Gourmet Gift Baskets Evaluated: My Hand-Tested Review

Gourmet Gift Baskets is a well-known gift delivery service. The company curates gourmet baskets and hampers for everything from Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, corporate gifting, birthday celebrations, housewarmings, and more. For my 2022 Gourmet Gift Baskets review, I ordered three gift baskets to experience the company’s handcrafted gifts and gourmet ingredients for myself. Here, I’ve shared everything you need to know about the ordering process, the quality of the goods received, and things to consider if you plan to order from Gourmet Gift Baskets. 

My Gourmet Gift Baskets Experience – The Essentials:

Style & Design:	Cheerful, fun, and artisanal. The products received closely resembled the images presented when placing the order.
Quality & Freshness:	Food was fresh, high-quality, and well-protected within the package. Some packaging was minimally dented from the shipping process.
Packaging:	Robust and mostly recyclable. Some boxes included plastic and styrofoam for secure shipping.
On-Time Delivery:	All three of the baskets I ordered arrived early.
Ease of Ordering:	Fast and easy to order. You’ll see other suggested gift ideas, but it is still clear and easy to navigate to checkout. You also have the option to add a personalized card with your delivery.
Value For Money:	Gourmet Gift Baskets have prices from $24.99 to $289.99 per gift, making them an accessible choice for various occasions. The baskets I chose ranged from $99.99 to $169.99. I felt they represented a good value factoring in the quality and presentation of the items included.
Overall Score:	4.7 out 5

About Gourmet Gift Baskets:

Gourmet Gift Baskets is a company that sells handmade gourmet gift baskets for customers across the United States. The company went from the basement of a family flower shop to a go-to business for sending high-quality gifts.  

Gourmet Gift Baskets is still run by the family who started it in 2002. They pride themselves on their family values, handmade gift baskets, and gourmet ingredients. 

What Is Gourmet Gift Baskets Famous for?

Gourmet Gift Baskets is known by many for its baskets filled with fun and high-quality snacks, beverages, and more. They are popular for holidays, corporate gifting, and special occasions.

The company’s signature style is creative and fun yet artisanal. Gifts may come with items like a chopping board or a quality gift box that you can keep to reuse in the future. 

Their gifts have a premium quality, so receiving one feels special no matter the amount spent. Despite their upscale style, these gifts suit various gifting occasions and budgets. 

Gourmet Gift Baskets Collections and Prices

On the Gourmet Gift Baskets website, you’ll see multiple collections and drop-down menus to start your search. They have collections like healthy gifts, wine baskets, tea and coffee gifts, and products for specific occasions.

You can also search through their gifts by price. The lowest price category is under $35. It features products like popcorn tins, Oreos special messages on them, and chocolate-dipped strawberries. 

The highest price category is $125 and up. It features items like an Around the World Beer Bucket and an Artisan Charcuterie and Wine Tray. 

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My Gourmet Gift Baskets Experience 

The Gift Baskets I Ordered

I ordered three gift baskets from Gourmet Gift Baskets to share with family and friends over the holidays. Here is a summary of how they’re described on the Gourmet Gift Baskets website. 

Artisan Meat & Cheese Platter:

This is an artisan meat and cheese platter with various gourmet cheeses, crackers, meats, and other tasty appetizers and snacks. Some highlighted items are the summer sausage, artichoke bruschetta, and red pepper jelly. Everything comes ready to serve on a wooden cutting board.

Christmas Gift Basket Premium:

This is a holiday gift filled with classic winter snacks and other delicious treats. These items include a milk chocolate truffle bar, handmade popcorn, gourmet cookies, and cheese straws. These items come in a paperboard crate perfect for displaying the snacks or reusing as a gift box. 

Happy Birthday Beer Bucket:

This is a birthday beer bucket packed with 12 international beers and the perfect snacks to go with them. Some of these include seasoned beef jerky, assorted flavors of popcorn, and artisan cheeses. All items come in a steel bucket you can fill with ice, throw in the beers, and let the celebrations begin. 

The Online Ordering Experience at Gourmet Gift Baskets

There are many categories and hampers to choose from, so I could have spent hours looking through the Gourmet Gift Baskets website. However, I still found the site easy to navigate and the ordering process fairly smooth. 

On the product pages, there were a few suggested gift ideas at higher prices. For example, on the Happy Birthday Beer Bucket page, I was given the option to upgrade to the Ultimate Happy Hour Beer Basket for $30 more. 

Despite the upgrades and extras the site presented, it was still easy to make my selections. For each basket, I chose the quantity I wanted and then added the item to my cart. It’s worth mentioning that on the Happy Birthday Beer Bucket page, there is a note saying an additional $3.99 delivery fee is required for a 21+ signature. 

After adding the baskets I wanted to my cart, a window popped up with two buttons: Checkout Now and Continue Shopping. I clicked Checkout Now and was taken to my cart to review everything. 

Then, I clicked Proceed to Checkout. This took me to the page where I entered my delivery information and chose an arrival date. On this page, there was also the option to send an instant notification to tell your recipient to expect a delivery. 

Next, I was taken to a page to create a personalized card for each basket. I could select either a complimentary gift message or a personalized greeting card for an additional $3.99. I chose the complimentary message for all but the Christmas gift basket. Then, I selected the occasion for my gift and clicked to continue.

From there, I was taken to the payment page and then a final page to review my order. The process was simple, and it felt secure the whole way through. 

Additionally, there was a small window offering 10 percent off for submitting my email address at each step of the checkout process. The window was small and could be hard to spot for some shoppers, but I liked that it didn’t disrupt my ordering process. Plus, it’d be a nice perk for first-time buyers. 

The Delivery Process

All of my baskets arrived before I expected, which was a pleasant surprise. The packaging was branded with stylish touches, yet secure enough to transport fragile items safely.

All three of my packages were in good condition on arrival. Some of the cracker boxes in my Artisan Meat & Cheese Platter were slightly dented from the shipping process. However, none of the food and drink items were damaged, and most were in perfect condition.

Unboxing My Gourmet Gift Baskets

Receiving my gift baskets was exciting, as everything came with a fun and unique presentation. Beer bucket items were arranged in the steel bucket with confetti. The Christmas gift basket came in a sturdy box, and the meat and cheese platter came on a wooden cutting board. Both of these items came tied in a decorative ribbon.

After removing items from their protective plastic wrapping, they were mostly ready to open and enjoy. Of course, the beer I received needed to be refrigerated, but it would have worked just as well to add ice to the bucket and serve that way.

I arranged the platters and baskets myself before trying some snacks with my family. I had fun creating photo-worthy arrangements of snacks and drinks to present on my dining table. The overall look of these baskets made my family excited to dig in. Here’s how they looked:

The Artisan Meat Platter:

The Christmas Hamper

The Birthday Beer Bucket:

Once we had sampled some of the treats, the last thing to do was store dry snacks and refrigerate the meats and cheeses. I also had quite a bit of packaging to recycle and throw away.

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Gourmet Gift Baskets Review – The Verdict

My Overall Opinion of the Gift Baskets I Received

I thought Gourmet Gift Baskets offered a good value considering the quality of the products and ingredients. Additionally, everything arrived in mostly perfect condition. I thought that was impressive given the fragility of some items like the beer bottles and thin crackers. 

The gift baskets I received closely resembled the products on the Gourmet Gift Baskets website. In particular, the Artisan Meat & Cheese Platter and the Christmas Gift Basket Premium looked exactly like they do on the website. 

However, some items in the Happy Birthday Beer Bucket were slightly different than they appeared online. A few beers featured on the product page were swapped out for different bottles. Additionally, the beef jerky came from Divine Bovine instead of Field Trip Snacks.

There was something for everybody in each of these baskets. My personal favorite was the Christmas gift basket, as I liked the combination of savory and sweet items. A stand-out product was the summer sausage, which was present in each basket I ordered. 

I think each of these gifts would be great to receive on the day of a party or event. They’re all convenient to unwrap, grab some plates, and try snacks right after delivery. I can also see them working well as part of a self-serve food table at an event or potluck.

All things considered, I would order from Gourmet Gift Baskets again. Their products were a convenient way to offer a range of special treats that my family could enjoy at any time of day. We even had a ‘snack dinner’ one night with the items in the meat and cheese platter. 

The only reason I’d hesitate to order certain products is that I like to avoid styrofoam and other non-recyclable packaging when I can. I’d love to see an eco-friendly category where I could search their site for items that only have recyclable packaging.

The Pros of Ordering Gourmet Gift Baskets

A significant benefit of ordering from Gourmet Gift Baskets is the quality of the items they send. When ordering from similar companies in the past, I received a few quality items, while other products were lacking. 

In contrast, I genuinely enjoyed each item I received in my Gourmet Gift Baskets. I felt that everything included was high-quality and lived up to the gourmet name.

I also loved that my products came in a container or tray that I could keep for future use. The steel bucket, wooden cutting board, and sturdy Christmas box are all items I can use again for parties or events. 

Most importantly, I’d feel confident sending a Gourmet Gift Basket to a friend or loved one. From my experience, I’d trust that items would look like they do online and offer something really special. 

The Cons of Ordering Gourmet Gift Baskets

Honestly, the only point I’d mention as a con is that the packaging could be more sustainable. I understand that the materials included are mostly for preservation purposes. Plus, they did work to keep products safe during transportation.

However, some materials, like the styrofoam in the beer bucket order, might make me reconsider purchasing that product again. I’d love to see this company highlight some eco-friendly options on their website. 

Occasions I’d Recommend Ordering from Gourmet Gift Baskets

The great thing about Gourmet Gift Baskets is that they have something for every occasion. If you’re like me and find it challenging to shop for others, you could use this company as your go-to shop for all types of gifting. 

Gourmet Gift Baskets has options for both personal and corporate gifts. So, I’d feel as confident using the site for a friend’s housewarming gift as I would sending a thank you gift to a colleague. 

For more, see the latest collections at Gourmet Gift Baskets here.

Alternatives to Gourmet Gift Baskets

Alternatives to Gourmet Gift Baskets include Gift Tree, From You Flowers, and igourmet. Each offers a similar selection of gourmet gifts at varying price points with options for lots of gifting occasions and taste preferences.

For slightly more bespoke and creative gift baskets, I also love the collections at Knack, Mouth, Milk Bar, and Citarella.  

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Gourmet Gift Baskets Buying Guide FAQs:

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