Other items, however, may disappear from shelves somewhat more abruptly. Here’s why you won’t be able to find these products on Costco’s shelves anymore. Find out how to shop at Costco without a membership.

Half-sheet cakes

On June 29, Costco announced that it would no longer sell its half-sheet cakes. These delicious rectangular cakes have been a staple of graduation and birthday parties for years, but no more. Costco has been phasing the cakes out over the past month, promoting their new ten-inch round cakes instead.

Their response to disappointed shoppers has been rather cryptic; they’ve said they’ve “reduced service in some departments” as a COVID-19 safety measure and that their round cakes “seem to be resonating” with members. Could it perhaps be because the round cakes serve far fewer people? Maybe Costco is trying to discourage large social gatherings. Whatever the case, say goodbye to the half-sheet cakes, at least for the time being.

Eggs from caged hens

Costco isn’t quite there yet, but as part of its sustainability efforts it currently sources 94 percent of eggs from cage-free and humane options. The retailer aims to offer only cage-free eggs in the United States by the end of 2020. In case you were wondering, this is the difference between cage-free and free-range eggs.

All-American Chocolate Cake

Costco’s bakery delivers some pretty exceptional cakes. We don’t actually know why Costco stopped selling this delicious-looking cake that features chocolate shavings embedded into the rich, creamy frosting. But apparently, it’s so amazing that one Costco cake fan started a petition on Change.org to bring back the decadent confection. Luckily, you can still pick up a bag of Costco chocolate chips. Here’s what Costco’s free sample employees wish you knew.

Endangered seafood

Costco refuses to sell wild fish that’s considered at risk unless the seafood is certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), and that list includes wild swordfish, bluefin tuna, Atlantic cod, Chilean sea bass and grouper. Costco’s farmed seafood is only sourced from companies that are certified by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC).

Kirkland Signature Light Beer

Costco’s Kirkland brand produces some stellar products, including several alcoholic beverages. Its Kirkland Signature Blended Scotch Whisky and Kirkland Signature American Vodka are among the standouts, according to Mashed. However, its light beer offering was discontinued in 2018 after a wave of epically bad reviews—including one that compared its flavor to a “urine-soaked diaper.” Here are the best Kirkland items you should always buy at Costco.

Polish hot dog

Costco fans are still angry about the company’s decision to pull this hot dog, loaded with peppers and onions, from its food courts in 2018. The retailer replaced the beloved dog with healthier fare like a salad and an acai bowl, both of which drew plenty of ire (and another petition) from fans of the hot dog. Unfortunately, for Polish dog lovers, it has not yet returned to the menu. Here’s the real reason Costco’s hot dogs are so cheap.

Chocolate-dipped ice cream bar

Another classic food court item, this bar featured vanilla ice cream enrobed in chocolate and covered with almonds. It was taken off the food-court rotation and replaced with a brisket sandwich. Yep, you read that right. Though a grassroots Facebook page was developed to try to encourage Costco to bring back the sweet treat, the company has not relented—even after seven years of continued requests. Next, you definitely need to know the bad shopping habits Costco members should stop doing.

Roundup

Last year, Costco opted to pull Monsanto’s controversial weedkiller off of its shelves, after a couple won a $2 billion lawsuit claiming the product caused them to have cancer. In fact, Costco removed all products that contain glyphosate from its locations.

Studded tires

They may help you travel better in the snow, but Costco stopped selling studded car tires back in 2007. The reason? The chain thought it was more “environmentally responsible” to skip the studs, which were responsible for damaging roadways, according to an interview with Costco tire buyer Pat McClintock.

Cigarettes

In 2016, the retailer began pulling cigarettes and tobacco products out of its stores. Costco wasn’t just looking out for its customers’ health, though. “Tobacco is a very low margin business, tends to have higher theft and is labor-intensive in some cases (due to local municipality regulations)—further, we felt we could better use the space to merchandise other items,” a Costco spokesperson told Money. Costco isn’t the only retailer to ban certain items from its stores. You need to know about these Costco shopping perks.

Kirkland Signature Performance One golf balls

Sometimes, it’s best not to tamper with a classic. Costco’s Kirkland Signature balls were very highly rated by golfers, and they usually sold out whenever they were stocked. But when the company updated the ball (with a new name, the Signature Performance One), they apparently weren’t quite up to snuff. The retailer opted to refund the purchase price for everyone who bought it, with a note saying, “some of the balls do not meet the high standards that are expected for the Kirkland Signature brand.” Find out the secret code behind Costco’s prices.

The post 11 Things Costco Doesn’t Sell Anymore appeared first on Taste Recipes.

Replace your iron

That magical permanent-press setting that most people never use is a wrinkle-reducing marvel and gentler on clothes, helping them last a little longer. The secret? It runs a little less hot than a standard drying cycle and switches to an even cooler temperature later in the cycle to help keep wrinkles at bay. Check out these laundry mistakes you should avoid.

Sound the alarm if something’s wrong

Some newer dryers have built-in sensors that monitor the dryer-vent status. These models will sound the alarm if the vent gets clogged—which could help you prevent a fire.

Refresh your down comforter

If your down comforter has flattened out a bit and lost a little bit of its fluff, running it through a dryer with several tennis balls can help restore its usual loft. Find out the one laundry trick you should definitely know.

Be super energy efficient

For the longest time, clothes dryers didn’t earn Energy Star ratings because they were energy devourers. But within the past few years, several models have been released that can use 20 to 40 percent less energy than standard models. Check out what should never end up in your washer.

Dry your sneakers silently

Drying sneakers can make a sound like a cement mixer, and they could wreck your dryer. But with a drying rack installed in the dryer, you can cut back on the noise that comes with running heavy, clunky shoes in the dryer. Be sure you know these 20 uses for dryer sheets that aren’t for laundry.

Kill germs

Most dryers these days come with a handy sanitize cycle—and you’ll definitely want to take advantage of it. Run your germiest clothing through the dryer on that setting, and you can kiss those germs goodbye.

Dry your delicates

You don’t necessarily have to air-dry your unmentionables—or your child’s beloved stuffed animal—anymore. Newer models, like the Samsung FlexDry, have a separate, smaller dryer section custom-made for keeping your not-so-dryable items safe. Find out the safest laundry detergents you can buy.

Refresh an outfit

Some newer clothes dryers can help you easily get a wrinkled or not-so-fresh outfit ready to go. The dryers are hooked up to cold water: The machine heats the water to create steam, releasing wrinkles and adding freshness.

Kill off bugs

The heat of the dryer is an all-natural (and fast) way to murder ticks, bedbugs, or lice, according to the University of Minnesota. Just make sure to run the objects in the dryer for at least 30 minutes at high heat to kill them off. Now be check out the items you should never put in your dryer.

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