Home » Best Costco Coffee: 9 Coffee Blends That Will Blow Your Mind

Best Costco Coffee: 9 Coffee Blends That Will Blow Your Mind

Welcome to the world of the best Costco coffees, where you get low-end prices for excellent quality. There is no rush to leave! Single origin, blends, K-cups, dark roast, light roast coffee…Costco has it all. We’ve tried countless Costco coffees, and today we’re giving you our selection of the best ones. 

Prepare yourself, though! You might also encounter some negative aspects. We tested Costco blends, and some of the coffee cups we got started nice but fizzled out and lacked a strong finish (not as full-bodied as we expected). But in most cases, the flavor has low acidity, no bitterness, and finishes with a sweet afternote. 

Here are the 9 best Costco coffee beans, plus the last buying guide you’ll ever need. By the time you read our guide, you’ll have a decent knowledge of Costco blends for your next shopping trip.

What Are The Best Costco Coffees?

IMAGE PRODUCT DETAILS
Best overall Best overall No products found. Peet’s Coffee Major Dickason’s Blend Coffee
  • Various types
  • Americas, Indo-Pacific origin
  • Dark roast
Best Medium Roast Best Medium Roast No products found. Kirkland Signature Colombian Supremo Coffee
  • Arabica coffee
  • Colombia origin
  • Medium roast
Best Dark Roast Best Dark Roast No products found. Starbucks French Roast
  • Arabica coffee
  • Multi-regional
  • Dark roast
Best For Espresso Best For Espresso No products found. Kirkland Signature Espresso Blend Coffee
  • Various types
  • Multi-regional
  • Dark roast
Best Organic Best Organic No products found. Mayorga Café Cubano Roast
  • Arabica coffee
  • Peru, Honduras and/or Nicaragua origin
  • Dark roast
Best Value Best Value No products found. San Francisco French Roast Whole Bean Coffee
  • Arabica coffee
  • Central America and South America origin
  • Dark roast
Best K-Cup Best K-Cup No products found. Caribou Coffee Caribou Blend K-Cup Pod
  • Arabica coffee
  • Indonesia origin
  • Medium roast
Best Quality Best Quality No products found. Crazy Fresh Whole Bean Coffee
  • Arabica coffee
  • Honduras origin
  • Light roast
Best Decaf Best Decaf No products found. Vermont Coffee Company
  • Arabica coffee
  • Central and South America
  • Dark roast
Best Whole Bean Best Whole Bean Kirkland Signature Organic Colombian Decaf Whole Bean Coffee Kirkland Signature Organic Colombian Decaf Whole Bean Coffee
  • Arabica coffee
  • Colombia origin
  • Dark roast

Buying coffee at Costco is a commitment, and most often, it means buying coffee in bulk, which can be intimidating. What if you don’t love the roast you purchased? You’ll be stuck with coffee beans you hate or, at best, tolerate.

We’re going to help you avoid this awful scenario. After all, most customers are happy with Costco, claiming that almost all blends contain fresh organic grounds that provide a pleasant aroma and no bitterness at all. Trust us: if you aren’t fond of organic coffee, you’ll fall in love after your first try. But first things first, let’s find out who makes Costco’s coffee.

Starbucks makes Costco’s coffee and different varieties of Kirkland Signature coffee. You can get different roast levels (light, medium, or dark), blends, and decaf options, such as Kirkland Signature Espresso Blend Coffee, Decaf House Blend Coffee, and Regular House Coffee. Simply put, you get the same coffee you’d buy at Starbucks at Costco at much more affordable prices.

Finally, here’s our selection of the best coffee from Costco for everyone’s taste.

Best Overall

1. Peet’s Coffee Major Dickason’s Blend Coffee

  • Blend: Various types

  • Origin(s): Americas, Indo-Pacific
  • Roast level: Dark
  • Tasting notes: Smooth, nutty, velvety
  • Brewing methods: French press, Aeropress, espresso

No products found.

Let’s face it: Peet’s Major Dickason blend has 4,210 ratings on Amazon which makes it quite popular! It was created in 1969 when one of Peet’s original loyal customers, Seargent Key Dickason, came up with the idea for a coffee blend and gathered with the founder Mr. Peet to make the blend come true.

What Kind Of Coffee Is Major Dickason’s Blend?

Major’s Dickason coffee blend combines 100% Arabica coffee beans from the best-growing regions. Each coffee in the blend imparts its regional characteristics, creating a well-rounded, complex, full-bodied cup. The best thing is that you won’t taste bitterness at all. Except that there is an emphasis on the roasting process itself, and you might detect bittersweet chocolate hints.

Over the years, it has become the coffee that epitomizes Peet’s: flavorful, deeply roasted, and unsurpassingly satisfying

You get a full-bodied dark roast coffee with smokiness and subtle floral notes. We tested it with a French press, Aeropress, and an espresso machine and got a powerful cup of coffee. 

Best Medium Roast

2. Kirkland Signature Colombian Supremo Coffee

  • Blend: Arabica

  • Origin(s): Colombia
  • Roast level: Medium
  • Tasting notes: Roasty-sweet, hints of spice
  • Brewing methods: Various

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Most commercially available coffees are medium roast. But the one that should not be overlooked is Kirkland Signature Colombian Supremo Coffee.

Interestingly, Kirkland is Costco’s own brand. And we’ll tell you the secret: Kirkland is Starbucks coffee in a different (read cheaper) package. Instead of buying a Starbucks bag of medium roast coffee, you can get Costco’s Kirkland Signature Coffee for a much lower price.

Is Colombian Supremo Coffee Strong?

No, Kirkland Signature Colombian Supremo kosher-certified java has medium strength, a mild aroma, and a light flavor profile. Tasting notes are banana, orange blossom, cocoa powder, scorched cedar, and molasses. Plus, if you want Costco low acid coffee, Costco Kirkland is an excellent choice. Kirkland uses Colombian coffee fermented for up to 24 hours to impart the beans with a sweet and slightly nutty flavor. 

Finally, this coffee pairs well with milk-based drinks. You have endless brewing options with one of the healthiest coffees you can opt for—best Kirkland coffee! Scientists found that Colombian coffee has a higher antioxidant potential than other coffees (1).

Best Dark Roast

3. Starbucks French Roast

  • Blend: Arabica

  • Origin(s): Multi-regional
  • Roast level: Dark
  • Tasting notes: Strong, smoky, earthy
  • Brewing methods: Various

No products found.

Do you try to spend less at Starbucks? Welcome to the club. We all know how difficult it is to resist the siren’s call. Luckily, here’s Costco to help. You can get a bag of Starbucks French Roast coffee at Costco at a much more affordable price. We scoured countless reviews on best Costco whole bean coffee, and Starbucks French Roast is the clear winner.

Where is Starbucks French Roast From?

Starbucks French Roast Arabica beans come from Asia Pacific and Latin America. Starbucks introduced this Arabica blend in 1971, and it remains coffee drinkers’ favorite to this day (2). With this longevity among so many other kinds of beans, you know this is top-notch coffee. 

French Roast is Starbucks’ darkest roast, so expect whole-bean coffee with plenty of smoky intensity and bold flavors. To summarize, French Roast will certainly do the trick if you struggle to wake up, yet you can take advantage of different brewing methods.

Best for Espresso

4. Kirkland Signature Espresso Blend Coffee

  • Blend: Various types

  • Origin(s): Multi-regional
  • Roast level: Dark roast
  • Tasting notes: Rich and intense
  • Brewing methods: Espresso

No products found.

If you’re wondering which Costco coffee is best for espresso, look no further! Costco has you covered with another Kirkland Signature coffee. Known for its rich, bold, and intense flavor, profile Kirkland Espresso Blend is dark-roasted coffee that comes from various regions. 

What Kind Of Coffee Is Kirkland Signature?

Yet another choice of best Costco coffee beans for espresso, like the previous Kirkland Signature coffee, is the Espresso Blend – another Starbucks coffee in different packaging. You get premium espresso coffee at a bargain price. Use it with your espresso machine for a pure espresso shot or top it off with milk foam. When making lattes and cappuccinos, you can keep the full-coffee flavor with dark roast coffee.

Best Organic

5. Mayorga Café Cubano Roast

  • Blend: Arabica

  • Origin(s): Peru, Honduras and/or Nicaragua
  • Roast level: Dark
  • Tasting notes: Vanilla, smoky, smooth
  • Brewing methods: Espresso

No products found.

Mayorga Organic Coffee is the best organic Costo coffee! The beans are non-GMO, Fair Trade, and certified organic by USDA (2). If you want to feel super-healthy about your coffee consumption, then Mayorga Cubano Costco Organic Coffee is for you. 

Is Café Cubano Strong?

Café Cubano will impress you with intense aromatic flavors that resemble Italian espresso. However, you can expect a medium to full body flavor. This shouldn’t surprise you since we are discussing a blend of Arabica beans originating from Central and Southern American countries. 
If you didn’t have much luck buying whole coffee beans before, we guarantee you’ll LOVE these beans that perform excellently in various brewing methods. You’ll also get an excellent iced coffee or cold brew. And you don’t have to worry about tasting bitterness or unpleasant acidity!

Best Value

6. San Francisco French Roast Whole Bean Coffee

  • Blend: Arabica

  • Origin(s): Central America and South America
  • Roast level: Dark
  • Tasting notes: Full-bodied, smoky
  • Brewing methods: Drip coffee, espresso

No products found.

Want to get one of Costco’s most affordable, robust and full-bodied cups of coffee? Don’t think twice. San Francisco Bay coffee will provide a sweet aftertaste and a smoky smell. And the color of the ground coffee is dark brown/black, definitely darker than most dark roasts we consumed. Yet there is no bitterness or burnt flavors. You might smell hazelnut once you open the bag, but once you make your coffee, hazelnut hints will fade away. In most cases, milk can weaken the flavor, but not in this case.

What Kind Of Coffee Beans Are Used For French Roast?

San Francisco French Roast Whole Bean Coffee refers to the Arabica variety grown at high altitudes in Central and South America. Beans that are high-roasted or dark could be associated with French Roast. Central American coffee is great if you’re looking for a balanced cup, and South American beans give the coffee nutty and chocolatey notes.

Best K-Cup

7. Caribou Coffee Caribou Blend K-Cup Pod

  • Blend: Arabica

  • Origin(s): Indonesia
  • Roast level: Medium
  • Tasting notes: Balanced sweet, spicy, berry
  • Brewing methods: Keurig

No products found.

Caribou is one of the best K-Cup coffee brands that are sold on Amazon and Costco. Costco sells medium roast K-cup coffee pods that are affordable and flavorful. The pack includes 72 cups, so you don’t have to worry; you’ll run out of pods any time soon. Plus, the large pack is great value for money. These Caribou coffee pods contain pre-ground coffee, so you can make a cup using your Keurig in minutes. 

Is Caribou Blend Sweet?

The coffee has balanced sweet, woody and spicy notes. Nicely balanced with Arabica’s bright acidity and fruit notes, these coffee beans are always fresh, fairly smooth, and best for medium roast drinkers. One of the best Costco K cups choice!

Best Quality

8. Crazy Fresh Whole Bean Coffee

  • Blend: Arabica

  • Origin(s): Honduras
  • Roast level: Light
  • Tasting notes: Sweet, rich chocolaty
  • Brewing methods: Various

No products found.

Crazy Fresh Coffee Costco Honduras Santa Rosa is rich, smooth, balanced, and tasty. Crazy Fresh coffee brand has over 100 years of experience sourcing and roasting quality coffee beans from small coffee farms. They have a long-standing relationship with their coffee suppliers, and most of their sources are 5h and 6th-generation coffee growers. Honduran coffee is naturally sweet; a great choice if bitter coffee is your worst enemy. 

How Good Are Whole Coffee Beans?

Whole coffee beans are fairly good because of their freshness. Honduran Santa Rosa coffee beans are roasted in small batches so that you get the freshest coffee possible. Plus, the package has a special valve that maintains the freshness for a long time, so you don’t have to worry it’ll go stale. There is no bitter aftertaste, only consistent sweet coffee flavor, and a clean finish.

Best Decaf

9. Vermont Coffee Company

  • Blend: Arabica

  • Origin(s): Central and South America
  • Roast level: Dark
  • Tasting notes: Subtle brown sugar
  • Brewing methods: Various

No products found.

Our last but certainly not least coffee is for all of you decaf coffee lovers. Our choice for the best Vermont Coffee Company is their decaf roast. 

Best Whole Bean

10. Kirkland Signature Organic Colombian Decaf Whole Bean Coffee

  • Blend: Arabica

  • Origin(s): Colombia
  • Roast level: Dark
  • Tasting notes: Caramel, smooth
  • Brewing methods: Espresso

Kirkland Signature Organic Colombian Decaf Whole Bean Coffee is USDA organic certified, meaning no pesticides or fertilizers were used in the process. The beans are water processed and turned organic. But what is water decaffeination?

Water decaffeination is a process through which caffeine is removed from the beans, but the flavors are preserved. Green beans are soaked in hot water, and the caffeine leaches out. The water becomes full of oils and flavors, which the beans reabsorb. Then, the water is run through a carbon filter, removing the caffeine without eliminating the coffee essence. This process removes 97% to 99.9% of the caffeine.

These coffee beans have a soft caramel scent, and you’ll get a full-flavored cup.

Pro tip: Mix the coffee with medium-roast regular beans to get half/half coffee.

Unlike other beans, Kirkland Signature Organic Colombian Decaf is low in caffeine and rich in flavors thanks to the natural decaffeination process.

Does Vermont Have Good Coffee?

Vermont Coffee Company is known for sourcing high-quality, organic beans and using environmentally friendly practices. Their decaffeination process is a natural water processing method, which removes caffeine from the beans but preserves their flavor. You’ll notice hints of chocolate, nuttiness, and some mild acidity.

Overall, these coffee beans are great if you want to limit your caffeine intake and rest assured that it’ll quickly become your favorite decaf go-to choice.

The Last Buying Guide You’ll Ever Need

Costco is definitely one of the best coffee brands that are sold on Amazon. But with so many coffee blends available at Costco, here’s what to remember before making a purchase decision.

Whole Bean, Pre-Ground, or K-Cup?

Most coffee you can buy at a store, including Costco, is pre-ground. One of the key advantages is that it saves you from having to grind the beans yourself or buying a grinder if you don’t have one. On the other hand, pre-ground coffee goes stale more quickly. 

Another reason we don’t recommend buying pre-ground is that Costco sells in bulk. Our honest advice is to buy whole beans and grind them to keep the coffee fresh.

Pro tip 1: Check if the coffee has a roast date and choose roasted beans 8 to 21 days before the purchase date. Why? Once the beans are roasted, they lose their freshness and flavor because air oxidizes them and makes them stale. Compared with pre-ground beans, whole beans go stale more slowly since their surface area is minimally exposed to air.

You can also go for K-cups; they do the job when you need a caffeine fix quickly. These cups already have a pre-measured amount of coffee, so just pop the cup into your machine, press the brew button, and you have coffee in seconds. However, the K-cup brew taste can’t be compared with freshly ground beans. 

Be mindful of your needs, however: choose whole coffee beans for the best taste and fresh coffee or K-cups for convenience and ease of use. Overall, whole beans are king, followed by pre-ground, and lastly, K-cup.

Whole Bean vs Pre-Ground vs K-Cup_1

Organic vs. Regular Coffee: Which One Is Better?

The fact that over 250 pesticides are used per acre of regular coffee (3) makes us feel anxious. Harmful both for the farmers and the consumers, pesticides also harm the environment and people living close to coffee farms. Organic agriculture produces high-quality coffee beans by using natural resources instead of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, and genetically modified organisms.

So, is organic coffee better for you? Since it’s pesticide-free, rich in nutrients and antioxidants, and safe for farmers, consumers, and the environment, we can say with certainty that organic coffee is better for all of us.

Organic vs Regular Coffee

Choose the Right Roast Level

Roasting means beans are heated to a high temperature and, in some cases, grilled. The heat helps the beans develop an aroma, and the beans double in size during the roasting, lose moisture, and turn dark. Moreover, the heat makes the oil come out of the grains, and the more oil there is, the richer the flavor.

You can choose between three roast levels according to your taste preferences:

  • Light — The least bitter roast; sweeter and usually has a citrus aroma.
  • Medium — Balanced body with bright notes.
  • Dark —Mostly intense taste with a chocolatey or nutty aroma.

The Verdict

Kirkland Signature Colombian Supremo Coffee gets our vote for the overall best coffee at Costco. It’s medium roast coffee that suits most coffee drinkers’ tastes. If you can’t get over Starbucks, Kirkland is essentially Starbucks coffee in more affordable packaging. Finally, Colombian coffee is proven to be healthier than other kinds of coffee, so it’s a perfect excuse to enjoy a cup (or three) every day.

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FAQ

Costco Blue Bottle Coffee is special because it’s single-origin coffee. Single-origin means the coffee comes from one farmer and can even be grown on a single acre on a specific farm. This coffee is highly traceable, so you can know the time, place, and farmer it came from.

Yes, Kirkland coffee is primarily made from Arabica beans. Arabica beans are known for their excellent taste, aroma, and nuanced flavors. Kirkland Signature coffee has different blends, so the exact bean composition can vary. But they use only high-quality Arabica beans so that you can have a flavorful cup.

Our favorite whole coffee beans at Costco are Ruta Maya medium roast. These 100% Arabica beans have mild acidity, a smooth flavor, and a soft finish. Other favorites include Peet’s Major Dickenson blend, which makes a balanced cup. Kirkland Signature Colombian Supremo is another medium-roast whole bean favorite. Our favorite organic whole beans are Mayorga Café Cubano Roast.

Marina Maletic
Marina Maletic is a seasoned home barista and dedicated coffee researcher. Her expertise in coffee brewing and her commitment to unraveling the mysteries of the perfect coffee have made her a go-to source for enthusiasts seeking the ultimate caffeinated experience.

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