This is why Costco members can't have nice things
Costco Is No Longer Offering This Free Perk—Here’s Why
Published on Jan. 10, 2025
It’s an indisputable fact that Costco packs quite a bit of value into the price of a membership. Where else will you get not only discounted grocery items but also savings on everything from tires to eyeglasses to vacations? If there is one thing Costco is determined to do, it is save its members money. But for as many member privileges as Costco offers, sometimes the big-box retailer has to take benefits away or stop selling certain items.
Much to the disappointment of many Costco shoppers, the store has announced that it will no longer be offering one fan-favorite perk. Keep reading to find out which benefit Costco will stop offering customers and the big reason why the retailer is making this noteworthy change.
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What free perk have Costco shoppers counted on for years?
FYI, you can buy whole bean coffee and grind it on the way out yourself!
byu/Maverick1ta inCostco
Coffee is definitely one of the things you should be buying at Costco, and caffeine addicts know that the best-tasting coffee comes from whole beans. For several years, Costco stores have provided shoppers with in-store coffee grinders—for free. It’s a perk that java-loving members have come to count on.
What’s happening to the coffee grinders?
Unfortunately, the store will no longer offer members access to free, public, in-store coffee grinders. In fact, your local Costco may already have done away with its machines.
One Reddit user noticed the coffee grinder missing from its usual location at a local Costco, replaced with a sign that reads, “Attention Members: Coffee grinders will no longer be provided.” Another Reddit user shared a similar sign, and in both cases, people were quick to express their disappointment in the comments.
Why is Costco removing coffee grinders?
Costco hasn’t officially commented on why the coffee grinders are being removed, but a former Costco employee took to Reddit to weigh in. “The grinders were broken at least once a week,” wrote the Reddit user, who uses the handle @Storkman1007. “Even with signs to not double grind, people would do it all day long and clog the burrs.”
Other Reddit users chimed in to share the reasons the grinders were damaged at their local Costco stores. “Saw a lady at our local Costco putting dog food in the coffee grinder,” wrote one commenter. Another Reddit user, also a former Costco employee, wrote, “Some members thought that they could crush nuts through them.”
The grinders, which cost several thousand dollars each, were not meant to withstand so much misuse. The end result? Very broken, very expensive grinders. While most Costco members likely used the grinders properly, the handful of shoppers who didn’t are ultimately responsible for their removal.
What are other options for grinding your coffee?
If you’ve relied exclusively on Costco’s free coffee-grinding station to grind your coffee beans, don’t worry. There are plenty of other options. In addition to whole bean coffee, Costco also carries plenty of preground coffee options, which save you the step of having to grind beans at all.
If you’re fully committed to buying whole beans, Costco sells at-home coffee grinders that can get the job done. One Reddit user shared that coffee grinders “are available online, and [Costco] occasionally [has] them in the warehouse.” While there may be a handful of things Costco won’t sell anymore, coffee certainly isn’t one of them—you’ll just have to grind it at home from now on.
