Why do people like Costco so much?

[Fanatical Meat]

I don't think I can take the bidet plunge until I have somewhere to plug it in. Cold water is not my bag.

Yeah, I need to run a wire to where the plug will be located. I am fine with cutting a hole in the wall for the new plug, I am fine running the wire from the box in the attic to where the plug will be.
I am afraid to wire it but I have a resource that I trust for the actual wiring.

 

[Kaido]

Re: Costco rotisserie chicken...It was almost 4 years ago. I don't know. I guess it was just a mess to deal with, dealing with the chicken grease! I could try it again, I guess. Any hints? How do you deal with it? Do you throw away the skin? Do you cook up the bones for a bone broth afterward? Details?

It should come in a plastic container with kind of a drippings-sauce on the bottom. You can eat the chicken off the bone, make it into a wrap or salad, etc. You can throw the bones in the Instant Pot for a broth or stock if you're feeling creative! (roast them first!)

 

[JEDI]

Looking for opinions, I have a two adult household so bulk shopping is not needed and kind of turns me off.
I respect their old school business plan but find it pretty irritating. There is one thing I want from them and it is an extra $100 off this covers the membership cost but everything else I can find that is priced on their website isn’t that great of a deal. Why do so many people love Costco so much, what am I missing?

i joined costco many years ago just to buy tires.
The tires i bought at Walmart sucked and i slip/slided in the rain more than once.
Costco only sells quality stuff and the Michelin tires i got on sale were highly rated at TireRack.
(hm.. i probably should have looked up TireRack's ratings for the rest of Walmart's tires. oh well...)

my costco (2miles from my house) also has a gas station.
it's cheaper than any gas station near me.

the $ i save on gas alone pays for the membership and then some.

and costco has a maximum 14% profit markup on their products.
so i know i'm getting good value on quality products.
but most of the time, i only buy stuff on sale so even better value.

Does sam's club or BJ's have a stated maximum profit cap on what they sell?

 

[Muse]

It should come in a plastic container with kind of a drippings-sauce on the bottom. You can eat the chicken off the bone, make it into a wrap or salad, etc. You can throw the bones in the Instant Pot for a broth or stock if you're feeling creative! (roast them first!)

I'll give it another try, I'm going in 3 days. Thanks.

 

[VirtualLarry]

and costco has a maximum 14% profit markup on their products.
so i know i'm getting good value on quality products.
but most of the time, i only buy stuff on sale so even better value.

Does sam's club or BJ's have a stated maximum profit cap on what they sell?

Hmm... do they sell GPUs?

 

[Muse]

Hmm... do they sell GPUs?

Nah, nothin' like that. They sell laptops, monitors of all stripes, phones, plans. I bought an LG lappy from them (online) but returned it. It was super super light, but the ergonomics turned me off and I got another Lenovo Thinkpad instead. I bought several (3) Seagate 3TB external HDs there some years ago, they're still OK. I've had a lot of bad luck with WD external HDs, but so far the Seagates have been OK, but I don't use them regularly, just backup to them for offsite data security.

 

[Muse]

It should come in a plastic container with kind of a drippings-sauce on the bottom. You can eat the chicken off the bone, make it into a wrap or salad, etc. You can throw the bones in the Instant Pot for a broth or stock if you're feeling creative! (roast them first!)

I went to Costco 13 days ago, asked where they had the rotisserie chicken and the guy went and looked for me and said they'd be out in 1/2 a minute. I got one that sat there 15 seconds. I've been eating on that bird ever since. Will finish it tonight (a chicken salad sandwich). I made stock in my instant pot from it.

Question, @Kaido: The recipes I'm seeing for instant pot rotisserie chicken don't say anything about roasting the bones. I know you do this for beef bones. The rotisserie chicken's already been sort of roasted. Why do you roast the bones? I didn't roast mine, I just threw my carcass, a chopped big onion, some celery, water to cover and salt/pepper in the IP, cooked it 40 minute, natural cooldown. Put in screen collander, put the liquid in fridge overnight and spooned off the fat from the top, got almost 2 quarts, froze one. Figure to make rice with some of it. What do you do with your stock? I could make a stew with some.

I'm going to Costco tomorrow, figure I'll get another Rotisserie Chicken. But man, chicken all the time? I may have to do it every other trip, i.e. once a month.

 

[Meghan54]

Used to do Costco years ago but now the closest one to us is a 2 hr round trip…with good traffic. Just not worth it.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Going to head over to Waltham Costco soon. Maybe tomorrow but if not then certainly within the next few days.
I’ll update this thread with my opinion

 

[Fanatical Meat]

@Muse i am certainly qualified to answer your question but not as qualified as @Kaido.
When roasting chicken I would use a whole or half a bird and leave the bones in. Season the outside maybe add some herbs to the inside.
Roasting things in the oven takes a long time that’s why roasted chicken is usually better from the market or Costco. Just too much time required to do it at home imo.

 

[sdifox]

I had the costco rotisserie chicken today for the first time. It's damn good for C$8

 

[ponyo]

I had the costco rotisserie chicken today for the first time. It's damn good for C$8

Damn, it's year 2021 and there are people in this thread going to Costco for the first time and others who ate Costco rotisserie chicken for the first time. wtf? What third world country do you live?

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Damn, it's year 2021 and there are people in this thread going to Costco for the first time and others who ate Costco rotisserie chicken for the first time. wtf? What third world country do you live?

Bulk buying has always turned me off and no kids.
I’m pretty sure I’ve had Costco chicken a long time ago. I think my grandfather used to pick one up occasionally.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Bulk buying has always turned me off and no kids.
I’m pretty sure I’ve had Costco chicken a long time ago. I think my grandfather used to pick one up occasionally.

Food, sure. But it makes sense for things you constantly have - energy drinks, water bottles, tp, etc.

Obviously though the membership cost is more worth it the more people you're buying for. Which, admittedly, does suck for anyone single vs. family of 5 buying much more qty in general.

However, they also just have tons of good quality household items. computer chairs, furniture, kitchen goods, etc.


Edit: Also clothes, medicines/bath items.... Yadda yadda.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Food, sure. But it makes sense for things you constantly have - energy drinks, water bottles, tp, etc.

Obviously though the membership cost is more worth it the more people you're buying for. Which, admittedly, does suck for anyone single vs. family of 5 buying much more qty in general.

However, they also just have tons of good quality household items. computer chairs, furniture, kitchen goods, etc.

I get it, I just shop like a European. Frequent short trips to the market. I have always lived close to one or two.

 

[sdifox]

Damn, it's year 2021 and there are people in this thread going to Costco for the first time and others who ate Costco rotisserie chicken for the first time. wtf? What third world country do you live?

I have had costco membership for many years, but never tried their hot food other than from the food stand.

 

[ponyo]

My Costco Executive membership rewards. $120 Costco Executive Membership easily pays for itself every year.

 

[sdifox]

My Costco Executive membership rewards. $120 Costco Executive Membership easily pays for itself every year.

I didn't know costco sold Hermes scarves.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

I get it, I just shop like a European. Frequent short trips to the market. I have always lived close to one or two.

I definetly wouldn't mind the European model, only problem is entering our grocery stores is like entering a warzone. Just a huge army of people there all the time (except maybe right when they open at 6AM). All in all, regardless of coming for 10 things or 100, you're probably going to spend 1.5 hours to drive there, park, get the items, checkout, bring them to your car, and drive home. Vs. Europe where you just pop in on the way home from work, grab 3-10 items and you're out of there in 10-15 tops.

That and they are just too fucking big in comparison to European ones.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

I definetly wouldn't mind the European model, only problem is entering our grocery stores is like entering a warzone. Just a huge army of people there all the time (except maybe right when they open at 6AM). All in all, regardless of coming for 10 things or 100, you're probably going to spend 1.5 hours to drive there, park, get the items, checkout, bring them to your car, and drive home. Vs. Europe where you just pop in on the way home from work, grab 3-10 items and you're out of there in 10-15 tops.

That and they are just too fucking big in comparison to European ones.

Yeah I briefly lived near where I live now in the early 90s and the market I typically go to was the same but as you describe plus it was hopelessly disorganized. Sort of sucked so I only went there when it was urgent or we were too drunk to drive.
Otherwise I’ve been pretty fortunate about distance to a decent market or two.

 

[shortylickens]

I used to love their pizza but it took a downturn one year and never got better.
Now its not worth it. The stuff they sell is not actually a good bargain if you do the math and compare it to cheap local stores, or Amazon. And its much less convenient. Like every other god damn store in America they never have enough cashiers and since the place is always full of customers thats just annoying.

 

[MrSquished]

I used to love their pizza but it took a downturn one year and never got better.
Now its not worth it. The stuff they sell is not actually a good bargain if you do the math and compare it to cheap local stores, or Amazon. And its much less convenient. Like every other god damn store in America they never have enough cashiers and since the place is always full of customers thats just annoying.

I was never too much of a fan of their food court stuff. I do like the rotisserie chicken I just never get it because I don't like that much white meat chicken and I live alone. If you can make it to a Costco on a weekday it's really not bad even up here in super dense northern NJ. I get in and out, although I do use the self-checkout lines mostly. However, not every Costco has them. What's crazy is one of my Uncle's that visited here from the Mediterranean came there with us once and tried the Chicken Bake and frickin loved it. He mentioned it a bunch of times since and has requested to go back to eat it on subsequent visits. When I think of the food options they have there and it's a chicken bake that really does it for him here, it makes you wonder.

I get it, I just shop like a European. Frequent short trips to the market. I have always lived close to one or two.

A friend of mine's sister-in-law is German. Her brother lived there for a while, and now they live here. She said when her sister in law moved here she was very thrown off by Costco, almost feeling it was a bit grotesque. I mean I get it, some of those food portion sizes just probably encourage gluttony and overconsumption for a good amount of people.

 

[Kaido]

I went to Costco 13 days ago, asked where they had the rotisserie chicken and the guy went and looked for me and said they'd be out in 1/2 a minute. I got one that sat there 15 seconds. I've been eating on that bird ever since. Will finish it tonight (a chicken salad sandwich). I made stock in my instant pot from it.

Question, @Kaido: The recipes I'm seeing for instant pot rotisserie chicken don't say anything about roasting the bones. I know you do this for beef bones. The rotisserie chicken's already been sort of roasted. Why do you roast the bones? I didn't roast mine, I just threw my carcass, a chopped big onion, some celery, water to cover and salt/pepper in the IP, cooked it 40 minute, natural cooldown. Put in screen collander, put the liquid in fridge overnight and spooned off the fat from the top, got almost 2 quarts, froze one. Figure to make rice with some of it. What do you do with your stock? I could make a stew with some.

I'm going to Costco tomorrow, figure I'll get another Rotisserie Chicken. But man, chicken all the time? I may have to do it every other trip, i.e. once a month.

The purpose of roasting the bones is to add flavor. Pretty much, just get a parchment sheet (I buy the pre-cut ones, soooo convenient) & put it on a rimmed baking sheet, then roast at 400F for 20 minutes. Then dump the pan juices & roasted bones into your Instapot.

I mainly use stock, broth, and bone broth for flavoring for soup, chili, pasta, rice, etc. Try this rice recipe out with your broth: (I recommend Jasmine rice)

The Best Instant Pot Rice

Want to learn how to make the best Instant Pot rice? Give this recipe a try! People will be asking for seconds.

www.saltandlavender.com

Also if you don't have a rice-rinse bowl, I highly recommend getting one:

Amazon.com

Just wash the rice until the water runs clear (helps prevent the cooked rice from being gummy) & then add the drained, washed rice to your Instant Pot!

 

[Kaido]

Bulk buying has always turned me off and no kids.
I’m pretty sure I’ve had Costco chicken a long time ago. I think my grandfather used to pick one up occasionally.

I kind of have mixed feelings about it. I plan out my meals a week ahead at a time & then do daily meal prep (one batch of whatever after work, then freeze it or whatever). With the food shortage during the pandemic, I'm definitely more interested in the prepper stuff now & doing longer-term food storage. I picked up a deep freezer a few years ago & use it extensively, although it's completely dependent on power & since I'm renting I can't add a generator or powerwall battery or anything.

I'd definitely like to have a sizable, usable food-storage inventory at home, something that gets rotated regularly, saves me money by buying in bulk, and provides some protection over possible future food-storage hiccups. I buy a year's worth of everything else already...I actually use the top of my deep freezer with some shelving for a dozen bottle's of liquid dish soap, laundry detergent, dryer sheets, etc., & just reorder from Amazon a couple times a year because I'm super lazy lol.

 

[Zorba]

I got it last year for $20 through work. But just the gas savings will pay for a membership, $0.10-0.15/gal off.

They are also by far the cheapest place around to get Blueberries and Strawberries. Other than that I find them hit or miss on prices. Their meat is usually more than my local grocery, and cut way too thick and too much in a pack. I don't save much, but I like getting my daughter's snacks in 25 packs instead of 4 packs.

But I did get a really good deal on loungers, a laptop, and a Dyson stick vac. So I think the membership can pay for itself if you are selective, but there are definitely items that aren't any cheaper.