Who Makes Costco's Kirkland Brand Breakfast Blend K-Cups?

Keurig machines revolutionized the way we make coffee, and the same can be said about the K-cups that are on Costco's shelves. The single-serve coffee makers are popular in workplaces and home kitchens, and often you'll see a box of Costco's Kirkland brand Breakfast Blend K-Cups nearby. These pods of nutty, aromatic, light roast coffee fit right into countertop Keurig brewing machines and create a perfect, single-serve drink in just a few seconds. The K-cups are also easier on the wallet than other coffees, with a price tag of $37.99 for a 120-count box. That comes out to 33 cents per pod at most Costco warehouses.

Breakfast Blend K-Cups are labeled with Costco's private Kirkland label, but they aren't made in a Kirkland warehouse. Instead, these K-cups are made by the giant conglomerate Keurig Dr. Pepper. Keurig Dr. Pepper has more than 125 brands under its umbrella and continues to grow, most recently with the acquisition of the Kalil Bottling Co.

Keurig Dr. Pepper's origin is partially rooted in a small Vermont coffee shop named Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR). It was GMCR that started producing Kirkland K-cups for Costco before several mergers led to the creation of Keurig Dr. Pepper as it is known today.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters was founded in Waitsfield, Vermont in 1981 as a specialty roaster that served the local community. It began to grow into a bigger operation when a coffee aficionado and entrepreneur named Bob Stiller discovered GMCR and invested in the company. It went public in 1993 and the same year GMCR made an initial investment into an emerging company: Keurig Inc.

Keurig's coffee-making machines were still in development in 1993 and the first test machine known as Concept 1 was sold in 1995. Then, in 1998, the company began selling its machines to offices, and in 2004, they were offered for home use.

Meanwhile, GMCR was growing as well, partnering with Newman's Own Organics in 2002 to sell fair trade coffee. GMCR acquired Keurig Inc. in 2006 and became Keurig Green Mountain. The move was one of just several acquisitions over the next few years that included Tully's Coffee brand, Timothy's World Coffee, Diedrich Coffee, and Van Houtte. 

Keurig Green Mountain first announced a partnership to make K-cups with Dunkin' Donuts in 2011, and in 2012, Keurig Green Mountain and Costco partnered to make K-cups for Keurig single-cup brewing systems under the Kirkland brand. Keurig Green Mountain continued to expand and in 2018, spent $18.7 billion for an 87% stake in the company Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, forming the company Keurig Dr. Pepper.

Not much has changed about Kirkland brand Breakfast Blend K-Cups since GMCR started production. They are still made with light roasted, 100% arabica coffee that is Fair Trade Certified, kosher, and organic. They're still meant to fit snugly into Keurig machines like the Keurig K-Express Single Serve brewer and pump out a perfect, 6 oz, cup of coffee every time. That reliability allows for a bit of creativity in coffeemaking, and the opportunities are limitless if you have the right materials.

Breakfast blends are meant to be what the name suggests: a blend of different beans that create a balanced flavor perfect for starting out the day. It is also a perfect base for specialty coffees making specialty coffees at home. You could double up on K-cup pods for stronger coffee or pour the brewed version over ice for a chill beverage. Kirkland's Breakfast Blend K-Cups also provide a great base for lattes, cappuccinos, and flat whites, all you need to do is learn the best frothing techniques for your perfect drink at home.

Once a K-cup of Kirkland Breakfast Blend is brewed, you can use the leftover coffee grounds for other things like caffeinated granola and coffee-flavored ice cream, or as compost for your plants. The K-cups will be broken down anyway for recycling, and Keurig Dr. Pepper offers an easy recycling program to help clean up all the leftovers from the K-cup coffee pods.