There's An Underutilized Way To Get Cheaper Cookware From Costco

Costcodians — an unofficial term for passionate Costco shoppers — have all sorts of tips and tricks for getting the best price on groceries and other bulk items that make up a well-stocked kitchen. True bargain sleuths have memorized Costco's price tag codes, for instance, to get the best deals (and stock up before something is discontinued). There's more to being a master of the warehouse juggernaut than getting a good price on Costco's bougie cuts of quality meat, however. Every kitchen needs some well-made cookware to get the job done, and you can get cheaper, high-quality pots and pans from big national brands by using the store's underutilized "Next" program.

If you've ever shopped for cookware at Costco, you're sure to have seen some deals on pieces from Green Pan, Viking, Nordic Ware, and more. With Costco Next, you don't have to wait for the stock pot of your dreams to show up on the store shelf at some point. Instead, you can shop a curated collection of cookware right from a supplier's website at a discounted price — all you need is an active Costco membership.

Here's how to get the best price on cookware using Costco Next. First, visit the Costco Next website, then select "Home & Kitchen" from the "Shop by Category" dropdown menu in the top left of the page. From there, select a participating supplier's website to browse what's available. Before leaving the Costco website, you'll need to sign in with your membership number, so have your card handy. 

Once you're signed in, the company website will show you all of the items that they've made available to the Costco Next program at discounted prices. For instance, a Nordic Ware set of two Jumbo Muffin Pans is priced at $27.99 for Costco Next, while on the regular Nordic Ware website, a single Jumbo Muffin pan costs $18 (which works out to $36 for two). Then, all you have to do is pop the pans in your cart and check out like you would with any other online transaction.

While the Next program doesn't include everything on every supplier's website, there are certainly plenty of basics for kitting out any kitchen, plus plenty of gift-worthy specialty items. If you're serious about cooking, investing in quality cookware is key, and this program lets you add some key pieces to your collection without breaking the bank. And if you have a few dollars leftover in the budget, you can always splurge on a nice bottle of Kirkland Champagne to toast your big savings.