What do YOU buy at costco ?

[floydo]

Isn't really one near me....but I pass one on my way to Boston once a month. Thinking of joining because they apparently have good prices on hearing aids. What Que ( or other ) do YOU buy there that makes a membership worthwhile ?

Is this an OK question for "Que Talk" Forum ?

 

[IamMadMan]

I buy whole strip loins and steaks there. I also buy boneless butts to make buckboard bacon (and sometimes pulled ham) with.

They also have the Camp Chef three burner Expedition with a griddle for 169.00.. List price is $396.00 ay camp chef. Three high output burners for cooking chicken wings....

 

[Beentown]

Almost all my meat comes from Costco.

Racks of lamb
Prime briskets
Pork shoulders (bone in and out)
Bacon
Whole chickens
Some fish
All our steaks. Usually Prime ribeyes.
Burger

 

[SYBQ]

Their premium vodka, great deal. I'm not a member but in indiana they can not stop you from going in and buying alcohol. Not sure if that holds true in other states though.

 

[Mikeinctown]

Heck, I buy quite a bit of stuff from there, but for BBQ related stuff, they sell huge rolls of foil, aluminum pans really cheap, disposable gloves, competition charcoal, etc. If I was only going once a month I am not sure the membership would be worth it. You can stop by the membership desk and get a pass that will let you walk around the store for the day. You can't buy anything that day but at least you can see what they have. I go to the store about 2x a month but I get gas every week which saves me hundreds a year.

I saw that Camp Chef yesterday. I remember someone mentioning them at one point but wasn't sure it was worth the $$. I suspect they'll be sold out in a matter of days. I know after new year they stock all sorts of furniture. I go in every year, see what I want and then go back with a truck next week after payday and find that every single one of what I was has been sold. Things can move quickly there!

 

[hammb]

Almost all my meat comes from Costco.

Racks of lamb
Prime briskets
Pork shoulders (bone in and out)
Bacon
Whole chickens
Some fish
All our steaks. Usually Prime ribeyes.
Burger

And you're in Ohio?

Wow.

I'm hoping the new CostCo that is opening (also about half the distance from me than the current one) in Toledo will carry a better variety of these sorts of things.

Bacon & Beef I buy almost exclusively at the local butcher shop. It cannot be beaten, IMO. Our CostCo doesn't carry bone-in butts, never has. I don't like cooking the boneless ones, so I usually end up with those from the butcher as well. Steaks I can usually find near prime quality at the butcher shop priced less than the actual prime graded stuff at CostCo. Our CostCo doesn't carry whole briskets either, even when I asked about it they said, nope, only flats.

I'm hoping that they start carrying packers at the new one, because from what I've read on here they're usually much cheaper than I pay at the butcher shop.

Do you not buy ribs at CostCo? That's one thing that I've actually been inclined to buy there as the ribs at my local butcher are generally disappointing. This past Memorial Day though CostCo's ribs were pricey...I think they may have had baby backs on sale, but I always cook spares.

The chickens at CostCo are reasonably priced, but I usually spend more and get chickens from a local farm that are all natural raised pastured, etc. Been to their farm, their chickens live a good life and don't get any mass produced feeds, etc. Best chicken and best eggs I've ever eaten.

My GoTo items at CostCo are largely not BBQ related but still easily pay for my membership:

COFFEE! Great deal on whole bean coffees (I buy the Biggby Best)
Cream
Butter
Olive Oil
Coconut Oil
Fage Yogurt
Frozen fruits
Good cheeses (cheddar, gruyere, parmesan)
Foils, ziplocks, foil pans, paper plates, plastic cups, etc
Gas

 

[Beentown]

And you're in Ohio?

Wow.

I'm hoping the new CostCo that is opening (also about half the distance from me than the current one) in Toledo will carry a better variety of these sorts of things.

Bacon & Beef I buy almost exclusively at the local butcher shop. It cannot be beaten, IMO. Our CostCo doesn't carry bone-in butts, never has. I don't like cooking the boneless ones, so I usually end up with those from the butcher as well. Steaks I can usually find near prime quality at the butcher shop priced less than the actual prime graded stuff at CostCo. Our CostCo doesn't carry whole briskets either, even when I asked about it they said, nope, only flats.

I'm hoping that they start carrying packers at the new one, because from what I've read on here they're usually much cheaper than I pay at the butcher shop.

Do you not buy ribs at CostCo? That's one thing that I've actually been inclined to buy there as the ribs at my local butcher are generally disappointing. This past Memorial Day though CostCo's ribs were pricey...I think they may have had baby backs on sale, but I always cook spares.

The chickens at CostCo are reasonably priced, but I usually spend more and get chickens from a local farm that are all natural raised pastured, etc. Been to their farm, their chickens live a good life and don't get any mass produced feeds, etc. Best chicken and best eggs I've ever eaten.

My GoTo items at CostCo are largely not BBQ related but still easily pay for my membership:

COFFEE! Great deal on whole bean coffees (I buy the Biggby Best)
Cream
Butter
Olive Oil
Coconut Oil
Fage Yogurt
Frozen fruits
Good cheeses (cheddar, gruyere, parmesan)
Foils, ziplocks, foil pans, paper plates, plastic cups, etc
Gas

Mine has Prime ribeye for 12.99-14.99 a pound and smokes anything around here for quality/price comparison.

PRIME Packers are $3.79 a pound. Hopefully yours starts getting more variety.

 

[hammb]

I buy whole strip loins and steaks there. I also buy boneless butts to make buckboard bacon (and sometimes pulled ham) with.

They also have the Camp Chef three burner Expedition with a griddle for 169.00.. List price is $396.00 ay camp chef. Three high output burners for cooking chicken wings....

That's an awesome deal for that Camp Chef! I have the 2 burner model with the full griddle to cover both burners and LOVE it. It's a must for any camping and tailgating trips.

The 3rd burner would be awesome, but I don't think I could justify buying a 2nd one...anybody debating though should jump on that!

 

[Maylar]

I don't use any of the membership stores. They sell in bulk and I don't have storage space or a big freezer.

 

[mikemci]

Their gasoline prices easily pay for my membership.
I also buy boston butts for sausage making(they are boneless)
Prime grade ribeyes
Seasonings like black pepper, granulated garlic, montreal steak seasoning, etc.
Their brand of blue jeans have outlasted Levi and Wrangler for me at much lower cost.

 

[floydo]

What's the method for wings on the camp chef ? Not familiar with the stove . Are you frying ?

 

[Mikeinctown]

Mine has Prime ribeye for 12.99-14.99 a pound and smokes anything around here for quality/price comparison.

PRIME Packers are $3.79 a pound. Hopefully yours starts getting more variety.

Until last week I have never seen a brisket anything at Costco. They also only have the boneless shoulder for like $2 a pound. last week I finally saw a flat at $6 a pound and last night finally a whole packer for about $4 a pound. Ribs by the case are a great price though, IIRC like $3.30 a pound for St Louis cut in a 50# case. I think they are normally $4 a pound. (full spares IIRC are $3 a pound)

 

[PatAttack]

Unfortunately, the Costco near me only sells flats and boneless butts. So, I go to Costco for some things and Sam's for whole packers & bone-in butts.

 

[hammb]

Mine has Prime ribeye for 12.99-14.99 a pound and smokes anything around here for quality/price comparison.

PRIME Packers are $3.79 a pound. Hopefully yours starts getting more variety.

The packer is what I'm looking for...especially at that price. Did one from the butcher on Memorial day and it was $4.75. And I wasn't real pleased with it, to be honest. Unlike steaks they don't have a bunch of briskets to choose from, I have to call ahead and order and take what they have for me when I get there.

Our CostCo does have the prime steaks like you mentioned. I can usually get Ribeyes from my butcher for $10-12 that are close to prime in marbling. And it supports the local guys (they raise all the beef themselves) that have been in business for over 100 years.

But if you don't have a great local butcher the CostCo steaks are gorgeous and like half the price of prime graded stuff at places like Whole Foods.

 

[qitup]

Me and my fiancee go there about once a month, sometimes more but she has a very loose "rack to cart" hand (which gets quite pricy!).

We get:
LaCroix carbonated water (Lime flavor only but that's ok because it's the one I like the best)
Toiletries - Shampoo, soap, toothpaste, OralB tooth brush and heads, you get the gist.
Cellucor C4 (pre-workout supplement, best on the market!)
Baby Back Ribs
Whole chickens
Frozen chicken breasts (sadly these are the easiest to bake during the week, we work long hours)
Frozen kale and quinoa mix (throw this in the microwave and 3 minutes later it's done) [again, I know it's sacrilegious but it works for our hectic schedules]
Coors Light
Wine
Vodka
Hell, anything you buy in quantity at the grocery store you should buy there.


Spend a little extra and get the executive membership and you start earning cash back (2%) after a certain threshold.

As another member eluded to, their gas prices smoke anything around. Especially here in the Chicago area where gas just hit $3.25 - Costco sits around $.40 cheaper on average.

 

[frog13]

You need to watch prices at Costco just like anywhere else. I get a lot of meat on sale at my local butcher at a much better price than Costco. As with any shopping experience, the way to cut costs and get quality is to make yourself knowledgeable. Know the costs and what you are buying. It's just the wife and I so we make a major grocery run every 6-8 weeks to Costco and Restaurant Depot. In between we stock up with local sales items as they are available. Costco saves us money on bulk non-perishable or long shelf life items.

 

[Beentown]

Yeah Frog that is why I don't get ribs there. Kroger and Meijer run specials on ribs and I stock up then.

 

[Mikeinctown]

The one thing Idislike about Costco is that their meat sell by date is usually one or two days at the most after you buy it. You either have to freeze it right away or cook it. Meat I've purchased from other places usually can quite a bit longer.

 

[qitup]

When in doubt get a FoodSave and vac seal right away. Most food items will keep 3-4 weeks past their expiry date. Plus if you want to infuse flavors in your food prior to cooking them, or make a poor mans sous vide, this is a great vehicle for it.

 

[floydo]

When in doubt get a FoodSave and vac seal right away. Most food items will keep 3-4 weeks past their expiry date. Plus if you want to infuse flavors in your food prior to cooking them, or make a poor mans sous vide, this is a great vehicle for it.

stays fresh without freezing ?