12 items you should always buy from Costco

Hollis Johnson

Costco is a goldmine for bargains. But, some deals are better than others.

There are great bargains at Costco — even Morgan Stanley analysts say the retailer offers some of the best deals in the industry. However, to cash in on the deals, you need to know a few secrets.

Here are items that Costco members shouldn’t even think about purchasing outside of the discount chain.

And, if you’re considering becoming a member, these are the discount items that make shopping at Costco worth the cost of membership.

Bacon

Consumer Reports claims Costco's house brand Kirkland bacon actually tastes better than any name-brand bacon testers reviewed. It’s also much more inexpensive, costing between $10 and $16 for a 4-pound pack — about $1.50 less per pound than the leading name-brand bacon options.

Maple syrup

The Krazy Coupon Lady — experts on Costco deals — reports Costco’s pure maple syrup costs half of what you would pay at Amazon. House brand Kirkland’s maple syrup costs just 32 cents an ounce, compared to 67 cents at Trader Joe’s or 55.8 cents for Walmart’s non-organic option.

Condiments

A number of experts, including My Frugal Adventures and Consumer Reports, say Costco is the best place to stock up on things such as extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil.

"In blind taste tests, we found the Kirkland Signature Real Mayonnaise to be just as good as Hellmann’s, for about 60 percent of the cost," writes Consumer Reports.