Who Actually Makes Kirkland Coffee?

Because Costco is known for its commitment to delivering on quality at lower price points, few labels can get people guessing like Kirkland Signature, which is the warehouse chain's house brand. Kirkland Signature offers just about everything a Costco shopper's heart might desire, from food to wines and spirits, and from household cleaning supplies to toiletries.

The identity of Costco's suppliers is an open secret to loyal customers whose households are stocked full of Kirkland Signature items. Kirkland Signature Batteries, which come in packs of 72, are manufactured by Duracell, whose own-branded products can retail for nearly double at supermarkets and drugstores (via Hip2Save). Rumor has it that the brand's highly-rated Supreme Diapers may actually be made by Kimberly Clark, who also manufactures Huggies. And over in the haircare section, Kirkland Signature's Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner is said to be manufactured by Pureology, whose own-branded items can retail in some cosmetic shops for four to five times the price.

Given what we know about Costco and its Kirkland Signature brand, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the warehouse chain's highly-rated coffee beans come from a well-known brand. The next time you pick up a 32-ounce bag of Kirkland Signature House Blend Medium Roast or its Espresso Blend Dark Roast, you'll find the bag proudly declaring that the beans were custom roasted by Starbucks (via Coffee Review and Costco). The Kitchn rates the beans a buy, saying its coffee doesn't come across as being too bitter and the beans keep well on a shelf, in the fridge or freezer, making the purchase of a big bag easy to consider.

But as with Kirkland Signature's Vodka, the identity of the roasters for Kirkland Signature's more expensive line of single-origin coffee beans is a bit more of a challenge to uncover. But until we know, we're going with rave reviews from coffee sites like Purely Coffee Beans, who says that Costco's buyers have managed to score another bunch of wins in the coffee bean department.