Why You Can Skip This Kirkland Pantry Staple That Just Doesn't Hit The Mark

While some Kirkland Signature products do use low-quality ingredients, more often than not, when one of these ingredients fails to impress, it's because a certain product doesn't live up to the low-cost, good quality standard set by other Kirkland Signature offerings. Case in point: Kirkland Signature Organic Marinara Sauce. It's not the worst marinara sauce; with a few additions, it can even be turned into a relatively tasty version of itself. However, considering the same brand also sources authentic Parmesan from Italy (that's right, Kirkland Signature Parmigiano Reggiano is a big deal), it's hard to look past its disappointing pasta sauce. With a pantry staple like marinara, you want a dependable sauce that doesn't cost too much and can be quickly purposed into whichever dish needs a bright tomato flavor.

Part of the reason Kirkland Signature marinara sauce fails to hit the mark is that right alongside it are marinara sauces by Rao's and Victoria. Both brands made it to the top five of our store-bought marinara rankings and offer exceptional products. The Kirkland Signature counterpart falls behind on multiple aspects, with some user reviews calling it too acidic or even too watery and lacking in consistency. Consequently, its rating on the Costco website is lower than the other two. Perhaps the biggest disappointment is in the price, which is usually Costco's ace up the sleeve. The Kirkland Signature marinara isn't even the cheapest option of the three available on Costco shelves, with Victoria White Linen Collection Marinara being the most wallet-friendly per ounce. Rao's, the best reviewed of the lot, costs significantly more.

Kirkland Signature fans have another option they can look towards — Kirkland Signature Organic Marinara from Tuscany. Made with extra virgin olive oil from Tuscany, this sauce rolls back many of the faults of the regular Kirkland Signature Organic Marinara. It has a chunkier texture, and while the taste remains mild, it doesn't have the same overpowering tomato-forward acidity of the latter. Most notably, it is cheaper than not just the other Kirkland Signature offering, but also significantly undercuts the Victoria White Linen Collection Marinara sauce. The pricing is even more impressive when you consider that this Kirkland Signature product retains its organic label, which is typically a sign of a premium or slightly higher-priced product.

It's worth noting that even though it does better than its non-Tuscan Costco offering, the Kirkland Signature Organic Marinara from Tuscany isn't ideal for just tossing with plain pasta for a quick weeknight dinner. The mild flavor works better as a base, and while its herby notes and the chunky texture give a full-ish mouthfeel, cooking the sauce with some aromatics like garlic or beefing it up with some meat is the way to go. However, most marinara sauces, when used with plain pasta, benefit from a little flavor-bolstering. So, even if you ended up getting the more expensive Rao's Marinara Sauce, you'd still have to make a few additions of your own for a satisfying meal. Alternatively, you can use either of the marinara sauces (or even the Victoria offering) straight out of the bottle on stuffed pasta, as a pizza sauce, or in soups and dips, which have other ingredients bolstering flavor and texture.