What's up with chocolate chips at Costco?

By Mark -
Costco stopped carrying Nestle Toll House chocolate chips a while ago. They now offer two different versions of Kirkland chocolate chips, with confusingly similar names. One is called Kirkland Signature Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, and the other is Kirkland Signature semi-sweet Chocolate Chips. The white bag has Semi-Sweet capitalized, while the red and off-white bag keeps that part of the name lower case. When you see them in the store, you'll likely notice that the white bag (capital S) version costs slightly more. Are they charging more for bigger letters?

If you look at the ingredients, the price difference makes sense. The cheaper one has more filler ingredients. The flavor, texture, and baking performance are pretty much identical to Nestle Toll House chips. This isn't surprising since the two brands have very similar ingredient lists, and the new Kirkland chips were introduced about the same time that Costco stopped selling the Nestle version.

For comparison, here are the ingredients listed on the white bag of Kirkland chips:

As you might guess from the ingredients, this kind tastes and feels a lot more like pure chocolate. It has a darker chocolate flavor. And the authentic vanilla is a nice touch. I haven't tried melting and tempering these chips, but I bet it would work because the only fat is the naturally ocurring cocoa butter from the chocolate. That's something you definitely can't do with chips that have cream in them.

Both kinds of Kirkland chocolate chips are good. Just keep in mind that they're not the same thing.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Lisa's Impossible(TM) Burger Patties

By -
I like Impossible(TM) brand plant-based burger "meat." But working with it isn't exactly the same as working with ground beef. Some differences to be aware of are: 1. It browns a lot faster than beef, so keep a close eye on it. You might also want to use a slightly lower temperature. 2. Since Impossible burger can be consumed raw, all you're really doing is browning it for color and cooking it enough for the burger (or meatball or whatever) to hold its shape. I'm finding that if you don't overcook it, it cooks up to something that's much tenderer and juicier than beef. (Yum!) This is one reason I like making my own Impossible burgers instead of ordering them from, for instance, Burger King. Undertrained cooks often treat the Impossible burger the same as regular hamburger patties, and cook them to death. Then the patties come out tough and charred. Cooking them myself is way better. 3. Impossible burger doesn't shrink as much as beef when it coo...
Read more

Best Pulled Pork

By Mark -
This is the best recipe I've found for pulled pork.   UPDATE: This is a very good recipe for pulled pork, but there's an even better one here . The recipe starts with making a dry rub for the meat.  You're welcome to use a different rub if you want, but this is a good one. Source: https://thesaltymarshmallow.com/instant-pot-pulled-pork/ . ▢ 1   Tablespoon   Packed Brown Sugar ▢ 2   Teaspoons   Paprika ▢ 2   Teaspoons   Garlic Powder ▢ 2   Teaspoons   Onion Powder ▢ 1   Teaspoon   Salt ▢ 1   Teaspoon   Pepper ▢ ½   Teaspoon   Cumin ▢ ¼   Teaspoon   Cayenne,   Optional ▢ 3   Pound   Boneless Pork Roast,   Cut into 3-4 inch cubes ▢ 2   Tablespoons   Olive Oil ▢ ⅓   Cup   Apple Cider Vinegar ▢ 2   Cups   Barbecue Sauce,   Divided ▢ 1 ¼   Cup   Chicken or Beef Broth ▢ 1  Teaspoon   Hot Pepper Sauce,   Optional In a small bow...
Read more

Spicy Orange

By Mark -
Here's a very quick and easy beverage that I enjoy.  Add a dash of ground chipotle and a couple dashes of smoked paprika to a small glass of orange juice.  Give it a stir and then let is sit for a couple of minutes before drinking it.
Read more