What Company Makes Costco's Kirkland Signature Vanilla Ice Cream?

Members at Costco are no doubt familiar with the chain's Kirkland Signature branded products — the Costco-exclusive brand is a favorite amongst shoppers who regard them as high-quality and reasonably priced. But contrary to popular belief, Kirkland Signature is not a manufacturer of goods; it is a private label that Costco uses to control the quality and price of its products, which are usually made elsewhere. Kirkland Signature Super Premium Vanilla Ice Cream, for example, is actually sourced from a small dairy co-op in Humboldt, California.

Learning which companies actually make your favorite Kirkland products can be quite surprising, especially when they come from well-known brands like Starbucks and Duracell, but many are made by smaller companies as well. Humboldt Creamery products are all organic and hormone-free, and ice cream dominates 70 percent of the 95-year-old company's business.

North Coast Journal discussed the creamery's partnership with Costco, with CEO of Humboldt Creamer Rich Ghilarducci saying, "[Costco believes] the flavor of the milk from Humboldt County is something very special. They want all their ice cream in any of their product lines in the United States to come from milk out of Humboldt County." Humboldt may not be the ice cream capital of the world, but the Kirkland Brand Super Premium Vanilla Ice Cream has earned a massive reputation amongst fans as one of the best vanilla ice creams on the market.

Many members agree that one mistake you can make while shopping at Costco is underestimating Kirkland products, especially in the frozen aisles. Kirkland's vanilla ice cream has a major following amongst ice cream lovers who appreciate the product's unique texture and flavor — after all, it's not called "Super Premium" for no reason. According to the International Dairy Foods Association, the label super premium means that a product "[has] very low overrun and high fat content, and the manufacturer uses the best quality ingredients."

This store-bought vanilla ice cream is made with high quality ingredients thanks to Humboldt Creamery, and Costco members claim they can totally tell. One user on the r/Costco subreddit claims that Kirkland's ice cream is the "best vanilla I have ever had." Another Reddit user described the ice cream as "creamy, thick, sweet enough but not overly sweet," adding that "The milkshakes you can make with this stuff are out of this world." 

Fans of the product also claim that the price of Kirkland's vanilla ice cream is absolutely worth it. Shoppers at Costco can snag a large quantity for slightly more than you would pay at traditional grocery stores, but considering how much ice cream you get and how high-quality it tastes, members seem to be unfazed by the price tag. The exact price will vary slightly by location, but it usually amounts to around $18 for a pack of two half-gallon tubs.