Why This Costco Bakery Item Is Frequently Returned

Costco is known to be a dependable, one-stop shop for all your shopping needs. The discount, bulk-buy giant offers a wide variety of membership perks, from members getting exclusive access to its food court to its Kirkland Signature range of products. With an exceptional reputation and a 100% satisfaction guarantee, it's understandable that fans of the chain are unhappy when it occasionally misses the mark. One frequently returned item is its bakery bagels, which customers complain go off far too quickly and often turn moldy. Shoppers have expressed frustration that this sometimes even happens before the sell-by date. 

The reason for this accelerated spoilage is that Costco bagels are made fresh in-house every day, meaning they contain no preservatives. Without these additives to extend their shelf life, the bagels' naturally high moisture content is an environment where mold spores thrive. As a result, they tend to go stale or moldy incredibly fast, often within the same day they are purchased, creating a double-edged sword for fans of the deli classic who want to avoid extra additives.

If your bagels show signs of mold, even if you remove it, we recommend avoiding eating them, as invisible spores may still be present. Luckily, Costco has a generous grocery store return policy. According to one Redditor who claims to work there, you only need to provide 50% of the product to receive a refund. So, if you're the unfortunate victim of a bad batch of bagels, you'll at least be able to get your money back.

Although bagels lose their freshness very quickly, fans have come up with a variety of hacks to keep them fresh well beyond their use-by date. A simple trick is to store your bagels in a plastic bag in a bread bin. This provides them with a cool, dark environment with balanced air circulation that wards off staleness and mold growth, but this method works best when you plan to consume them within one to two days. If you want them to last longer, you can always freeze them. Just try to avoid refrigerating your bagels, as the dry environment will make them go stale much faster.

To reheat a frozen bagel, first let it thaw at room temperature. Slice it in half and toast it until the outside is nicely crisp and the inside is soft. For extra chew, place the frozen bagel in the oven at around 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes. If you find yourself with a stale bagel, a great hack to make it feel freshly baked is to wrap it in a lightly damp paper towel and microwave it in 15-second intervals until it's piping hot.