Ordering Steaks Online? What you need to consider before you buy!

Buying steaks online is becoming popular way for consumers to get top quality beef at a reasonable price, especially for high quantity orders. The market is increasing daily as specialty gourmet stores and butcher shops realize the benefit of having a wider distribution for their products. One of the most important considerations for consumers is the schedule and method of shipping, since beef products must remain refrigerated until ready to cook to avoid being contaminated by bacteria such as e-coli. Customers should schedule delivery for times when they are at home, or soon to be home, and refrigerate their product as soon as possible. To determine the quality of the steaks, comparison shopping is crucial. Check competing websites for details on their steaks' quality, and assure that their products have received top grading by the FDA. The USDA Select is low quality because because it has a low fat content and is not as juicy and tender. USDA Choice -- the most widely used in food service -- has a better fat content, but does not have top quality marbling. USDA Prime only represents about 3 percent of the total retail beef sales, and has the highest quality marbling for superior tenderness and taste. Another factor to research is the method internet steak suppliers use to age their beef. Premium steaks should be 'dry aged' for 21 to 28 days to increase tenderness. Wet aging is a method that uses vacuum packaging to age the beef without hanging in a cooler, which reduces the amount of spoilage and requires 45 days to reach maximum tenderness. Satisfaction guarantees should be offered on steaks sent by online distributors, and should include the option to replace your order or refund your money. Such guarantees should also emphasize specific instructions for receiving, storing and cooking the steaks, because consumer negligence should not be grounds for a refund since this drives the price up for the responsible customers. Smart consumers can find many ways to save money when they order steaks online, since companies offer free shipping. There are also frequent specials, group discounts and seasonal rates that do not necessarily equate to a lower quality product. It is also beneficial to read customer reviews and ratings to assure that the website copy is authentically representing the product. Word of mouth is still a powerful tool for determining which products live up to their claims.