The Starbucks Coffee Dupe You Can Get At Costco

Coffee lovers and Costco fans, rejoice! If you're looking for a great substitute for your favorite Starbucks coffee roast, as it seems like Costco's Kirkland Signature coffee is no longer produced by Starbucks, you can now get a dupe of the coffee giant's Pike Place Medium Roast at your local warehouse for an even cheaper price. According to aficionados across the internet, Costco's House Blend Whole Bean Coffee in Medium Roast tastes nearly identical.

Pike Place Medium Roast is known for its balanced flavor profile of cocoa and praline and is slightly more complex than a light-roasted coffee. Meanwhile, the Costco dupe is upheld by high standards just like other Kirkland-brand items that are guaranteed to be just as good, if not better than, competitive brands.

One Reddit user mentioned, "I was surprised to find it was a TRUE medium roast flavor." Similar to the flavor profile of Pike Place Medium Roast, Costco's House Blend Whole Bean Coffee in Medium Roast is nutty and smooth. At $7.75 per pound compared to around $12.00 per pound of Starbucks, it's also a much better deal. If that doesn't convince you, it has over 4 stars on Costco's website with shining reviews: "Good for everyday. Excellent balance of boldness and flavor." But you'll have to be the judge of that.

If you switch between different brewing methods, it's best to buy beans whole and grind them yourself for optimal control. And, it's scientifically proven that grinding your coffee from whole beans each time you brew retains a fresher cup.

The type of bean grind you choose depends on your preference and method of brewing. Contrary to popular belief, espresso is a method of brewing, not a bean type. While some beans are more optimal than others in terms of the flavor profile, whole beans can be used for both brewing coffee and espresso. If your beans are too fine or too coarse, then you might be met with an overly strong and bitter or, conversely, weak and bland morning coffee. So it's important to know how to use your whole beans if you end up with a Costco-sized bag of beans. 

While Kirkland House Blend is best for an automatic drip, you can use it for your method of choice. For at-home automation machines, we want a medium-course grind size, similar to the texture of salt. For espresso, we typically want a fine grind size compared to a coarser grind for cold brew. To achieve a similar taste as Starbucks Pike Place, use its ratio of coffee to water: 2 tablespoons of ground coffee for every 6 ounces of water. Feel free to experiment with the ratios for your ideal cup.