The Worst Nuts At Costco Don't Pack The Flavor Punch The Name Promises

The bulk nut selection at Costco can be an ideal spot to stock up on healthy snacks that double as versatile cooking ingredients, to use in everything from Duff Goldman's favorite pecan pie to creamy homemade almond butter. Costco's nut offerings are often great value, and picking up one of their distinctive clear plastic tubs of pecans or pistachios will ensure you're good to go for a while. But not all Costco nuts are created equally. In fact, after ranking 8 Costco nuts from worst to best, one variety left The Takeout cold — despite its enticingly flavorful name. The Setton Farms Tajín Dry Roasted Chili and Lime Pistachios, which advertise California-grown pistachios with a salty, tangy blend of seasonings, sadly do not deliver on their promising premise.

With online reviewers disappointed at the lack of heat compared to the advertised flavor, the overall verdict was that the nuts were simply too mild. Beyond that, these nuts were described on Reddit as "Not Good," as well as "not worth buying," while one user complained that the flavorings, while listed as entirely natural, "can get kind of chemically fatiguing," which not only sounds pretty unpleasant on its own, but can undercut the natural flavor of the pistachios too.

In our roundup of Costco nuts, we noted that the bright, strong flavors of the Setton Farms Tajín Dry Roasted Chili and Lime Pistachios simply never materialized. The various spices, meanwhile, were overpowered by chili powder, so nothing else really made it through. Although these particular nuts are best left on the shelf, the Winter Cheer Nut Blend, which comes to Costco from Pear's Snacks, a small-batch roastery and snack company based in Nebraska, were declared the winner. These are sweet and cinnamon-spiced candied nuts, which include a mix of cashews, almonds, and pecans.

They're definitely worth a purchase. On the other hand, Costco offers a great selection of unadorned nuts if you want something versatile rather than a spiced or seasoned treat. These are often sold in large quantities, enabling you to stock up for a relatively low price. In particular, the walnut halves from Costco's Kirkland Signature line are a beloved bulk-buy item for regular Costco shoppers. These can be enjoyed on their own, or used as a protein-packed addition to salads, banana walnut bread, or even put into your food processor as part of a flavorful, Italian-inspired pesto sauce.