Chef Vs. Costco Fan: Who Do You Trust?

Costco, where bulk is best...or is it? One chef has shared their expert opinion with Insider on what to take and what to leave on the shelf at Costco, but I have some notes.

Though I'm no culinary expert, I am a big fan of Costco, and so I think that should be enough here. This chef had a substantial list of items they steer clear from at Costco, and below is my personal breakdown.

Here are the items I agree should not be purchased at Costco:

• Mixed roasted nuts
• Tomato sauce can
• Sour cream
• Cold cuts
• Frozen, pre-seasoned salmon
• Shredded cheese
• Fruit

Every step through Costco can be tempting, but when you make yourself stop and consider the logistics there are some items where bulk buying doesn't make a lot of sense. Unless I'm feeding the cast of Goodfellas or The Sopranos, a seven-pound can of tomato sauce is going to go to waste in my pantry. The same can be said for pounds of sour cream and bags of shredded cheese, especially since I live with someone with dairy sensitivities. As for the nuts, cold cuts, pre-seasoned salmon, and the fruit, I can just picture the mold growing on these when I haven't touched them by the end of the week.

But the chef also cautioned against these buying items, and I disagree:

• Cereal
• Corn
• Bread crumbs
• Peeled garlic
• Baked goods

I wouldn't call The Takeout staff professional-level Costco experts but we do have some great insight. For instance, we recently ranted about how awesomely underrated Kirkland bacon is. You could say we're in the know. So, I have to disagree with this chef's warnings when it comes to buying cereal at Costco. I don't know what open-air method this chef has for storing cereal, but I can attest that the Costco-sized Honey Bunches of Oats has never gone stale on my watch (neither have bread crumbs). As for baked goods and corn, if I'm buying them, the intention is that they're not meant to last for very long anyways.

Tell me, what do you buy in bulk and what do you avoid?