Costco sells a variety of foods that you can buy if you need a quick snack, which make up part of the customer shopping experience.
One of the most common snacks at Costco is the famous hot dog and soda combo. Costco hot dogs are known for being delicious and inexpensive, but you might be wondering what hot dogs Costco uses for them to be this cheap. Here’s all you need to know!
What Hot Dogs Does Costco Use In [currentyear]?
Costco uses its private label brand Kirkland Signature Beef Wieners, for hot dogs in [currentyear]. These hot dogs are sold in warehouse stores and at the food court. Before 2009, Costco used hot dogs from Hebrew National before switching to its own Kirkland Signature brand manufactured in Costco’s plant in California.
Read on for more information about which hot dogs Costco uses, where they’re sourced from, the cost, and other useful information!
What Brand of Hot Dogs Are Served at Costco?
If you find Costco’s hot dogs delicious, you should know that they are part of Kirkland Signature’s brand.
Kirkland Signature Beef Wieners from Costco Wholesale are the same ones served at the food court.
Currently, you can find them in the Cold & Frozen section if you want to buy some to prepare at home. However, if you want a ready-to-go snack, you’ll find the same hot dog at the food court.
Are Costco Hot Dogs Kosher?
Costco used to sell Kosher hot dogs but stopped after a period of time.
When the warehouse club store opened in Oregon in 1983, Costco put up a Hebrew National stand and sourced kosher hot dogs from this company.
Up until 2008, Costco served and used kosher hot dogs from Hebrew National, but had to switch after the supplier started running low on meat, in turn affecting the prices.
In 2009, Costco started using Kirkland Signature hot dogs, which are non-kosher.
During this time, customers signed petitions to push Costco to bring back the kosher hot dogs; however, the retailer has stuck to its own brand.
Who Manufactures Costco Hot Dogs?
Although the Kirkland Signature dogs were initially produced by another company, Costco now handles the manufacturing.
Costco opened its own meat plant in California, where it makes these hot dogs and other meat products to sell at the store and food court.
This switch to produce its hot dogs was introduced to reduce the cost of manufacturing. In addition, this has enabled Costco to keep the cost of hot dogs low for three decades now.
How Does Costco Make Its Hot Dogs?
Costco prepares its hot dogs using the hot-bath and steam method. These hot dogs are steamed to ensure that you enjoy the flavors without any greasy coating.
In addition, both the bun and beef are steamed to lock the moisture in and keep your snack soft and warm.
Are Costco Hot Dogs 100% Beef?
Costco’s hot dogs are 100% beef and don’t contain ingredients such as syrup, phosphates, artificial flavors, colors, and fillers. Therefore, you can be sure of the ingredients in your hot dog.
Since Costco is in charge of the manufacturing process, the company ensures that its hot dogs don’t contain any other ingredients or forms of meat.
Therefore, they are quite affordable but still of higher quality than other competing brands.
Are Costco Hot Dogs Good?
Customers love Costco hot dogs for various reasons. Let’s take a look at some of them:
Costco Hot Dogs Are Huge
Since the introduction of the Costco hot dog, the size has never been downsized over the years. Customers get a quarter pound of meat with the hot dog, making the snack feel like a meal.
This is quite huge compared to competitors like Oscar Meyer, who sell hot dogs at 1.58 ounces.
They Are Made In-House
Costco hot dogs are made in-house, which is good for quality assurance. This way, the company can control the standards and ingredients used during production.
To maintain the quality, Costco opened its own production facility. In addition, the hot dogs are 100% beef and don’t contain harmful ingredients.
Costco Toppings Are Free
Once you order a hot dog at the Costco food court, you can add your own toppings, including ketchup, mustard, and relish.
However, according to most customers, you can also get extra toppings for free if you ask Costco employees.
Usually, Costco offers chopped onions or sauerkraut to add to your hot dog. These add-ons make the hot dogs more delicious, and they don’t come at an additional cost.
How Much Do Costco Hot Dogs Cost?
What makes Costco hot dogs popular is the hot dog soda combo deal at $1.50. Fortunately, the company hasn’t changed this price since 1985.
Despite the change in the economy, Costco has maintained this price, which has become iconic and memorable for the brand.
According to some reports, this snack is one of the reasons Costco food courts have a cult following.
Although Costco has maintained this price for years now, the company doesn’t make any money from the hot dogs.
In fact, these products bring in losses for the company, but Costco still maintains the price as one of the defining features of its brand.
Do You Need a Costco Membership to Buy Costco Hot Dogs?
If you don’t have a Costco membership, you can still buy the hot dogs at the food court if they are located outside the store because they are accessible to anyone.
However, if the food court is inside the store, you might need a membership, though you can use other methods to shop, like coming with a member or using a gift card.
To know more, you can also read our posts on the things to know before buying Costco hot dogs, are Costco & BJs the same, and buying Costco pizza.
Conclusion
Costco uses its private label brand Kirkland Signature Beef Wieners for its hot dogs. These hot dogs are sold in warehouse stores and at the food court.
Before 2009, Costco used hot dogs from Hebrew National before switching to its own Kirkland Signature brand manufactured in the company plant in California. Costco has maintained the hot dog price, size, and quality for years now, making it one of the most popular brand items.
