The Best Kirkland Coffee Pod For Dark Roast Fans According To Reddit

Given how underwhelmed Tasting Table's taste testers were by Kirkland's whole bean Signature French Roast coffee — notably the darkest of all coffee roasts — dark roast coffee drinkers might not expect much from Costco's Kirkland Signature coffee pods. But, perhaps that's what's added to the buzz around the brand's Pacific Bold variety, which customers on Reddit have compared to name brands. In a thread asking about Kirkland pods in general, one customer wrote, "I've tried many, and my fav K-cup is Pacific Bold. If you like strong/dark coffee." Another person said, "Been buying the Pacific Bold for as long as I can remember. I find the other non-bold flavors to be too 'light' for my taste."

In a separate Reddit thread, customers discussed the Pacific Bold pods, with one Costco customer saying, "Pacific Bold is my go-to daily cup. It's the best K-cup I've found." Another person wrote, "I'm a dark roast drinker and I love it. I definitely prefer it over Starbucks." Some even say the pods were indistinguishable from Starbucks' signature Pike Place roast — but for a fraction of the cost. Depending on your location, you can find the Kirkland Signature Pacific Bold coffee pods sold in packs of 120 for around $42. That's compared to dark roast options from Starbucks, which sell for $37.99 for a pack of 72, depending on location, and Peet's, which sell for even more at $45.99 for a pack of 75.

While Kirkland Signature whole coffee beans are almost too dark — and oily, based on feedback from customers on Reddit and our taste testers' experience ranking five of them — the Kirkland Signature coffee pods seem to have won Costco's dark coffee loving community over, and that's especially true as it pertains to the Pacific Bold variety. But why does the Kirkland brand coffee succeed in one form and not the other, and with one that's commonly known to be of lesser quality? The difference could be who makes them. Just like many of your favorite Costco items, there are real brands behind Kirkland Signature whole bean coffee and coffee pods — and the two are not the same.

While Starbucks used to make the Kirkland Signature House Blend, Espresso, and Decaf whole bean blends, the brand label and words "Custom roasted by Starbucks Coffee Company" seemingly disappeared from the bags in 2024. The Kirkland Signature French Roast, on the other hand, was never confirmed to be made by Starbucks, which is surprising, considering its nickname is "Charbucks," as it's famously known to over-roast its beans, and it very much fits the bill. But, while that might be true for the Kirkland Signature whole beans, it's not as true for its dark roast, Pacific Bold coffee pods. The simple answer as to why could be that the brand that makes Costco's K-cups doesn't over-roast its beans.