequently compared to big names like Starbucks and Peet's, and for good reason. Many of the blends are, in fact, "secretly" manufactured by major coffee brands. Partnering with reputable manufacturers helps Kirkland maintain quality control and gives it the option of offering exclusive regional blends. As a result, its coffee has become so popular that resellers sell it on Amazon at marked-up prices. Whether you consider yourself a Costco fanatic or a part-time bulk buyer, you'll get a kick out of these interesting facts about Kirkland coffee.

Sleuthful coffee lovers enjoy uncovering who makes Costco's Kirkland Signature coffee. Fortunately, Costco is fairly forthcoming about its manufacturing partners. It's no secret that Starbucks once supplied Kirkland's whole-bean house blend. The packaging proudly advertised the brand logo, along with the words, "Custom roasted by Starbucks Coffee Company." The Seattle brand also supplied Kirkland's whole-bean espresso and decaf blends. However, for one reason or another, the logo disappeared from all three around the beginning of 2024.

A Reddit user offered an unofficial inside scoop, claiming that Starbucks declined to renew the partnership. Whether true or not, Starbucks and Costco are still in cahoots. The Kirkland Signature French Roast is Starbucks-made. And, for the record — few Redditors lamented the end of the partnership, saying that the brand tends to over-roast its beans. People online have even coined a humorous nickname for the brand: Charbucks.

Costco is known for variety, and that applies to its Kirkland Signature coffee as well. Whether an occasional drip drinker or a self-proclaimed brewmaster, there is something to enjoy for every palate. Its line of Kirkland signature whole-bean coffees offers many options, which include an everyday house blend, a rich-flavored espresso blend, and a classic French roast. However, if you're on a tight schedule, the brand has four K-cup flavors. There are two medium roasts (one being a decaf), one of Kirkland's few light roasts, and a dark roast.

Kirkland Signature also sells pre-ground Colombian and decaffeinated coffees in 3-pound bags. That's enough to keep 'round-the-clock sippers more than satisfied. Besides French roast, international flavors include a decaf organic Colombian, a citrus and floral-like organic Ethiopia light roast, and the organic Sumatra medium dark roast with a spicy chocolate and red wine profile. 

As the popularity of Kirkland Signature products has grown, so has demand from non-members and fans who live in cities without Costco. A $65 annual membership fee, however reasonable, keeps many from joining the retailer's ranks. Resellers found a workaround by selling Costco Kirkland products on Amazon. Along with a wide assortment of foods, a quick search will pull up pages of Kirkland coffee flavors. While some mark up the prices, a surprising number of resellers offer them at the same price as Costco's. As it turns out, you can even purchase Kirkland coffee online from Walmart. 

You may wonder why Costco permits this Kirkland "black market." Technically, it is legal and called "retail arbitrage." Members, or anyone who purchases something, can resell it at a greater or lower price. Resellers hike up the price substantially in many cases. The biggest caveat with buying Kirkland coffee second-hand is that you don't know when the coffee was originally purchased. If the reseller does not share that information, it might be old.

There are lots of Kirkland coffee blends for those who enjoy medium and dark roast, but for light roast fans, it's a different story. Costco's blend committee doesn't appear to have many light roast fans, as there are only a few options. Most people prefer medium and dark roast over light, according to Statista, so that might have something to do with it. Nevertheless, light roast coffee has a distinctive quality that medium and dark do not have. Dense yet delicate, the profile is more complex with natural floral and fruity notes.

Kirkland Signature organic Ethiopia whole bean coffee is one of the few light roasts that Costco sells. Members have given it glowing reviews, especially for the price. Then there is Mayorga Bueno Días, an online-only specialty-grade 100% Arabica coffee. Sadly, those are the only two Kirkland whole-bean light roast flavors. Your other option is one we previously mentioned, breakfast blend K-cups. Kirkland always has a new coffee blend up its sleeve, though, so another light roast will likely pop up at some point.

Keurig's Green Mountain Roasters is among Kirkland's list of coffee manufacturers. Beyond Costco's Kirkland K-cups, it makes a wide selection of K-cup blends. Unlike Starbucks, there was never a doubt about the K-cup inventor's partnership with Costco. For one, the company created K-cups, and for two, its logo is plainly located in the top left-hand corner of all of its Costco products. Keurig even came up with special blends just for the Kirkland line. Two were initially introduced: the breakfast blend, which is a chocolatey, slightly bitter light roast, and the Pacific blend, a dark roast that tastes earthy and sweet.

Green Mountain Roasters and Costco later expanded the line to include two medium roasts — the nutty and tangy summit roast and the robust-flavored house decaf. Don't own a Keurig machine? Well, you're in luck, because Costco sells those, too. And the purchase comes with Kirkland coffee pods.

Kirkland coffee isn't award-winning, but it's hard to beat when it comes to taste and price. Let's face it: Most people drink coffee for caffeine rather than to experience a complex balance of acidity, bitterness, and aromatics. If you're hoping for barista-level quality, you're better off going to a local cafe. Kirkland definitely makes quality coffee, just not Kopi Luwak-level blends. Coffee beans don't have to be passed through the digestive system of an Asian palm civet for the brew to be enjoyable, though.

There are many worthwhile blends to try. You can't go wrong with Kirkland's house blend; it's smooth and full-bodied with a robust hazelnut taste. The Colombian Supremo is a favorite among Costco members — a rich blend of chocolate, caramel, and toasted nuts. Another standout is the pre-ground 100% Colombian coffee — a bulk buy that members say is flavorful and energizing. If you want the best bang for your buck, fans recommend the organic Etiopia Jimma for its smooth and well-rounded lightness. Costco sells extremely pricey coffee beans for an incredible bargain, too, but they aren't Kirkland brand.

Affordable quality coffee has gotten harder to find. The price of coffee has steadily risen in the last few years, increasing from $5.89 in 2022 to $6.16 in 2023, per the U.S. Inflation Counter. And it is expected to grow even further. Luckily for all you dedicated coffee enthusiasts, prices at Costco are usually lower than average. Costco keeps prices lower than other retailers by limiting stock and buying in bulk. It has a minimal design that helps streamline workflow and offsets competitive prices with membership subscriptions, too.

Thanks to Costco's savvy business model, you're able to enjoy popular coffee brands without emptying your pockets. Prices vary by region. For example, as of this writing, the Kirkland Pacific bold K-cups cost $37.99 and include 120 pods, compared to the Starbucks French roast, which retails at $75.96 and only has 88 pods. Kirkland's whole-bean espresso blend is another money-saver. Take the popular brand Lavazza, which sells its whole-bean espresso for $21.60 in a 35.2-ounce bag, whereas the Kirkland option only costs $13.69 and comes in a 40-ounce bag. You do the math.

Someone was able to sleuth up the skinny on another key aspect of the Kirkland coffee supply chain: How the brand manages sustainability. Enveritas, a sustainability assurance company that operates within the coffee and cocoa industries, happens to verify coffee for well-known brands like Pete's, Stumptown, Philz Coffee, Blue Bottle Coffee, and ... *drum-roll* Kirkland Signature. 

Check out a bag of Kirkland, and you can find the Enveritas logo boldly printed on the packaging. The company has an interesting business that helps environmental goals get met. It starts by offering free sustainability assessments to growers and producers. Then, those assessments are offered to large retailers looking to find sustainable coffee supplies — like Kirkland. Considering the company's non-profit, environmentally conscious approach, it's a big plus for Kirkland Signature to have verification from Enveritas. It means that independent attention is being given to matters of environmental concern, and that Kirkland Signature's dedication to that is as serious as brands you might consider more boutique.