Why Are Costco Paper Towels So Dang Large?

Bare with me as I plead my plight.  If there is one thing I can be snooty about, it’s the type of paper towels I buy.  For years my favorite brand was Viva® Choose-a-Sheet Paper Towels, for their cloth-like texture that kicked every other towel brand in the rear.  In fact, if you told me they were Shop Towels I would have believed you.  Paper towels are like toilet paper, if you’re not springing for the best quality you might as well just be reusing sandpaper.  Unfortunately…quality comes at a cost.  The rolls barely lasted a few days thanks to the tornadic nature of my old roommates and I.  At nearly $2 a roll each month, the burden was starting to add up fast. But Kirkland Paper Towels would change all that.

Upon a visit to Iowa City, a friend took me on my first trip to Costco Wholesale as a guest.  As we zipped through every other aisle, my friend grabbed a pack of Kirkland SignatureTM brand Paper Towels  and slammed it on top of the pile in the cart.  For all intents and purposes, this pack was massive.  At a staggering 12-rolls for a $15 price tag (at the time), this was a bang-for-your-buck deal.   Compare their Create-a-Size to Viva®‘s Choose-a-Sheet sloganit was pretty easy to see they were of similar or superior quality.

My friend offered me a couple rolls, and proudly stated “Here’s a sample to turn you into a believer of the Kirkland value.”  I couldn’t help but notice that the rolls by themselves were hefty.  And at the low-price of free, I gladly accepted.  Upon returning home, it was quite astonishing how much the Kirkland® brand compared to Viva®  on quality.  Being that Kirkland brand is a private label, I have since heard that it is actually Bounty® who produces the paper towels for Costco.  What’s better than to get the same strong, thick, absorbent paper towel you can find in a name brand at a lesser price?

But there was just one problem though.  The Kirkland paper towels are just too damn large for my  under-the-cabinet paper towel holder.  Talk about a First World Problem, right?  A simple fix is just to sit the roll upright like any self-respecting fool.  But in the back of your mind, the idea that one thing is causing kitchen space issues eats at you. And it eats deeeeeep.

under-cabinet paper towel holder.

Image is only an example.

A Kirkland Paper Towel roll measures out at 11-inches tall, and a roughly 5.75-inch diameter, and the under-cabinet holder could accommodate a 5-inch diameter roll . I was left with no choice but to go out into the real world and purchase a fancy paper-towel holder.  This time I picked up a Push&Tear Towel Holder by guzziniTM.  I figured that if the space between the paper towel center and cabinet board was the issue, then I would get a vertical-stand holder.  Makes sense right?

Wrong again.

Too short Paper Towel Holder

The Kirkland Paper Towel is 11-inches tall, but the pin is only 10-inches tall.

The fits all paper towel rolls holder  I got was still too damn small. But this time, the other way.  The holder pin measures a height of 10-inches, but the Costco Kirkland Paper Towel is 11-inches tall.  Was I suddenly transfered to a bizarro world where there is some paper towel cartel had some planned obsolescence of paper towel holders?  Maybe, but fortunately the Internet exists.

The Solution – Holders for Kirkland Paper Towels

What holder will the Costco Paper Towel fit? Thankfully, after much research. I found a few options with plenty of reviews on Amazon.  The Kamenstein Perfect Tear Wall Mount Paper Towel Holder and the Vertical One Handed Paper Towel Holder.

Kamenstein 4554ASB Perfect Tear Patented Wall Mount Paper Towel Holder with Rounded Finial, 14-Inch, Silver
3292 Reviews
Kamenstein 4554ASB Perfect Tear Patented Wall Mount Paper Towel Holder with Rounded Finial, 14-Inch, Silver
  • PERFECT TEAR TECHNOLOGY: The holder's patented 'Perfect Tear Technology' features an ingenious ratchet system that prevents rolls from unraveling and allows you to effortlessly tear one piece at a time.
  • FOR EVERY ROOM IN YOUR HOME OR OFFICE: The wall mount Perfect Tear Paper Towel Holder is perfect for your kitchen, bathroom, garage, laundry room, play room, workshop, craft room and is a space saving option for your rv, camper and motor home!
  • DESIGNED TO FIT ANY SIZE ROLL: The interior wire roller is made from durable aluminum which is flexible and designed to fit regular rolls, standard rolls, select-a-size rolls, and even jumbo sized rolls.
  • REPLACE PAPER TOWELS EASILY: In most cases, paper towel rolls simply slide on and off the roller, without having to remove the finial.
  • EASY TO MOUNT: The Kamenstein Perfect Tear Paper Towel Holder is easy to mount horizontal under a cabinet or vertical on the wall and mounting hardware is included; measures approximately 14 inches long (please allow extra space to load paper towel rolls).
Sale
GoodTurn: Vertical One Handed Paper Towel Holder
1226 Reviews
GoodTurn: Vertical One Handed Paper Towel Holder
  • ONE HANDED - Paper Towel Holders you can grab and tear off a single sheet like a ninja. Base width : 7.25" and Product Height : 13.5"
  • STABLE - Extra weight and non-slip base stabilize this countertop paper towel holder
  • SIMPLY WORKS - Vertical Paper Towel Holder with NO moving parts to break.
  • LIFETIME GUARANTEE- this Kitchen Paper Towel Holder is yours forever.
  • JUMBO ROLL Paper Towels will fit!

Both items include Questions and Answers for you to verify that these indeed work for the very large Costco Paper Towel rolls.

Do you buy Costco Kirkland Paper Towls? I would love to know what paper towel holder works for you! Comment down below.

Last update on 2024-12-06 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API