Bulk rice at Costco is cheaper but not always cheaper per serving

I saw a breakdown from the USDA that showed bulk rice is about 25 cents per pound less than bagged rice, but I did the math on my own kitchen. After I cooked 10 pounds of bulk rice from the bin in Portland, I figured out I was wasting almost 15% of it from overcooking or spillage. So my actual cost per serving came out to 14 cents, which is only 2 cents less than the bagged rice I could buy without the hassle. Has anyone else run numbers on their actual waste with bulk staples?

3 comments

3 Comments

campbell.tara17d ago

I mean I get your point about waste but I think you're overcomplicating it. I buy the 25 pound bag at Costco and honestly my waste is pretty minimal just a little bit stuck to the pot or overboiled water. Maybe try cooking smaller batches so you don't end up tossing so much.

paulw8717d ago

Yeah I feel you on that! I used to have the same issue with rice until I started rinsing it really well before cooking. Like a solid 3-4 rinses until the water runs clear. It cut down on the sticky residue stuck to the pot by a ton. Also switched to a non-stick rice cooker and that pretty much solved the waste problem for me. What kind of pot are you using?

hugo_bennett16d ago

Funny you mention rinsing, I had a buddy who swore by that method too. He forgot to rinse once and ended up with a pot of rice that looked like glue, had to soak it for a day to get it clean.