Most shoppers purchase vanilla extract for baking cakes, brownies, and cookies, especially during the holiday period.
So, if you are looking to buy vanilla extract on your next shopping trip at Costco, you might be wondering whether it’s any good. Well, here’s all you need to know!
Is Costco Vanilla Extract Good in 2023?
Costco sells pure vanilla extract that has a great taste, and which gives great value to the customers in 2023. Costco customers love this product because it’s affordable and lasts for a long period because it’s packed in a large bottle. This vanilla extract is made with high-quality ingredients, making it ideal for baking.
Read on for more information about the vanilla extract from Costco and whether it’s good, along with other useful facts and information!
Is Costco Vanilla Extract Real?
Costco labels its product as “Pure Vanilla Extract” because it’s made using vanilla beans, therefore, it’s real.
If you are looking for vanilla extract to bake in your home, this is an excellent option.
According to some baking experts, the pure vanilla extract could be pricier, but it’s worth it if you need to make a delicate cake, custard, candy, or pudding.
Why Is Costco Vanilla Extract Popular?
Costco’s vanilla extract has been popular among customers due to its price and longevity.
In 2017, Today classified Costco’s Kirkland Signature pure vanilla extract as one of the top 10 grocery items they couldn’t stop buying.
However, Costco stopped making this Kirkland vanilla brand and introduced a new unbranded vanilla extract because it wasn’t cost-effective for the retailer.
In addition, Costco’s vanilla extract is still popular because of the price. For a 2-pack bottle of 16 ounces, you’ll pay $32. This price is much better than the competitors, Nielsen-Massey.
Does Costco Vanilla Extract Have Sugar?
According to the product details on Costco.com, the company’s pure vanilla extract does not seem to contain sugar.
As well, Costco says that the vanilla extract is made with high-quality ingredients and does not contain any artificial flavors or additional additives.
Does Costco Vanilla Extract Have Alcohol?
If you buy vanilla extract from Costco, keep in mind that it may contain alcohol. However, this is not an issue because vanilla extract normally contains alcohol.
According to the FDA, vanilla extract combines vanilla scent, flavor, and alcohol. Based on their regulations, the vanilla extract should contain at least 35% alcohol.
While some customer reviews have raised concerns over the strong alcohol smell on the Costco vanilla extract, the alcohol doesn’t stay in your baked goods.
One Taste of Home article points out that almost all the alcohol from the vanilla extracts evaporates as you cook or bake.
Therefore, using Costco’s vanilla extract on your cookies and brownies won’t have a strong alcohol taste or smell.
Why Is Costco Vanilla Extract So Expensive?
Costco’s pure vanilla extract is a bit costly compared to imitation vanilla flavors. Because of this, some customers will go for the imitation instead of the real product.
Here are some of the reasons why vanilla extract is expensive:
- Most of the world’s supply of vanilla beans is grown in Madagascar and Mexico; therefore, there might be production issues
- Vanilla beans have a difficult growing process that requires hand pollination by an experienced individual
Therefore, Costco prices its vanilla extract based on the supply and purchase price, making it more expensive than the imitation.
Can You Order Vanilla Extract Online?
If you prefer to shop online, you can order Costco’s vanilla extract via the website. During checkout, you should select your shipping method.
Costco charges shipping fees for express shipments, and this cost is usually displayed during checkout.
Do You Need a Costco Membership to Purchase Vanilla Extract?
Costco operates as a membership-only warehouse club that requires customers to register and pay for membership.
When shopping in-store, you have to be a member- Costco staff even checks the membership cards at the store entrance and during checkout to ensure you’re a legitimate member.
However, you can still shop if you’re not a member by accompanying someone with a membership card, and you can also use a gift card.
If you’re a non-member, you can shop on Costco.com; however, this will cost you 5% more than members.
In addition, you can use a delivery service like Instacart to order vanilla extract because they don’t need your membership number.
To learn more, you can also read our posts on the best Costco red wines, is Costco olive oil real, and is Costco honey real.
Conclusion
Costco sells pure vanilla extract that has a great taste and which gives great value to the customers. Costco customers love this product because it’s affordable and lasts for a long period because it’s packed in a large bottle.
This vanilla extract is made with high-quality ingredients, making it ideal for baking. In addition, it doesn’t contain any artificial flavors or additives. Although Costco discontinued the Kirkland Signature vanilla extract brand, the company still sells a quality product.
