Costco’s own-label Kirkland Signature bacon has gone head to head with Coleman’s in a taste test that found the two bulk options closer than the price difference suggests.
Kristina Vann of Taste of Home cooked both brands in an air fryer at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes to keep the comparison fair. Before cooking, the strips looked similar in thickness, though Kirkland carried slightly more fat while Coleman had a touch more meat.
The Kirkland batch shed 31 grams of fat during cooking against 12 grams for Coleman. Coleman came across as meatier with a stronger flavour overall, while Kirkland tasted saltier, which matched the labels: 320mg of sodium per serving for Kirkland against 280mg for Coleman.
Both crisped well and made good crumbles for recipes, and each was tasty on its own as well as in sandwiches. Kirkland was a little more crumbly, while Coleman was meatier and chewier. Coleman also won on packaging: its box was easy to grab from the shelf, whereas the plastic wrap around the Kirkland four-pack was slippery and flimsy.
Coleman took the win overall. It is a hickory-smoked, uncured bacon made from heritage Duroc pork, and the reviewer said the better flavour, more convenient packaging and humanely raised pork justified the extra cost. Kirkland was judged more flavourful, tender and juicy than a typical house brand, but its extra fat and salt seemed to compensate for lower quality pork.
On price, Kirkland Signature comes in four 16-ounce packs for $18.99, or $4.75 a pound. Coleman costs $13.69 for three 12-ounce packs, or $6.08 a pound.
Leftover bacon can be put to good use in recipes such as this bacon jam, and shoppers hunting for value can browse our list of popular Costco items to stock up on.
The full comparison is available in the original Taste of Home article.