My online grocer never misses a beat

Image via CrunchBase

 
When you can't find it in stores, when you didn't know it existed or when you want to save time and money, you'll find some delightful food items at Amazon.com. I've set up Subscribe & Save shipments for coconut water, green tea with mint, soy bars that taste like cake and other items, which arrive like clockwork. Shipping is free.

A couple of years ago, I ordered Stash Moroccan mint green tea, and it reminded me of the tea served in that North African country -- where the glass is stuffed with fresh mint leaves. Now, I receive six,  20-count boxes every three months. We have this tea after dinner almost every night.


My wife loves pure coconut water, and we've tried two brands --Zico and, lately, O.N.E. The latter is slightly larger and cheaper, and we receive 12 containers once a month.


We're trying a few new items: SOYJOY bars, organic goji berries and chia seeds.


We get 24 cake-like soy and berry bars once a month. They're just over 1-ounce for about 90 cents each. These bars make great snacks during family excursions or at home.


I've only ordered red goji berries and black-and-white chia seeds once, and have used them together to make a tasty and colorful oatmeal. The former -- called Himalayan super fruit -- are dry and bitter, but soften and taste better in hot cereal. The latter are labeled Aztec super food, and probably could be added to cold cereal and smoothies as well as oatmeal.

They are expensive -- $12 a pound. I was scheduled to receive them again in a week, but decided to skip that shipment. With Subscribe & Save, you have the freedom to skip the next shipment, speed up a shipment or end your subscription at any time.


In the past, I've tried and canceled organic blue corn tortilla chips and Bigelow green tea with mint, slightly cheaper but not the equal of the Stash version. And non-food items are available as well.


When I had trouble finding Breathe Right snore-relief throat strips consistently, I started a subscription every two months that keeps peace in the bedroom. 

I also turned to Amazon.com when ShopRite stopped selling Newman's Own organic black tea, but had to buy six, 100-count boxes.


These food and non-food items are special, and they're nice to have around. The one issue I have is all the packaging Amazon.com uses. The coconut water containers, for example, are in a box already, but they are put into a larger box and air-filled plastic bags are added for cushioning.  It's good that I'm fanatical about recycling.