The Reason Kirkland's Boxed Mac And Cheese Was A Total Flop With Costco Customers

Mac and cheese is a fan-favorite comfort food. However, not all mac and cheeses are the same. In fact, when Costco brought out its own Kirkland Signature version of boxed mac and cheese similar to popular brands like Kraft, it wasn't well-received by customers. While this product is different from the Costco macaroni that comes in plastic containers sold at the deli counter, it backfired in a big way and is no longer sold in stores.

One reason why the Kirkland prepared product flopped, was due to its inability to compete with other instant mac and cheese labels despite being slightly cheaper than some popular brands. But customer feedback was so abysmal that many returned the item and Costco quickly banished the dinner dish from its overly-stuffed shelves. Consumers simply didn't love the taste of the pasta. The mega grocery chain later put Kraft, Annie's, and protein-packed mac brand Goodles in its locations and don't now offer their own-brand boxed mac and cheese. 

Shoppers who picked up a box of Kirkland's Signature mac and cheese have called it one of the worst products the brand has ever put out. One customer took to social media to share that the food was so bad that he went straight back to Costco to return it. The poster added that when he did get his money back for the box, the cashiers themselves even noted that other people thought the pasta was horrible. Another user chimed in and said that while they liked off-brand boxed mac and cheese, the quality tasted recognizably different when they purchased Kraft.

Someone else admitted that while they actually enjoyed a box, there was a specific way to cook it so it didn't taste so gross. They said that you had to use unsalted butter and make sure the cheese powder was dissolved before putting in the macaroni. If you added anything but butter, the powder would be grainy. Another customer explained that Kirkland's version was way too starchy and even ruined one their pots when their friend whipped up a bowl.

And if you have bulk-bought another kind of boxed mac & cheese from Costco, read our guide to upgrading your bowl of boxed macaroni to keep the dish fresh-tasting every time.