The Kirkland Protein Product That Gets Mixed Reviews On Reddit

If you want to get an honest answer on what people think of a product for sale at Costco, it's hard to find a place where people are more willing to give opinions than the Costco subreddit. Recently, a Redditor asked for opinions on the Kirkland brand chocolate whey powder. They got hundreds of responses.

The comments were largely positive, with roughly 3/4s of the responses praising the protein. Many appreciated its quality for the price, with one user saying, "its price per pound is top tier.... I started mixing it into my cold brew in the mornings. Now it tastes like an iced mocha and has tons of protein. It's great." Sounds like a great way to use protein powder if you hate shakes!

The detractors disliked its use of sucralose and other additives. A common refrain was that Ascent (another Costco offering) is a superior protein option. One user explained that it "tastes fine but has a LOT of unneeded junk in it. The Ascent powder is miles better if you want a decent protein powder with minimal ingredients."

Of course, this being Reddit, there were plenty of whey jokes thrown in. "I like the whey it tastes," said one Reddit jokester.

Many people on Reddit compared it to Optimum Nutrition's chocolate whey protein powder. The suggested serving size of 35 grams of the Kirkland powder provides 25 grams of protein, while Optimum Nutrition's 32-gram serving size provides 24 grams of protein. Both contain sucralose, which some people avoid for the artificial taste it conveys, while others avoid it due to its laboratory origins.

The other protein powder sold by many Costcos that the Kirkland brand is often compared to is Ascent's Native Whey Protein. The protein amount comes in around the same, at 25 grams in a 33-gram suggested serving. The big difference is the use of Stevia instead of Sucralose. You can find out more about the debate between the two sweeteners in our Stevia vs. Sucralose comparison.

All three protein powders use a blend of whey protein isolate and concentrate, with Optimum Protein adding hydrolyzed whey protein. Aside from the sweetener, the big difference between the 3 is the price. Ascent is the most expensive per ounce, coming in at $.81. Optimum costs $.75 an ounce, and Kirkland's comes in at $.64 an ounce. It's really up to you whether or not the price differences matter next time you're buying ingredients for our protein powder chocolate chip cookies!