Online shopping for culinary items requires a bit of a leap of faith. After all, if you can't smell the aroma of a spice or feel the heft of a cast-iron skillet, it can be frustrating. But most of the sites take a lot of the guesswork out, with detailed descriptions and user-friendly customer service centers.
Of the five above, Tavolo.com presented the most pleasant start-to-finish shopping experience, with quick-loading images and graceful presentation. The items arrived in three days, much quicker than the standard. Wine.com is a great site for its depth; you could spend hours creating a virtual wine cellar.
Of course, the Web offers an extensive selection of food-related sites, offering groceries, delicacies, accouterments and cookbooks. Brick-and-mortar stores have found reliable incarnations in sites such as CrateandBarrel.com and Williams-Sonoma.com, offering a more interactive way to "catalogue shop."
DeanandDeluca.com dominates the upscale perishable niche in the market, and can be salvation if you're looking for just the right cheese to give with a specific wine. It's also good for corporate gift baskets. For more downscale fare, spice it up with something from Penzeys.com, an easy-to-use, text-based spice emporium that offers spice baskets ideal for twentysomethings just starting to furnish a kitchen.
Browsing can be unwieldy; you can get lost in online daydreams without moving closer to a goal. Some sites offer gift suggestions, but often there are products that are as good, if not better, deeper in the site.
Because of this, sometimes it makes more sense to shop at more specialized sites, such as Zingermans.com. Michigan alums longing for a taste of Ann Arbor can get a taste of home; the rest of the world can find out just how many great basics-cheese, bread, oil and vinegar-you can stack in an online delicatessen.
-Ann Marchand
Other Category Comparison Charts:
Dep't Stores |
Beauty |
Books |
Clothing |
Computers |
Electronics |
Food |
Movies |
Music |
Toys
Online Holiday Shopping Stories:
Return to the Lead story, or read about:
Decking the Halls With a Mouse;
Avoiding Pitfalls;
Shopbots;
Foreign Purchases;
Online Greetings;
Customizing Gifts;
Comparison Shopping
