What Brand Makes Costco's Tortilla Chips?

Costco is a great place to stock up, but those bulk packages can sometimes mean hard choices. You don't want a 3-pound bag of something that you end up not enjoying. For the most part, the retail warehouse chain's private label, Kirkland, is a safe option that balances quality and price quite well. Given how many products Costco sells under the brand, there's a complex network of vendors feeding Kirkland's vast portfolio, each specializing in specific products. For example, some of Costco's Kirkland-brand coffee is (or was) supplied by Starbucks, while the Kirkland Signature Aged Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is sourced from a century-old Italian supplier who produces the real deal. Knowing who manufactures certain Kirkland products can be quite beneficial since you could get a much better deal than if you bought the product under its manufacturer brand's name. Unfortunately, it's not always easy to tell which brand makes certain Costco products, as is the case with the chain's tortilla chips.

One of Costco's suppliers is definitely Mission Foods, a popular tortilla manufacturer with Los Angeles roots. The 48-ounce bag of Costco's Kirkland Signature Tortilla Strips specifies prominently on the package that the chips are manufactured by Mission. (Some other Costco products, like Kirkland Signature Cranberry Juice, made by Ocean Spray, prominently display their big-name supplier as well.) However, the retail chain's 40-ounce bag of organic tortilla chips contains no mention of Mission. To further complicate the issue, Costco Business Center also offers a different 48-ounce bag of Kirkland Signature Tortilla Strips that look similar to the ones made by Mission, but don't mention the chip maker on the packaging. This suggests Costco could have outsourced the same product to another manufacturer as well.

When comparing Kirkland products with competitors, taking price into account is crucial since that is essentially Costco's unique selling point. The significant price difference between Kirkland's and Mission's organic tortilla chips helps clarify the distinction between the two. At about 18 cents an ounce, Kirkland Organic Tortilla Chips are significantly cheaper than Mission Organic Blue Corn Tortilla Chips, which can cost roughly 40 cents per ounce in some stores. The former has also received glowing praise from regular customers who swear by the Costco offering's flavor and value for money. That said, the Kirkland Signature tortilla strips that are manufactured by Mission also get significant love and, because of their large 3-pound packaging, work out to be some of the cheapest tortilla chips available at Costco. And if you buy the official Mission Tortilla Strips at a store like Walmart, you'll pay roughly 26 cents an ounce.

Thus, if you're indifferent to getting organic or inorganic tortilla chips, the ones made by Mission for Costco are the ones to reach for. The rectangular shape also makes them great for scooping up salsa and guac and layering loaded nachos. If you want good organic tortilla chips, Kirkland Organic Tortilla Chips offer the best value for money with a good flavor and crunch. Of course, if you're willing to pay more, the quality of tortilla chips can get significantly better. As we discovered in our ranking of store-bought tortilla chips, the best tortilla chips — Mi Niña White Corn Tortilla Chips — also happened to be the most expensive. Still, Costco's Mission-made bag is undoubtedly an excellent product.