What Is Zingerman's and How Do I Order Food and Gifts Online?

Zingerman's is an online food and gift retailer (zingermans.com) that ships gourmet items—bread, cheese, meat, pastry, olive oil, vinegar, and pantry goods—anywhere in America through its Mail Order service. You order by browsing the site, adding items to your cart, and checking out; shipping cost and speed depend on which shipping method you choose and how much you spend. This guide covers what's for sale, how ordering works, and how to read the shipping rules before you buy.

What Zingerman's sells

The catalog is organized into browsable categories rather than a single product list:

• Gifts — gift boxes and gift cards
• Bread & Pastry
• Sweets
• Cheese
• Meat & Fish
• Pantry
• Oil & Vinegar
• Made By Us — items produced in-house

Two curated sections are worth knowing about:

• New Food Finds — a rotating selection of recent discoveries from small food makers. Examples currently listed include Olive Oil Truck Frantoio Olive Oil ($49, ships flat rate), Annatto (Achiote) Sauce ($12, ships flat rate), and Shagbark Hickory Bacon ($22, ships flat rate).
• Made in Michigan — the company's favorite foods from its home state, spanning breads, pastries, cheeses, meats, jams, and nut butters.

There is also a Quarterly Olive Oil Club ($350, free relaxed shipping) for recurring olive oil deliveries.

How to place an order

1. Create an account or sign in. The site has My Account and Sign In links in the header; you can also shop and check out as a guest if the option is offered at checkout.
2. Add items to your cart. Use the Cart link to review. Product pages show a "Quick Look" option for a fast preview.
3. Choose a shipping method at checkout. This is the step that determines both your cost and your delivery window (see the next section).
4. Enter one or more shipping addresses. Zingerman's supports shipping to multiple addresses, but shipping is charged per address—not per order.
5. Pay and confirm. Faster shipping or a future delivery date can be selected during checkout.

If you're buying for someone else, a gift card is the simplest option when you don't know their preferences; gift boxes work better when you want the food itself to arrive as the gift.

Understanding shipping: methods, cost, and timing

Shipping is the part most likely to surprise you, because Zingerman's charges per address and prices vary widely by method. The table below summarizes the published rates.

Key points to keep in mind:

• Cost is per address. If you ship to three people, you pay the shipping charge three times, even in a single order.
• Tiers are based on merchandise total, not order total. For the 2 Business Day and 1 Business Day methods, the percentage tiers (25% and 40%) apply once merchandise exceeds $150.
• Flat Rate is the predictable choice. At $12.99 per address with a 1–4 business day window, it's the easiest method to budget for, and it stays $12.99 as you add more flat-rate items.
• Free methods exist but are slower or conditional. Free Relaxed takes 1–4 business days; Free 2 Business Day is faster but applies only to qualifying items.
• Faster or scheduled delivery is available. The site notes you can ship faster or choose a later delivery date, with all options shown at checkout.

Choosing between shipping options

• Best for a single gift on a budget: Flat Rate at $12.99 per address.
• Best when you're not in a hurry: Free Relaxed, especially if you're already ordering Free Relaxed or Flat Rate items.
• Best when timing matters: 2 Business Day or 1 Business Day—but check the tier, since a $160 merchandise order ships at 25% (2-day) or 40% (1-day) of that total.
• Best for multiple recipients: Compare the per-address cost against sending separate orders; the per-address rule applies either way.

Practical tips before you check out

• Confirm the transit time you're selecting matches when the recipient will actually be home to receive perishables.
• If you're sending to several addresses, total up the per-address shipping before committing—it changes the real cost of the gift.
• Look for the "ships for flat rate" label on product pages; those items are the ones that keep your Flat Rate shipping at $12.99 no matter how many you add.
• For recurring gifts, the Quarterly Olive Oil Club includes free relaxed shipping, which can offset its $350 price compared with buying the same oil separately.