ORDERS PLACED AFTER 12:00 P.M. PST WILL NOT BE PROCESSED UNTIL THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY.
 

ChefShop.com Gourmet Food Zone Map:
You can see your shipping options and choose which shipping option you want during checkout on the shipping page.

Shocked by the cost of shipping? Be really shocked—click here to see the retail published rates with UPS.

ChefShop.com Flat-Fee Shipping: We have a "flat" fee for shipping UPS ground packages within the "continental" United States (referring to the lower 48, the 48 contiguous states of North America—sorry, Alaska and Hawaii. For info on Alaska, Hawaii, and international shipping, see below).

The flat rate is $10.99 for up to 11 pounds of ship-weight or dimensional-weight*—whichever is more. The more items you buy, the lower the per-item cost. However, bulky items may have a heavier "dimensional weight" if they are airy or bulky products.

This pricing is subject to change at any time because our costs change constantly.

The details on how it works: So, what does this mean?

It means that if you buy one small, lightweight item, like Dark Ancho Chile Powder, shipping won't be a good deal. In fact, if you ask us, we would encourage you not to order one small item. Unless you are panicked and need the item for a special recipe or a cooking competition, like the chef in New Zealand who needed one jar of red olives (we overnighted it to him!), we just don't recommend placing small, light orders.

On the other hand, if you add more items to your order, flat-fee shipping becomes a pretty good deal for you (and us too).

The shipping and handling charge is determined through a combination of weight, volume (dimension), package costs, and where it's going. Though we rarely charge handling fees, it can happen, and don't worry—you need to approve before we do!

Shipping to Alaska, Hawaii, or Outside US: Yes, we ship internationally (and to Hawaii and Alaska) too. But pricing is hard to predict.

We only use the US Post Office (USPS) to ship outside the continental US unless you specially request otherwise.

So, make sure you select USPS when checking out to get the best price. BUT ALSO, if we can get a better price, or if your items fit in a flat-rate box, we will do our best to charge less than the amount on your original order—and will make adjustments before finalizing the order.

If you have a hard time setting up an international account (which happens frequently...), feel free to call (206.286.9988) or email (shopkeeper@chefshop.com), and we can help you.

Transit Time: Shipping time is determined by the day your box is shipped (when it leaves the warehouse, not when you place your order). The day that determines how long it will take to get to you. Read on to see how the shipping companies count.

Ground shipping takes 7 to 11 days depending on location and how far you are from Seattle. If shipped on Monday, your package will arrive the following Monday—unless you live in Seattle, then you will get it the next day. Be sure to check the zone map; some places are quick! Click here to see the Zone Map.

2 DAY AIR - arrives on the third day. If shipped on Monday, it will arrive on Wednesday.

NEXT DAY AIR - arrives on the second day. If shipped on Monday, it will arrive on Tuesday.

We cannot guarantee shipping times to you, as they are estimates. There are too many variables outside of our control. This includes, but is not limited to, the weather, the shipping carrier, and incorrect ship-to addresses.

How We Are Billed by United Parcel Service: Additional Charges

Our pricing is based on the UPS DIM (Dimensional) pricing system. A confusing but simple comparison of actual weight versus dimensional weight. A few things you should know:

Actual weights are rounded UP to the closest pound.

Dimensional weight is calculated by using the cubic size of the box used to ship your items, divided by a "DIM Divider” then the "DIM Weight" is rounded up to the nearest pound. Whichever "weight" is larger (actual weight vs dimensional weight) is the "weight" we are billed for.

BOTTOM LINE: Estimating the weight of a complete order is more an art than a science. It's not as simple as putting a product on the scale and putting the weight of the product in the system—it requires measurements, plus the addition of weight and bulk to cover the weight and bulk of the packaging material. We do our best to make sure product "weights" in the system reflect the "weight" that we will get charged—but we are not always perfect.

Note that we will never do "free shipping"—because sadly we don't have a billion-dollar server business to subsidize our shipping costs any more than we already do with our flat-rate shipping policy. There is no such thing as free shipping, you pay for it somehow.

The UPS Add-ons:

All packages also have "additional" charges based on service type and delivery location. These include:
Fuel surcharges—which change and are updated monthly.
For detailed information about Fuel Surcharges, click here.
Residential surcharges—which vary, start at $2.90 for ground, $3.40 for air, and up per package.
Special location, Extended surcharges—vary from $2 to $48.

Changes of Address:
Everyone makes mistakes from time to time. We are as likely as anyone to get the ship-to address wrong. If you notice that you have made a mistake, please contact us right away. Hopefully, we can make the change before the order leaves our warehouse. If the package has left our warehouse, then that's a different story. Correcting those mistakes costs us not only time but money.

UPS charges us at least $17 every time we have to call and re-route a package.

So, we encourage everyone to make sure that the ship-to address listed on the order is correct and complete. If not, we reserve the right to pass that UPS surcharge onto you. Of course, if it is our mistake, we will not charge you for re-routing your package. Typically, this does not happen as we do not change the information once you enter it on the website.

About Our Search for the Perfect Packing Material, or...

We use a specialized paper to pack with now. Finally!

We also use peanuts because we rather re-use what comes to us in boxes of products than put them in the landfill. Thankfully we rarely see them anymore.

A quick response to why we don't use...
Cornstarch Peanuts: rodents love to eat them; when they get wet they're like little glue blobs everywhere; and when they're crushed flat (like when we ship heavier items—such as olive oil), they do not "come back," leaving lots of empty space inside the box for those precious bottles of olive oil to rattle around and break. Some now even have rodent deterrent chemicals on them—another word for "poison."
Air Systems: mostly not suitable for what we ship, and the machines required use virgin/newly manufactured plastic.
Call for Help! Have you seen a packing material that knocked your socks off and think we could use it? Let us know, as we are always looking for the next best option!
If we like and use your idea/find, you'll get free shipping for a year!
Click here to see the Zone Map.