we are new members and only go about once a quarter. What we have bought and liked:

jarlsberg - half the price of Safeway and so yummy
organic boneless, skinless chicken
steaks (ribeye and flank) were OK but not amazing
boneless leg of lamb
frozen, raw, peeled shrimp (can rarely find this at Safeway)
frozen berries

olive oil
dried berries
maple syrup

Tide HE powder

NutraGrain bars

Agree on the rice; my rice from Costco had weevils in it.. YUCK.

only buy Thai rice

Foodwise I buy:

Bread, organic eggs, organic milk, lunch meat, cheese (sandwich cheese and big blocks of manchego, goat cheese, etc.), almost all my red meat, particularly love the lamb shoulder, whoel chickens, birthday cakes, fresh fish, frozen tortellini, frozen ravioli, frozen chicken nuggets, frozen waffles, organic jam, cereal, fruit, mango salsa, chicken apple sausage, spices (mostly cinnamon and garlic powder since I use those up quickly), condiments of all kinds, large boxes of crackers for parties, big bags of various chips for parties, beer, wine, extra virgin olive oil, organic honey. I'm sure there's more.

Then I buy tons of non-food items.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stew beef, steaks, frozen wild salmon, CHEESE, organic spring mix salad, fresh broccoli, pecans, almonds, coconut oil, olive oil, wild planet canned tuna, laundry detergent, bottled water.

are these on the "what TO buy" list or the "what NOT TO buy" list?

I was replying the question the OP asked in the thread: "what do you like to buy, food-wise at Costco?"

Anonymous wrote:Stew beef, steaks, frozen wild salmon, CHEESE, organic spring mix salad, fresh broccoli, pecans, almonds, coconut oil, olive oil, wild planet canned tuna, laundry detergent, bottled water.

are these on the "what TO buy" list or the "what NOT TO buy" list?

Coconut oil - Costco's tub is the best deal you'll find anywhere
Some meats
Most of their fruits are good

Costco has great fruit, with the exception of grapes and bananas (they both look beatiful but do not taste goos IMO). The rest are fantastic -- best grapefuit ever.

I find the veges amazing, especially red pepers. Snap peas also delicious.

Cannot eat fish/seafood and steak from anywhere else without paying through the nose because Costco is sooo good. The small oysters are huge!!

Do not like their chicken, including the rotisserie. Yes cheap but doesn't sit well with me.
I find their prepared dinner fantastic but very high in calorie so watch it. Love Costco.

Hell yes return it. I have returned a few things. All because they weren't good, they were vegetables. They took them back no questions asked.

Coffee (Starbucks individual packets)
Tea
Splenda
Sugar
Olive Oil
Vegetable Oil
Coconut Oil
Butter
Milk
Cheese (many types)
Dried fruits (apricots)
Almonds
Pecans
Pine-nuts
Tomato paste, chopped and stewed
Chickpeas cans
Onions
Tomatoes
Avacado
Fruits
Naked Juice
Mushrooms
Spinach
Cucumbers
Apple and Eve - Fruitables
Cereal boxes
Bread
Muffins
Brownie Bites
Organic chicken
Sushi platters
Chicken soup from Deli
Deli Platters for parties
Roasted chicken
Dips
meatballs
Ravioli
Pasta
Toquitos
Nancy Quiche
Frozen Pizza
Frozen Tiramisu
Birthday Cakes
Other cakes
Chocolate
Candy
Snack bags (chips, cookies)
Christmas food baskets

And we also buy ---

All cleaning supplies
All laundry supplies
All bathroom supplies (Towels to toothpaste)
Batteries
Bulbs
Gifts
All party supplies
All kitchen supplies (aluminium foil etc)
All medicines and supplements
Personal hygiene supplies (skin and hair, sanitary napkins, lotions etc)
Clothes
Water bottles

Tires
Furniture - (Sofas, couches, beds, dining set, patio sets)
Jewelry (Watches, earrings, necklaces)
Reading glasses and eye glasses)

Anonymous wrote:Costco smells terrible and anything that absorbs smells -- like rice -- absorbs that disgusting smell. Same with other grocery stores.

I bought a big bag of rice in a burlap bag recently and it smells and tastes like the burlap. I'm giving it to the dog.

Really? I have never heard anyone say that, ever.

Are you a pregnant female by any chance?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No arsenical pesticides are used in US grown rice.

I thought the arsenic that's causing the problem is already in the ground (like from 40 years ago)?

Correct. And rice is a variety of grass, so it soaks up the arsenic. But by saying that they are not using any fertilizer that has arsenic is actually an attempt to fool the consumer in thinking that the rice is arsenic-free - by assumption.

But...rinsing it would not remove the arsenic, either. Would it?

No. The rinsing just cleans the outside of the rice.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No arsenical pesticides are used in US grown rice.

I thought the arsenic that's causing the problem is already in the ground (like from 40 years ago)?

Correct. And rice is a variety of grass, so it soaks up the arsenic. But by saying that they are not using any fertilizer that has arsenic is actually an attempt to fool the consumer in thinking that the rice is arsenic-free - by assumption.

But...rinsing it would not remove the arsenic, either. Would it?

No, it does not remove the arsenic.

Rinsing it removes some of the starch. One way of cooking rice is to put the grains in a pot of boiling water and when it is cooked, you drain out the water. Rice prepared like this has a considerably less starch in it.

(There are uses of the drained out rice water - but it is another thread)

BTW - Properly aged rice grain is considered more desirable because it is more aromatic.

Costco smells terrible and anything that absorbs smells -- like rice -- absorbs that disgusting smell. Same with other grocery stores.

I bought a big bag of rice in a burlap bag recently and it smells and tastes like the burlap. I'm giving it to the dog.