I Tried And Ranked 4 Costco Kirkland Coffee Pods. This Is The One I'd Stock Up On

Costco is the perfect place to buy things in bulk. If you need 2 pounds of mozzarella or multiple frozen pizzas, you know where to get them. But you might not have known Costco has its own K-Cup coffee pods. That's because the coffee pods are not located with the coffee beans in the other food and drink aisles. No, no, they are actually on the other side of the warehouse, near the appliances, pots, and pans. You might have missed them entirely — I know I did. 

I'm a curious person, so I wanted to figure out whether the pods are worth buying and whether any of them stand out, for better or worse. I tested four options, forgoing the decaf version entirely. All four varieties are kosher, organic, made with Arabica beans, Fair Trade Certified, and have 120 pods per box. I ranked them based how enjoyable they were, as I prefer a cup of coffee that's not too mild or too bitter. I'll dive more into the notes and how they taste. As you might have guessed, I now have a never-ending supply of coffee pods.

You know how some people think coffee tastes like dirty water or generally tastes bad? That's what the Organic Breakfast Blend tastes like when you drink it next to the three other ones. It's a light-roast coffee that is supposed to have toasted walnut notes and a malted brown sugar aroma, but instead it just tastes and smells like ... nothing. It's almost as though you dropped something into a cup of water rather than a nice, strong mug of coffee. 

A light roast has a different flavor profile from a dark roast, sure, but I still don't think any bright or fruity notes shine in this Kirkland option. It tastes watery and mild compared to the rest, and lacks the strength to make it worth sipping. I'm hoping that I can muster up the energy to work my way through this enormous carton of pods. If you're buying a lot of pods for work or a vacation, I recommend skipping this one because people may not like it. 

Costco describes the French Roast dark roast coffee as having a syrupy body with notes of sweet smoke, brown sugar, and dried fruit. I can get a whiff of sweet caramel-like syrup on the nose, which is quite pleasant. I don't particularly catch the dried fruit notes, but I can pick up on the sugared flavor. However, it has the opposite problem as the Breakfast Blend. Instead of being incredibly muted, it is heavy and bitter. The bold taste clings to the tongue well after sipping and becomes harsh, so it isn't especially enjoyable.

That said, it smooths out if you add a bit of milk, so it isn't all bad. Some folks will think it tastes burnt or acrid, though. If this is the type of coffee you like, it's worth a shot. It has mixed reviews on the Costco website, so a lot of this seems to boil down to personal taste. I think it's much better than the Breakfast Blend, as I'd rather have a strong coffee than a weak one.

Pacific Bold comes in second, but it's pretty neck-and-neck with my top one. This is certainly better than the French Roast, with its unique, enticing, and bold flavor. It's described as having low acidity and a heavy body, and that is certainly evident from the first sip. It has a hint of chocolate sweetness that makes it really wonderful to drink black, but it can be enhanced however you like, like with milk.

It's not nearly as burnt or bitter as French roast, and I particularly like the chocolate notes and low acidity. I think this would be a safe choice to stock up on at home or in a workplace since it is tasty on its own, but it can be easily customized with creamer and add-ins. Pacific Bold landed in the middle of a large ranking of Keurig K-Cup pods, faring better than big labels like Starbucks Pike Place or Folgers Breakfast Blend Mild Roast Coffee.

For the most delightful, well-balanced coffee pod, I'd like to introduce you to Summit Roast. It's a medium-roast coffee with complex notes of stone fruit, roasted nuts, and dark chocolate. It starts off a little bitter, but it mellows out after the first sip. It's robust and entices you to continue drinking. It's perfectly tasty black and can be enjoyed straight from your Keurig, thanks to its noticeable, earthy chocolate hint. And yet, it still has a strong enough backbone to stand up to other flavorings, whether that's flavored creamer or a dash of cinnamon. 

I'm not the only one who thinks this is the finest coffee Costco has to offer; a Chowhound writer named it their top pick in a separate Costco pod ranking. I did not look at the writer's ranking until I tasted and established my own, so it did not sway me whatsoever; that's why it tickles me that someone else likes it just as much as I do. It's strong but not sharp or acidic, and I could happily restock this above the other three.

I brewed all cups in the Keurig the same way, using the 6-ounce hot coffee option. I sipped the coffee black so I could fully appreciate the pod's flavor, and I sipped water in between tastings. I sipped each pod several times to get a better sense of its profile. My tasting is based solely on the black coffee's flavor, but I also tried each with a splash of milk just to see how the flavors changed. I include notes on how it tastes with milk, where relevant, since many coffee drinkers like to add milk or creamer.

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