If you're a member and you aren't buying new appliances at this big-box store, you're missing out!
Here’s Why You Should Always Buy Major Appliances from Costco
Published on Apr. 29, 2025
Costco deals are hard to beat. From groceries to electronics, they’ve got it all. It takes the sting out of paying that annual Costco membership fee when you can feel confident that you’re getting a great deal on everyday items or even some of the most expensive things the warehouse club sells.
But what about appliances? There’s plenty of competition when it comes to appliance sales, including from Best Buy, Lowe’s and Home Depot. But there are some very important reasons why Costco is the best place to buy appliances. And no, it isn’t just because you can also grab a $4.99 rotisserie chicken while you’re purchasing a new dishwasher. While that’s undoubtedly a perk, it goes deeper than that.
Read on to find out why Costco is the place to buy large appliances, which ones you should put on your shopping list and whether there are any downsides to getting them here.
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Why is Costco the best place to buy appliances?
For the indecisive, perhaps the biggest reason Costco is the best place to buy appliances is because they carry a carefully curated selection of each item. They have high-quality brands you know (Bosch appliances just entered Costco, as an example), but there aren’t a confusing number of options to choose from.
“You don’t walk into Costco to compare 15 fridge models,” says Antje Eggersdorfer, a senior marketing manager at Seton. “You go there because they have filtered the noise, locked in pricing through supplier contracts and anchored everything to their trust model. So instead of endless options, you get two or three great ones with baked-in value and predictable pricing. That simplicity wins in high-ticket categories, such as appliances, where most buyers do not want to be experts.”
How much can you save on appliances at Costco?
It really depends on the type of appliance and brand you’re buying, but you can typically save anywhere from $50 to $150, though sometimes more.
Let’s look at the same GE Double Oven Range with True Convection at both Costco and Home Depot. At Costco, you’ll pay $2,450; however, at the time of publication, the store was running a Spend & Save promotion during which if you spent $1,999 on a qualifying appliance, you’d save $300. That would bring the price down to $2,150. Over at Home Depot, the price is $2,518 (marked down from $2,800). So even without the Costco promotion, the oven is still $68 more expensive at Home Depot.
Now let’s compare the Whirlpool 4.7-Cubic-Foot Top Load Washer with Pretreat Station at Costco and Home Depot. Costo offers this model on sale for $700. At Home Depot, the sale price is $848. That’s a $148 price difference.
What are the other benefits to buying appliances at Costco?
Cost isn’t the only reason you should buy appliances at Costco. Here’s the thing: When you purchase an appliance at Costco, you get all of the customer-service bells and whistles for which the warehouse club is known.
“Costco’s warranty extensions, white-glove delivery and haul-away options turn a $1,700 appliance into a $2,000-plus experience,” Eggersdorfer says. “There’s no extra charge to carry it upstairs, plug it in or remove your old unit. That’s how Costco creates ‘stickiness’ (what leads to repeat purchases). They don’t just sell you the product—they remove the friction that keeps you from going to a competitor the next time you’re in the market for an appliance.”
Are there any downsides to buying appliances at Costco?
Not many, but there are a couple of points worth mentioning. For starters, many of the appliances Costco sells are only available to buy online. So if you want to see them in person or talk to someone about them in person, you may be out of luck. This isn’t to say a customer-service rep isn’t happy to answer your questions over the phone, but if you’re looking for that IRL shopping experience, that may not happen here.
And while Costco offers delivery and installation with the purchase price of an appliance, note that they do use third-party contractors for this. So while you have the reliability of Costco customer service to fall back on, know that there’s always the chance you could end up with a subpar delivery/installation person.
It’s also important to note that while you can usually return anything at any time at Costco, that’s not the case for major appliances. There is a 90-day return window for appliances. This is still pretty generous, as Home Depot and Lowe’s have a 48-hour return policy on major appliances.
Which appliances are your best bet at Costco?
Across Reddit, shoppers rave about their experiences purchasing refrigerators, ovens and washers and dryers from Costco. You can also find deals on small appliances, like microwaves, from well-known names like LG and GE.
Is this type of purchase worth the membership fee?
If you’re purchasing multiple appliances through Costco, then the answer is yes, especially if you have the Executive membership, which gives members 2% cash back on purchases, up to a maximum of $1,250 per year. This means that you’re ultimately saving an additional 2% on those large appliance purchases, on top of the advertised Costco price. Now, 2% might not seem like a lot (for reference, that gives you $20 back on a $1,000 purchase), but it does start to add up. Keep in mind, the membership fee is a key player in how Costco keeps prices so low.
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