Why Costco's Food Court Hot Dogs Taste Different Than When You Cook Them At Home

Regularly voted the best thing on offer at Costco's food court, the $1.50 hot dog and drink combo is the backbone of the wholesaler's marketing. It's so important that multiple of the company's CEOs have reassured customers that the hot dog meal price won't change. It goes without saying that regular Costco visitors are hooked on the hot dogs, and yet scratching that itch at home has proved difficult for many. Although the Kirkland brand hot dogs used in the food court are available to purchase as part of shoppers' grocery hauls, they never taste quite the same. This is probably because, according to people who allegedly worked at Costco, the store's food court has a pretty unusual way of cooking them.

One Reddit user, self-proclaiming to be a former Costco food court staff member, said the hot dogs "are simply held in hot water till they reach an internal temp of 165." This is in line with USDA guidelines for hot dogs, which are usually fully cooked already. Elaborating on Costco's alleged behind-the-scenes hot dog prep, the Redditor noted that the water is usually heated to around 180 degrees Fahrenheit, just below a simmer, and the franks are usually kept in the water for about 15 minutes before they are ready to be served.

Essentially, this means Costco hot dogs are probably poached. It may not be the most popular way to cook hot dogs, but poaching is simple, efficient, and allows you to cook multiple at the same time while achieving a uniform result. And if you're looking for a Costco dog fix, it's the closest you'll get at home.

Poaching hot dogs is incredibly simple, but you will need a decent thermometer. The trick to poaching is keeping your water at a fixed, gentle heat below boiling. Unless you have a super precise stove, this can be quite difficult without constantly measuring the temperature using a candy thermometer or a meat thermometer that works in water. With the help of the thermometer, you can carefully adjust the temperature using the burner and ice cubes. If you're using a meat thermometer, it can do double duty and check the internal temperature of your hot dogs after about 15 minutes.

If you don't want to poach your hot dogs, Reddit has a few other suggestions. In order to recreate the Costco food court's signature flavor and juiciness, one user steams their hot dogs, while another sous vide them. Both of these techniques use fixed-temperature moisture or steam, so they work similarly to poaching. Whichever of these methods you choose, you'll need a bun to finish things off. According to our alleged insider on Reddit, the buns are usually steamed at the food court, which is easy to do at home in the microwave.

Finally, if you usually get your hot dog after a grocery run, maybe plan an exhausting workout and a short but intense argument with a family member as you cook your wiener. Some of the satisfaction of a hot dog combo has to come from the relief you made it out of Costco with your groceries, all your limbs, and the people you went in with.