By Stephanie Witt Sedgwick
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, November 22, 1998; Page H5

Instead of mentioning what food and cooking gifts are available through the Internet, it would probably be easier to list what's not.

Foodies can find a vast world of delectables and equipment online – oils, cheese, chef wear, exotic fruits, meats, candies; name a food category and it's there. Long-established catalogue companies ply their wares alongside upstart Web-only merchants. Manufacturers can sell direct, which means that product lines too lengthy to be carried in stores are suddenly available. It's a smorgasbord.

If food gifts are on your list, follow a few rules. Avoid items that will suffer from sitting on a doorstep all day – frozen sausages or ice creams, even when packed in dry ice, will deteriorate if you fail to arrive home when expected. In any case, make sure you have an idea of when the gift will be delivered. And with perishable items, stick to companies with reputations for good shipping practices. Small start-up companies may still be working out the kinks.

Also, when you can buy directly from the source, do just that. Usually either the price or the shipping charges will be lower.

Prices and shipping charges vary tremendously. Take advantage and shop around, but make sure that the disparity in charges doesn't reflect a genuine difference in quality. Farmhouse cheddars are not all the same. Cookware from a single manufacturer may be made in different grades. For example, All-Clad offers several lines, all with their own pricing. Overnight shipping should cost more. Ditto gift baskets or special packaging.

Want Florida citrus? Try Cushman's (www.honeybell.com), which has been shipping high-quality fruit from Florida for years. The store ships a variety of oranges, grapefruits and honeybells, a not-to-be-missed cross between a Dancy tangerine and a Duncan grapefruit.

For exotic fruits and vegetables, try Frieda's Inc. (www.friedas. com). This supplier of specialty fruit, vegetables and grains to supermarkets and gourmet stores offers unique baskets featuring exotic fruit, squash, tropical fruits and dried mushrooms, among other items.

Cheese is always a winner. It ships wonderfully. Order individual cheeses or sign a friend up for a cheese-of-the-month subscription at the International Gourmet's World of Cheese Club (www. igourmet.com). Or try Balducci's (www.balducci.com). Balducci's is a New York store offering many foods, including Italian favorites – order some prosciutto to go with the homemade mozzarella sampler. Dean & Deluca has a very easy-to-use site (www.dean-deluca.com) that features cheese along with a wide variety of specialty foods. Make-your-own types will love gifts from the New England Cheesemaking Supply Co. (www. cheesemaking.com).

Equipment is another winner. Ordered from the Web, there's no need to face the mob at the local stores. KitchenAid has one of the best sites (www.kitchenaid.com), where you can buy your favorite foodie a mixer, blender, accessories and the like. It arrives at the doorstep of your choice in seven to 10 days.

Professional equipment, including tools and apparel, is available at Cooke's Edge (www. cookesedge.com). And for one-stop shopping for pots, pans, bakeware and the like, visit the Cooking.com site (www.cooking.com).