For years, Costco members have been able to grind their own coffee beans using specialized grinders in stores across the country. But now, their access to these grinders is being revoked after an apparent string of misuses of the machines.
An upset Costco member took to Reddit after noticing at their local store that the grinder was closed for business. "Uh oh, I don’t know what happened, but we lost our grinder privileges," the user wrote along with a photo of a sign that read "Attention members: Coffee grinders will no longer be provided." Another Costco member on Reddit noted the change days earlier with a photo of the machine and a sign reading "Attention members: The coffee grinders are no longer available in the warehouse."
Uh oh, I don’t know what happened… but we lost our grinder privileges
by u/phteven1989 in Costco
What happened to make them remove the grinders?
by u/StinklePink in Costco
One former Costco employee revealed that the decision to close down the grinders was made after the machines were repeatedly broken by customers not following the rules.
"The grinders were broken at least once a week. Even with signs to not double grind, people would do it all day long and clog the burrs. Also we had paint brushes to wipe the grounds and keep the machines clean and people would drop the brushes and grind them into their coffee," they said. "Those grinders cost a few thousand dollars each... Nice to see them leave four years ago."
Related: Costco Is Selling Buckets of Food That Can Last 25 Years
Other Redditors chimed in with various reasons as to why the coffee grinders at their local Costco warehouses were broken. Similarly, customers not abiding by the rules was the culprit.
"Someone put chocolate-covered coffee beans in the one at my local grocery store," one user commented.
“Double grinding, grinding nuts through, dropping brushes. Members can’t be trusted not to disrespect property they don’t own," another said.
One person even took it beyond grinding coffee beans. "Ours were next to the food court, so naturally someone stuck a hot dog in one of them," another commenter said.
Related: Costco Customers Outraged Over Shocking Store Stocking Decision
While reports have emerged of removed grinders from certain warehouses, it's unclear if this represents a broader corporate policy change. Men's Journal has reached out to a Costco rep for comment.
At this point, it might be worth it to just invest in a grinder to use at home.
