December 2006
Mail-order food
For assorted tastes
When Consumer Reports recently tested 11 mail-order food gifts, our testers found a nice assortment of goods, although some of the product lineups
changed considerably over two months of testing. Most arrived within the promised time frame, each had its own personality,
and together they provided a wide choice, from meats and cheeses to fruits and desserts.
Five were judged very good by CR’s sensory testers. All of those had high-quality items and offered distinct traits and festive packaging. The igourmet International Gift Basket, for example, arrived in a copper pannier and had an interesting selection of natural cheeses, Serrano ham, mixed olives, and crackers that would make a festive picnic.
One gift basket, from 1-800-Baskets.com, would have made our list of very good products, but it was discontinued. Two other baskets that we tested, Delightful Gourmet Basket ($74.99) and Gracious Gourmet Basket ($54.99), were too different in content and quality for either to replace it in the Ratings.
Some of the lower-rated offerings had mediocre foods and even some stale items. In the Cherry Moon Farms Classic Gourmet Sampler Tray, for example, sausage tasted more fatty than meaty and some crackers were stale.
The price of holiday cheer can add up: Gift baskets we tested ranged from $42.50 to almost $80; shipping charges can increase that total substantially.
How to Choose
Check our Ratings (available to subscribers) to see the major companies selling baskets and the kinds of foods they typically include. Even if a particular basket or package is no longer available, you can get an idea of what to expect from the mail-order company from the samples we tested.
Many of the businesses assemble gift baskets from products offered by foodmakers instead of producing it themselves; what you get may depend on what is in the warehouse. While some of the gift baskets our testers ordered were changed, from the products to the packaging, in most cases the substitution provided similar quality.
Match the gift to the recipient. Although the mail-order food business has grown in the past several years to include many new items, the offerings we chose to test were heavy on sausage, cheese, and desserts. They might be fine for some of your friends, but others could have health or diet restrictions that would suggest you consider other ideas. Fruits, teas, coffee, and nut selections could be alternatives.
Check the added costs. While a good-quality food basket itself can cost a bushel of money, you might be surprised at how much shipping and handling can add. On a Van’s Gifts package called Case Closed, the shipping and handling (UPS three-day) charges added $29.95, about half the cost of the gift. Our shipping charges varied from $7.90 to $29.95, with most shipped two- to three-day air.
Tracking and customer service. Before you sign off from the Web site or complete your phone order, make sure you have a way to track the shipment. A call to customer service could help in having your gift arrive in time.
Five were judged very good by CR’s sensory testers. All of those had high-quality items and offered distinct traits and festive packaging. The igourmet International Gift Basket, for example, arrived in a copper pannier and had an interesting selection of natural cheeses, Serrano ham, mixed olives, and crackers that would make a festive picnic.
One gift basket, from 1-800-Baskets.com, would have made our list of very good products, but it was discontinued. Two other baskets that we tested, Delightful Gourmet Basket ($74.99) and Gracious Gourmet Basket ($54.99), were too different in content and quality for either to replace it in the Ratings.
Some of the lower-rated offerings had mediocre foods and even some stale items. In the Cherry Moon Farms Classic Gourmet Sampler Tray, for example, sausage tasted more fatty than meaty and some crackers were stale.
The price of holiday cheer can add up: Gift baskets we tested ranged from $42.50 to almost $80; shipping charges can increase that total substantially.
How to Choose
Check our Ratings (available to subscribers) to see the major companies selling baskets and the kinds of foods they typically include. Even if a particular basket or package is no longer available, you can get an idea of what to expect from the mail-order company from the samples we tested.
Many of the businesses assemble gift baskets from products offered by foodmakers instead of producing it themselves; what you get may depend on what is in the warehouse. While some of the gift baskets our testers ordered were changed, from the products to the packaging, in most cases the substitution provided similar quality.
Match the gift to the recipient. Although the mail-order food business has grown in the past several years to include many new items, the offerings we chose to test were heavy on sausage, cheese, and desserts. They might be fine for some of your friends, but others could have health or diet restrictions that would suggest you consider other ideas. Fruits, teas, coffee, and nut selections could be alternatives.
Check the added costs. While a good-quality food basket itself can cost a bushel of money, you might be surprised at how much shipping and handling can add. On a Van’s Gifts package called Case Closed, the shipping and handling (UPS three-day) charges added $29.95, about half the cost of the gift. Our shipping charges varied from $7.90 to $29.95, with most shipped two- to three-day air.
Tracking and customer service. Before you sign off from the Web site or complete your phone order, make sure you have a way to track the shipment. A call to customer service could help in having your gift arrive in time.
