Ah, the grocery delivery service. Once upon a time, if you were sitting in your NYC apartment and had a sudden and insatiable urge to whip up a delicious feast that featured scrumptious ingredients like organic butter lettuce or Melegueta pepper, you needed to make the arduous trek out to the good grocery stores (like Gristedes!) in order to pick up your ingredients. Either that, or you were stuck picking up questionable goods at suspect grocery stores around the corner — or settling for takeout. Takeout’s cool, but sometimes, nothing hits the spot like a home-cooked meal.

Enter online grocery stores. Online grocery stores in NYC have made life an absolute dream for people who lead busy lives and are not always able to hoof it over to the grocery store in order to get what they need. New to the idea? Here’s a guide for online grocery services that every New Yorker can use.

Image Source: Flickr/Krissy Venosdale

Online Grocery Delivery Services Rock Because …

• They’re great for last-minute feasts. Let’s say your future in-laws are dropping in, and you want to wow them with chicken marsala, but you’re tied up with work and there’s no time to shop. No worries; the ingredients can be sent to your house within mere hours.

• They’re super convenient. There’s nothing like the satisfaction that comes from feeling the need for thinly sliced prosciutto, pressing a button, and having it show up on your doorstep hours later. Online grocery delivery cuts your errand time in half.

• They’re great for parents. Grocery shopping with young kids is notoriously challenging. But with the help of online shopping services, the days of embarrassing scenes in supermarkets can be history.

Image Source: Flickr/Lucie Bluebird-Lexington

But Sometimes an Online Grocery Delivery Service Isn’t Ideal Because …

• You can’t control the selection. You can’t pick and choose things like the juiciest melons, so you’re at the mercy of whoever selects these items for you. The best services guarantee that you’ll be pleased with your selections and give you the opportunity to change orders that are unsuitable.

• It’s hard to discover new items. This is an issue for those of us who actually love the grocery shopping experience and like to stroll the aisles, drooling over things like fresh, brightly colored produce and the deliciously bizarre goodies at Trader Joe’s. Solve that dilemma by following store-specific blogs (like eatingatjoes.com) or social media accounts so you’re always in the know.
• There’s a fee to use the services. But for many New Yorkers, the cost is arguably well worth the price!

Image Source: Flickr

Online Grocery Delivery Services All New Yorkers Should Know About:

Plated and Blue Apron: These deliver ready-to-cook ingredients for chef-designed meals to your front door.

Freshdirect: The granddaddy of online grocery shops, this beloved company partners with local growers and fishermen to deliver farm-to-table produce to customers (in addition to regular groceries).

Instacart: Fairway, Whole Foods, Costco, and Key Food lovers can order and receive everything from freshly caught mussels to diapers in as little as an hour. The company recently partnered with recipe site Yummly. You can geek out about a recipe and have the ingredients in hand in 60 minutes!

Amazon Fresh: This delivery service delivers things like meals from local restaurants and fresh food from local grocery stores. With limited local coverage at the moment, the company plans to expand to the entire NYC area in 2015.

Google Express: Google has partnered with retailers like Costco, Barnes & Noble, and Toys “R” Us to get you same-day delivery.

Main Image Source: Flickr

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