Help

The short answer - we'll take care of any issue that comes up, and we'll never ask you to return anything. If you have a problem, please email service@zingermans.com or call 888.636.8162. Need a quick answer? Text 734.436.2006 and we'll help!

For the long answer, read more about our Returnless Guarantee below.

If you experience a problem with any of our products, customer service, shipping — or even if you just plain don't like how it tastes — please let us know. We'll do whatever it takes to make it right for you. And we'll never ask you to return anything.

Customer service is our passion, our charge and our mission. Stuff happens. Things go wrong. We consider it an honor when you let us help fix a problem.

The Entire Experience Counts

Our guarantee doesn’t just cover food. We ensure your satisfaction with every part of your experience with Zingerman’s. From picking up the phone, to the first mouse click on your computer, until you finish the last bite of bread—If you aren’t completely satisfied with every part of the journey please contact us. We want to hear about the problem. We’d love the opportunity to make you happy.

The Only Policy is: Whatever it Takes

We don't have any "policies." No "if this happened, then we'll do that." We do what you want. If you'd like us to refund the order, consider it done, simply let us know! Want us to replace it? Absolutely! Want something else instead? Sounds great – let's find something tasty. Just want to talk and give us some suggestions for improvement? Thank you, we'll listen!

Everyone is Covered

You’re the recipient, not the buyer? Doesn’t matter! We want everyone to be delighted by our food and service. If anything is wrong, please contact us so we can make things right.

The Only Taste That Counts is Yours

If you don’t like how it tastes, that’s good enough for us. We’ll refund your hard earned cash or send you something you’d enjoy more.No Supervisors

Every one of our staff is authorized to do whatever it takes to make it right for you. While we welcome any requests to speak to a supervisor, manager or owner, you never have to pull rank in order to get things taken care of at Zingerman's.

On Time Arrival

We guarantee your order will arrive on or before the day you select. We know you often rely on the food to make a birthday special or a dinner come off without a hitch. If shipping gets in the way we promise we’ll cover you.

No Returns Necessary

We never ask you to return anything. That means you can shop with us and try something new without worrying you'll have to re-pack the box and send it back if you don't like it.

No Statute of Limitations

We don’t care when the problem occurred. We’ll refund or replace anything no matter when we let you down.

You can choose to check out as a guest if you don’t want to create an account. Choose the Continue as Guest option when you add items to your cart and click the Checkout button. But, there are benefits to creating an account and logging in to place orders:

• You’ll earn points towards a Zingerman’s Gift Card in our Frequent Foodie program
• You’ll be able to ship to multiple addresses in one order
• You can view all your previous orders in your Order History and re-order with just a few clicks

Yes, but for your security please call us at 888.636.8162 or send us an email at service@zingermans.com and we will help you update your user name. 

No. We include a packing slip that lists the products you purchased but not how much they cost.

The value of your gift stays a secret, between you, me, and your credit card company. We don't include catalogs in gift boxes, either.

Yes, you can! You need to have an account with us to ship to multiple recipients in one order. Simply sign in, fill your basket with goodies, and you will see a Ship to Multiple Recipients option on Select the Recipient page. 

If you do not have an account, this is a good time to create one! You can do it before you place your order or when you fill you basket and start checking out. 

All Zingermans.com transactions take place on a secure server. Your information is encrypted before it is sent through the Internet.

We have partnered with Authorize.Net to accept credit cards safely and securely for our customers. The Authorize.Net payment gateway manages the complex routing of sensitive customer information through the electronic credit card processing networks.

The company adheres to strict industry standards for payment processing, including:

• 128-bit Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology for secure Internet Protocol (IP) transactions.

• Industry leading encryption hardware and software methods and security protocols to protect customer information.

• Compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).

If you don't feel comfortable sending your credit card information over the Internet, no problem. Call 888.636.8162 and we will happily take care of your order over the phone.

We know personal information is a sensitive issue. We take your privacy very seriously. To that end, we have a privacy policy that we live by.

If you would like to unsubscribe from our email list click here.

If you would like to stop receiving any paper mail (like catalogs) from us email service@zingermans.com.

If you would like to opt out of having any of your data shared, please write us at service@zingermans.com.

If you would like us to delete your account and all its accompanying data, please write us at service@zingermans.com.

We want our website to be accessible to everyone. We have worked to meet web accessibility guidelines, including:

• Making our site usable by assistive technologies such as screen readers
• Making our fonts and colors clear to read
• Adding alt text to images
• Adding captions and descriptive audio to videos
• Making our buttons and graphics high contrast
• Judiciously using easily closed modals, and no pop-ups
• Making all pages scalable
• Clearly labeling all forms
• Clearly positioning all error messages

While we are glad to have taken these steps to make our site more accessible, we believe there's always room for improvement. If you have any feedback or suggestions as to how we could improve the accessibility of this website, please don't hesitate to contact us on the phone at 888.636.8162, or by email at service@zingermans.com.

Accessibility assistance

If you have difficulty using or accessing any element of this website please feel free to call us at 888.636.8162 or email service@zingermans.com. We will work with you to provide the information, item, or transaction you seek through a communication method that is accessible for you.

Yes! When you check out you can choose the arrival date you'd like. We'll make sure it is delivered no later than that date. 

Our default is generally to ship right away to arrive within a few days, but you can adjust that however you need. Want it there ASAP? We can expedite it! Want to buy it now but ship it later? We can do that too! We can place an order today and schedule it to ship a day later, a week later, a month later—you name the date. You can't choose an arrival date in the past because we have not yet been able to perfect time travel.

To choose a future date, you’ll click "Use our interactive calendar to choose from more future arrival dates" on the page with your shipping options. That will open a calendar where you can advance to any future month by clicking the arrow > in the upper right.

We guarantee that your package will arrive on or before the date you choose. The arrival date is the latest possible delivery date in a delivery window. Depending on the shipping method, your package may arrive slightly earlier than the date you pick. 

Flat Rate & Relaxed packages have 1-4 business day delivery window. The package could arrive in 1, 2, 3 or 4 business days. That means it could arrive one to three business days before the "on or before" arrival date.

Two Business Day packages have a 1-2 business day delivery window. The package could arrive in 1 day or it might take 2. That means it could arrive one business day before the "on or before" arrival date.

One Business Day Overnight packages are guaranteed to arrive on the selected arrival date. 

What if I need a smaller delivery window?

You can choose to upgrade your shipping to either Two Business Day or One Business Day Overnight shipping to have more control over when your box is likely to arrive. 

Our carriers deliver any day of the week except Sunday. Saturday delivery is available in most areas, but not all.

We cannot always offer a Monday delivery because some perishable products can't travel over the weekend.

When you check out, you’ll see all the available delivery dates and the corresponding shipping charges for the items in your shipment.

Which method your food ships depends on the food and the shipping method you chose. We always expedite more perishable foods, like breads and fresh cheeses, to ensure that they arrive in great shape.

To ship to Alaska and Hawaii, add $10 and one day in transit to each of these rates. Learn more about shipping to Alaska and Hawaii.

Four Business Day Relaxed

Shipments arrive within four business days. We say business days because, if a weekend is involved, an extra two days are tacked on. 

Two Business Day

Shipments will arrive within two business days. We say "within" because sometimes the UPS or FedEx hit turbo boost and the box arrives in just one day. These almost never get weekends tacked on like the Relaxed method above because if a perishable item needs 2 day shipping, tacking on a weekend won't work. This means, for the most part, we only ship 2 day orders on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. If you place your 2 day order after 5pm ET on Wednesday we will ship it out the following Monday to arrive by the following Wednesday. 

Two Day Saturday 

Shipments will arrive on Saturday. If you place your order by 5pm ET on Thursday, we will ship it to arrive the same week. If you place your order after 5pm ET on Thursday, we will ship it the following week for delivery on the following Saturday. 

One Business Day

Shipments will arrive within one business day. If you place your order by 5pm ET on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, we default to ship your box the same day for arrival the next day. If you place your order after 5pm ET, we will default to ship your box the next possible business day (e.g. if you place your order after 5pm on Thursday when Thursday boxes have flown the coop, we will ship your box the following Monday to arrive the following Tuesday). 

One Business Day Priority 

Shipment arrives by 1pm in most areas, may arrive as late as 5pm. It's an option for most zip codes but not all. 

Priority Overnight Saturday

Ships Friday for Saturday arrival. It's an option for most zip codes but not all. 

Wherever you see Ships for Flat Rate the item is eligible for $12.99 flat rate shipping.

The charge is per address. You can order as many flat rate items as you'd like and pay one flat rate. When you check out you'll learn when the items will arrive (usually 4 business days at most).

If you need it there quicker, you can choose to upgrade to our guaranteed 1 or 2 business day service when you check out.

Foods that ship flat rate are okay to spend up to a week in transit (believe me, we've tested!). Unfortunately, some more perishable foods are not able to ship flat rate, like bread, so we ship those foods via Two Business Day Service.

From late September to the end of March, you can skip right past this FAQ entry.

From early April to mid September, we charge $10 additional shipping cost per shipping address for boxes shipping via Two Business Day Delivery with foods like cheese, meat and chocolate (but there's no additional charge for Flat Rate or Overnight shipping). That's the Warm Weather Care.

The Warm Weather Care includes dry ice and ice packs added to insulated envelopes, jute coolers, or Evergreen pouches to protect perishable, meltable food in transit. Even if it isn't too warm at the recipient's address, it's hot in delivery trucks and warehouses. The extra packaging can be recycled or reused on picnics or road trips.

We can ship to Alaska and Hawaii. Shipments to these two states cost $10 extra per address.

There are some quirks about shipping to these two states.

Flat Rate Shipping takes up to five business days

For our non-perishable foods that qualify for Flat Rate Shipping, the extra day in transit won't make a difference.

Two Days takes Three Days

Shipping by Two Business Day Service to Alaska and Hawaii takes three days. Not all our foods can last three days in transit. If your cart contains a food that won't make it in three days, we'll require One Business Day Overnight Service (that's what our carriers call it, but it may actually take two business days to arrive).

5pm Tuesday Deadline for delivery in the same week

We don't ship Two Business Day packages over the weekend in order to protect the food. That means the deadline for a same-week delivery to Alaska or Hawaii is Tuesday, 5pm Eastern Time. Orders placed by 5pm ET on Tuesday can ship that same day to arrive by Friday.

Very Rural Exceptions

Shipping by Two Business Day isn't available to all parts of either state. In those cases we must ship by Priority Overnight. That service is not guaranteed to take one business day, however. I know, it confuses us, too. But we're here to help you sort this out: call us at 888.636.8162 or text 734.436.2006 and we'll help.

We can send food to all 50 states and Washington D.C. Unfortunately, we can't send Zingerman's internationally—not even just across the border to Canada or Mexico.

We'd like to help you find someone who can help you. Email service@zingermans.com or call 888.636.8162 or text 734.436.2006 and we can help.

We can't ship perishable products to P.O. Boxes, unfortunately. Our carriers can't deliver to them.

If you have non-perishables (things in bottles or tins, usually) we can often send them by USPS to a P.O. Box. Please give us a ring at 888.636.8162 or text 734.436.2006 and we can help you.

If you're concerned that all you have is a P.O. Box, we can ship to a UPS Store or a Fed Ex office in the recipient’s area and they can pick it up. We could also ship it to a work address or to a neighbor (if they promise not to gobble up all the food!).

We can ship a limited selection of foods to APO and FPO addresses via the United States Postal Service Priority Mail. We cannot take these orders online but are very happy to help you by phone at 888.636.8162 or text us 734.436.2006 and we'll help.

As you choose your foods, keep a few things in mind.

It can take up to two weeks for delivery.
The USPS doesn't guarantee delivery within a certain time frame, so sending perishables is too risky.
We cannot send meats, cheeses, breads, coffees, and most baked goods.
Glass bottles and jars are also risky for breakage as these packages tend to get very rough treatment.
Per address, shipping charges are estimated USPS rates.

Absolutely! Picking up your order at our warehouse is free, so it can save some money by skipping the shipping cost. Our warehouse is located at 720 Phoenix Drive in Ann Arbor, MI. You can choose “pick up from our warehouse” online during checkout or give us a call at 888.636.8162.

If you’d like to minimize the packaging (no ice packs, no corrugate, no air pillows, no shipping box), then we can pack your order in a bag for you to grab and go. Just reply to your order confirmation email and ask for your pick-up order to be packed in a bag.

Local delivery in the Ann Arbor, MI area is available in two ways:

1.  Order online and use our standard delivery options. This is the cheapest method for most orders.

2.  If you'd prefer to use our local courier we can arrange that by phone at 888.636.8162 or by text at 734.436.2006.

In the wee hours of the morning the night after your box ships, we'll send a tracking email to you. From that email, you can click through to track your package on the carrier's website. You can also cut and paste the tracking number into the carrier's website directly.

If you have an account on our website, you can also track your package once it has shipped by logging into your account, going to My Account, and then going to your Order History. Choose the order you want to track and you'll find tracking information right at your fingertips.

There are a couple of exceptions to this rule. If you order gift cards or books, they'll ship via USPS, and there won't be any tracking information.

We seek traditionally made foods with full flavor. Foods that have been part of people's eating for a long time, or newer foods that are made with traditional methods. (Of course there are always exceptions. We make sure the exceptions are also very delicious!)

We keep our selection tight and focused. We want to help you find what you're looking for faster and easier. We taste thousands of different foods each year, selecting only dozens, so we can narrow down to what we think is the tastiest.

Know something you'd like us to stock? We'd love to hear about it! If you have a food that you would like to share with us, please email Brad Hedeman at bhedeman@zingermans.com.

Zingerman's is not a Kosher deli or bakery. We do sell some Kosher items made by others, however.

Usually, yes! Please call 888.636.8162 or text 734.436.2006 or email service@zingermans.com.

We do not wholesale products we do not make. We'd be happy to help you find a source for them, however. Email us or ring 888.636.8162 or text 734.436.2006 and we'll do our best. 

If you're interested in what we do make we'd love to talk. Visit any of our wholesale business websites to learn more.

Zingerman's Bakehouse
Hearth-baked breads and traditional pastries.

Zingerman's Candy Manufactory
Old fashioned candy bars and confections.

Zingerman's Coffee Company
Varietal coffees, roasted in small batches.

Zingerman's Creamery
Fresh and aged artisan cheeses.

Heat before you eat

Even though your Zingerman’s bread may feel hard upon arrival it’s almost magical how well it returns to that “fresh-baked” status with a little time in the oven. Crispy, thick crust; soft, chewy crumb inside.

Starting with frozen bread? Let it defrost on the counter for 30 minutes, then follow these same directions.

Here’s how to make the magic happen:

1. Take the bread out of the bag
2. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees
3. Throw half, whole, or part of the loaf on the oven rack naked
4. Leave it til it's hot the whole way through--about 15 minutes
5. Take time to smell the roses, or, better, the sensual aroma coming out of your oven
6. Eat your loaf

To slice or not to slice

We recommend you slice loaves as you go. It keeps the mother loaf solid which protects it from drying. If you get on a roll and slice the whole loaf--or more than your guests eat--store slices in a plastic bag at room temperature but keep the unsliced loaf in paper.

Short term loaf storage

Store your loaf in its paper bag out of reach of hungry husbands, wily wives, clever kids. Don't put it in the fridge, it'll wreak havoc on the texture. If your loaf is sliced it's best to wrap it in a plastic bag so it doesn't dry out.

Freeze for longer life

If you don't plan on eating your bread right away, double bag the loaf--or part of it--in plastic and freeze. When you're ready to enjoy it remove the plastic bags and follow the heating steps above.

If you had a conversation with your cheese it might declare a preference for weather more akin to winter in London than summer in Greece: moist and cool. We try to keep the cheeses accommodated in transit until they return to a place they like—your fridge—but during the trip things are a bit out of our control. These are handmade cheeses that many people aren't used to seeing so it might mean you have a few questions. Here are some answers to those most frequently asked. Got a question that's not answered here? Please give us a ring at 888.636.8162!

Is it safe to eat?

Cheese is an ancient way to preserve extra milk. It's been made for centuries, long before we could extend fresh milk's life with refrigeration. A little warmth is something it's built to handle. Your cheese may be strong, intense, delicious, but it won't hurt you. Dig in and enjoy! If you have any concerns, though, don't hesitate to ring us.

How should I store it?

Cheeses love temperatures around 50 degrees, but chances are it didn't travel at that temperature. In winter it is cooler. In summer, hotter. Don't worry, cheese is durable. It won't go bad. Place it in the door of your refrigerator soon. That's usually the spot closest to 50 degrees. (The freezer will damage your cheese. Save that compartment for bread & pastries.)

After we hand-cut each piece of cheese to order in our cheese cave, we pack them in bags made of special cheese paper. The paper allow the cheese to breathe which helps it to maintain great flavor. Keep the cheese in that bag in your fridge to help it keep better for longer.

How should I serve it?

Give your cheese 20 to 30 minutes to come to room temperature before you serve it. It makes a world of difference, the flavors become fuller.

What's that smell?

When you open a wrapped piece of cheese that's been closed in a box for two days the aroma can be overwhelming. The tight quarters don't let it breathe well. Don't worry. Give it a half hour of fresh air when you want to eat it. It will smell sweet and nutty.

What's that oil?

That's just moisture leaking out. Cheesemongers call it weeping, which sounds sad, but it's natural and there's no need for condolences. Just wipe your wedge with a cloth.

What's up with the dark edge on the cheese?

That's partly due to air reaching it, partly due to a bit of natural weeping. It concentrates the cheese's flavor. It's edible, munch away!

All of our pastries and coffee cakes are baked without preservatives. You'll want to eat them soon (generally by the best-by date on the package), or...

Short term storage

Almost all of our pastries and coffee cakes are happy at room temperature for a few days or more wrapped in plastic, be it the packaging they arrived in or a bag at home. Avoid the refrigerator, it can ruin the texture.

Long term storage

All of our baked goods freeze well. You can store them in the freezer in their original packaging or, if they've been opened, double wrapping in plastic bags will do the trick.

After the freezer

Let them defrost at room temperature in plastic. That's all you need to do--though with some pastries like scones, a little time in an oven will make them extra delicious.

Your salami may have a natural, sticky white mold on it and that's OK. It's what helped it age and get so flavorful. It's edible, but you can also wash it off with a bit of vinegar and water if you'd like. If a little mold returns in time it's a good sign.

We don't necessarily ship salami with ice packs. It's OK, the salami is totally safe. It's cured so it's healthy and happy at warm temperatures. To prolong its life at home keep it refrigerated. But hours or even days at warmer temperatures won't harm it a bit.

Absolutely! We love to customize. We have a selection of boxes you can customize online. If you'd like to change one ingredient in another box, or create a gift box from scratch, we can help with that, too. We can even include your own materials or logos, if you like.

Ring 888.636.8162 or text 734.436.2006 and we'll take care of you.

For many reasons we recommend using our recipes, especially for gift baskets, since they're designed to look nice upon arrival. But we understand there are many special needs you may have. We want to help!

Call toll free Phones re-open at 9am ET today. 888.636.8162

International call (the local number in Ann Arbor): +1 734.477.6986

Text  734.436.2006

Email service@zingermans.com

Fax (We dig the sound it makes): 734.477.6988

Mail (Secret admirers and love notes welcome)
Zingerman's Mail Order
610 Phoenix Drive
Ann Arbor, MI 48108

Fill in this form. We'll put a catalog in the mail that you'll receive in the next couple months. In the meantime, you can check out our current catalog online. 

Subscribe here.

Zingerman's E-news comes out once or twice a week, on average. We share new food finds and offer deals for shopping online you won't find anywhere else.

To unsubscribe from future paper mailings from Zingerman's please click here to start an email and send us the following information:

We need your first and last name as well as your address as it's printed on the catalog.

To be extra sure, you can include the customer # printed on the back of the catalog.

We will confirm your request by email. We may mail one or two more catalogs before the change goes into effect at our mail house.

If you'd like to stop mailings from other catalogs you can do that here.

Yes, absolutely. Zingerman's specializes in delicious custom food gifts for any size gift list. If you have one, one hundred, or one thousand clients, we can help.

Your corporate gifts are handled by your own personal shopping concierge. Order in advance; we guarantee arrival by the date you want.

Featuring:

• Concierge service. One person guides your order from beginning to end
• Personal items, gift cards or logos
• Guaranteed arrival dates
• Holiday discounts

Learn more here.

Call 866.260.6169

Email bizgifts@zingermans.com

At Zingerman’s, we define diversity as an inclusive work environment in which all individuals are welcomed, treated respectfully and fairly, have equal access to opportunities and resources, and can contribute fully to the organization’s success. We are a place where we can be ourselves at work, bringing our uniqueness to the business while fulfilling our work duties. This culture guides us in all of our programming, processes, policies, and decision-making so that our practices are in alignment with our vision. We have an expectation that everyone in our organization acts with the belief that we are richer in creative resources and energies because we function as a team of people from all backgrounds, orientations and experiences. 

If you spend enough to earn a prize we'll let you know. It's that easy! All you have to do is log into a web account so we can keep track of your points.

You will rack up Frequent Foodie points by eating your way through our catalog and website. Every dollar you spend — on yourself or as a gift purchase — counts towards a Zingerman's Gift Card. Frequent Foodie qualifying period is October 1 to September 30 of the following year. 

Zingerman's gives to a variety of causes. Our main philanthropic mission is to help end hunger in Washtenaw County, Michigan. We founded Food Gatherers in 1988 and continue to give them the majority of our philanthropic and volunteer support, regardless of the level of our profits.

If you have a contribution request for your organization you can learn more about our giving and request a donation here.

Ian Nagy has been an illustrator at Zingerman's for 25 years. He's an avid fan of outsider and children's art. His influences include Kate Uleman, Ben Shahn, Matisse, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Gary Panter and that of his family; mother, sister and father. A concise history of his work and more images at www.iannagy.com.

Our website and catalog also includes drawings by Ryan Stiner, Lynette Christian, Britney Leal, Alyssa Olson, Nick Jaroch, Raúl Peña, William Charley, Kate Uleman, Phil Stead and Adam Forman.

Zingerman's shopping website and catalog primary authors are:

Mo Frechette moeats@zingermans.com
Brad Hedeman bhedeman@zingermans.com
Val Neff-Rasmussen vneff-rasmussen@zingermans.com
Alex Hall-Ruiz ahallruiz@zingermans.com
Ari Weinzweig ari@zingermans.com

Catalog & Print Design

• Jason Ujvari
• Patty Rivera

Editorial Team

• Jackie Evers
• Brad Hedeman
• Pattie Miller
• Mo Frechette
• Alex Hall-Ruiz

Web Development & Testing

• Irene Davison
• Akram Alsamarae
• Philip Nelson
• Shailesh Humbad
• Craig Grant

Director

• Val Neff-Rasmussen

Yes, Zingerman's Mail Order has an affiliate program on Awin for media, editorial publications, and bloggers to partner with us to earn commission payments. Apply on Awin.