Azure Standard Review: An Honest Review From a Regular Person
Azure Standard — what’s that? Well if you’re reading this article, you may already know, that Azure Standard is an organic bulk food supplier located in the United States. In this article, I will give you an honest review of Azure Standard and its products.
A few months ago, I was interested in purchasing bulk wheat berries and asked my brother and sister-in-law where they purchased theirs in the past. They introduced me to Azure Standard.
I have since completed two orders with them and plan to continue ordering Azure Standard products. I have really enjoyed their products and I have become more and more interested in having bulk foods in our house rather than buying a little at a time at the grocery store.
If you want to know more about Azure Standard, or if you want an honest Azure Standard review, I will be happy to share my experiences.
If you decide that you want to try them out, you can follow my special link and I will get a credit on my account for orders other people make over $100. You can also use my personal share code: HannahKimmel1 when you checkout. I’d be so appreciative of the support!
Without further ado, here’s my honest review of Azure Standard which includes the things I like as well as the things I don’t like about Azure Standard.
Table of Contents for Easy Navigation
What is Azure Standard?
As I stated before, Azure Standard is an organic bulk food and grocery supplier that sells directly to individuals. Azure Standard began in the 1970s and 1980s when the Stelzer family responsible for Azure Standard decided to change their farming practices and stop using chemicals on their farm.
Once they were able to successfully grow crops without chemicals, they began selling their products locally in co-ops. In 1987, they began including items that people requested that were not grow in their own fields but had the same vision of organic farming.
David Stelzner is the founder and CEO of Azure Standard, and he has been running the business since its early days with his wife and other family members.
What Does Azure Standard Sell?
You can get a whole lot of different products from Azure Standard. Some of the food items you can purchase from Azure Standard are:
- Beans
- Peas
- Cereals
- Flour
- Wheat grains
- Dairy products
- Dried fruit
- Frozen fruits and vegetables
- Meat
- Nuts
- Nut Butters
- Oils and fats
- Sauces and dips
- Fresh produce
- Seasonal items
- Snacks
- Broths and soups
- Sweets
- Tea
- Rice
- Pasta
- Supplements
- Animal feed
They also sell non-food items like:
- Cosmetics
- Dental care
- Hygiene items
- First aid
- Skin care
- Candles and candlemaking supplies
- Essential oils
- Soap
They also sell gardening supplies, seeds, and plants in season.
Things You Won’t Find in Azure Standard Products (Their Standards)
Azure Standard’s standards (ha!). Azure Standard states: “Azure only chooses suppliers that produce real foods made with only natural ingredients.”
They go on to say, “That means you get nutrient-rich foods that are minimally processed with no artificial additives, no preservatives, no GMOs or MSG, no artificial colors or flavors.”
It is important to note that while many of their products are organic, they’re not all organic. If you’d prefer to only buy organic items, make sure that you’re checking each item to see if it’s organic or not. All of the organic products they sell are verified through a third-party.
Here’s a list of things that Azure Standard says they won’t ever use in their products:
- Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)
- Refined Conventional Sugars
- Artificial Colors
- Artificial Flavors
- Artificial Preservatives
- Artificial Sweeteners
- Bleached Flour
- Certified Colors
- Alcoholic Beverages
- Fluoride
- Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
- Artificial Nitrates/Nitrites in Meat Products
- Pork Products
- Shellfish Products (except when used as an ingredient in nutritional supplements)
- Tobacco
How Does Azure Standard Work?
To use Azure Standard, you create an account and you can begin adding items you want to your order. You can update the order anytime throughout the month and whatever you add will be part of your order.
You can have items shipped directly to your house, or you can place your order for a drop location near your home. Shipping items directly to your house means that you will get everything on your order, but you will pay MUCH higher shipping costs than you would by getting your items delivered to a drop location.
If you’re wondering if there is an Azure Standard drop near you, you can check out their drop map. The closest drop to where I live is about an hour away, so keep that in mind when you make your orders if you don’t have a drop site very close to your house.
An important thing to know is that you aren’t guaranteed to get everything in your order. Things can sell out before the truck leaves the warehouse, so sometimes you’re out of luck for certain popular products.
Azure Standard will send you an email with a drop date and time. Drop spots are run by volunteers called Drop Coordinators, and they will be present when your order arrives. If you’re not on time for your delivery, your items will be left for you wherever your drop location is. Depending on the Drop Coordinator, they might be able to hold your items for you for a period if time if you’re not able to get to your drop location at the right time.
Depending on where you live, drops are made weekly, biweekly, or every four weeks. I live in Pennsylvania so my orders are made once every four weeks.
Each individual person ordering is required to make a $50 order or they will be charged a $5 fee. In my opinion, if you’re making an order from Azure Standard you may as well make a big one. That way you can go longer between orders and you won’t have the hassle of picking it up as frequently.
How Do I Start an Azure Standard Drop Location Near Me?
If there’s not a drop location near you, you can sign up to have one started where you live by contacting Azure Standard directly. You’ll need to have a minimum of $550 for an order to go through, split between everyone who has joined that drop location. Drop locations that are far off the truck’s routes may require a higher minimum order price.
Where is Azure Standard Available?
Azure Standard has drop locations in most states in the United States including some options for Alaska and Hawaii. To my knowledge, it is only currently available in the United States.
Review of Azure Standard: Pros
Here are some things I love about Azure Standard:
- A huge selection of products all in one place
- Good prices for organic foods and supplies
- No fee to join
- Bulk food in many options like rice, grains, cereals, and more
- Buying in bulk is good for a budget
- You get to choose the size of your bulk food — many things have 5-pound, 25-pound, and 50-pound options. I like to get 5 pounds of a product to see if I like it or not rather than committing automatically to a large order.
- Get an order only when you want to buy something (you don’t have to buy something every month)
- Many organic products to choose from
- High product standards (so I can trust what I’m getting)
- I feel good about feeding my family with the products I’m buying
- I love supporting a small family-owned business
- I also love that they believe in and use their own products for a healthier lifestyle
Cons of Azure Standard
So far I love almost everything about Azure Standard, but there are a couple of things I would put in the con category:
- I ordered 10 watermelon plants and five were almost dead when they arrived. Another one died when I planted it. I didn’t contact Azure Standard about it because it only cost a few dollars, but I don’t know if I would order plants this way again. Maybe it was just my order, but I think I’d rather try to grow my own plants from seeds or buy locally next time.
- The other thing I don’t like about Azure Standard is I never know what will actually come in my order. I’ve tried to get hard white wheat several times, and every time it goes out of stock right before my delivery is put on the truck. It’s a little hard to plan your food when you don’t know what parts of your order you will be receiving, so I’d definitely put this in the con category. However, I have been able to get the majority of my order and I will continue trying to get some of those products that they may have supply issues with.
Some of my Favorite Azure Standard Products
So far my favorite Azure Standard products have been:
- Hard red wheat berries
- Soft white wheat berries
- Bulk yeast
- Bulk spices like garlic and paprika (I’m planning on adding more spices in the future)
- If You Care Baking Cups
- Unbleached All-Purpose Flour (I’d buy this again and again!)
Final Thoughts About Azure Standard
Will I continue to buy from Azure Standard? Yes! I do plan to continue ordering from them. As I have more experience with Azure Standard I will also update with pertinent information. I really love their products, their mission statement, and what they stand for. I also love that I am able to get affordable bulk food for my family during a time when it’s so difficult to buy healthy foods for a good price.
Are you interested in trying Azure Standard? Have you purchased from them in the past?
What do you think of my Azure Standard Review? Would you agree with what I have said?
I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Once again, if follow my special link and I will get a credit on my account for new customers who order through it. You can also use my personal share code: HannahKimmel1 when you checkout.
18 Comments
Patrick
We LOVE Azure Standard! We also love their delivery method! It gives us a great shipping rate and the opportunity to meet the community in our area who share a lot of the same values. There are always great conversations at our local delivery point.
Ned and Hannah
Do you have a drop spot that is close to where you live?
Rachael
This is a great review! We LOVE Azure Standard. They have the very best quality organic pantry staples. So thankful we have a convenient drop site near us!
Ned and Hannah
Thank you so much! We’re really loving it as well!
Pingback:
Bea
Fabulous, review Hannah,
I found Azure Standard a couple of weeks ago. My regular bulk buckwheat supplier was out of stock! Oh my! I guess Europe and the Eastern block are buying up North American buckwheat?
Searched the web and all the prices were off the richter scale! Azure was half the price! So, I clicked it and they were out of stock until mid-August! But they had buckwheat grits. vs groats. The price was half the price of groats! When I entered all my info in the cart, I was surprised when there was an option to pick-up. I am like you once a month pick-up. And it’s about a 30-minute drive.
Outcome, I ordered two 5-lb bags of buckwheat grits and the USPO Priority Mail shipping only cost me $8.33! I ordered on a Wednesday and it arrived on Saturday in Delray Beach, Florida, amazing!
I am crossing my fingers grits work as well as groats for my buckwheat bread recipe!
Next order, I will use your code! Thank you for taking the time to write such a fair and balanced review!
Take Care, Bea in south Florida
Ned and Hannah
Thank you for the awesome comment!! I love hearing from people on our blog. This made my day. I hope what you ordered worked out well for you! I do have trouble sometimes getting things in stock that I want but wow that’s awesome that you were able to get it for pretty cheap shipping and didn’t have to wait.
Thank you so much for thinking about using my code too!
I hope your recipe works out well,
Hannah
Pingback:
Pingback:
Pingback:
RV Bennett
Thank you Hannah and Ned for your honest review and comments. I am a newbie placing my first order. Hope to have a good result.
RVB
Ned and Hannah
I hope everything worked out well for you with this order!
Pingback:
Jamie
I am finding that on most items, Azure prices are no less than in the store. The big disadvantage of shopping with them is the time it takes to get your items, only once a month, AND the fact that almost always, your order is shipped missing items. WHY does this happen? I am still not clear. Their excuse is something about packing the boxes, freshness, keeping costs down (not really). The solution to this would be a system that deducts invenotry as it is put in cart, and paid for. DONE! If they have five cans of peaches in stck,and five cans of peaches have been put in someones cart, and they have checked out, Azure now has ZERO cans of peaches for sale. What is so difficult about this? The result of this flaw in their system is that it can take MONTHS to get your item.
Katherine Christensen
I am disappointed with Azure Standard. My first order arrived this week. 3 of 5 items were close to best buy date, some of which will not be good by the end of the year. (oats get rancid, oils in seeds go rancid). Freshness is important to me and the ability to have a year to enjoy that freshness.
When I called Azure Standard, they said they ship all items up to one month of best buy date. Definately not fresh! LOL they said I could call before ordering and they would let me know the expiration/best buy date of what I want to order. Wow, what if EVERYONE did that? I suggested giving us an option ore posting the expiration date. Definately a problem for A.S. including losing customers or overload on the phone lines.
When I go out of my way to order non GMO and organic, I expect to have the freshest product possible. I am definately disappointed in Azure.
Add to that, no returns, so I am stuck with older foods that won’t keep for much longer.
IF I order again, I will be phoning first…what if I get told wrong information? Still stuck with old food?
PA
I live on the East Coast so would not use Azure Standard because of the shipping distance. I don’t consider long distance shipping good for the environment and prefer to support local businesses and farms.
I have a local co-op and can buy all products I need in bulk 5 minutes away. I think Azure Standard would be good for people who live near Azure Standard in Oregon or people who have no local options where they live.
Manda Tam
BE AWARE of infestation. I have been using Azure for about a year. I would never buy grains or legumes from them, they take no ownership or have a desire to help resolve the quality issue. Mar 2024, I bought 2 bags, 25lb sweet brown rice, the used by date is 10/2024 (learned recently as I don’t normally look at dates for grains or legumes – I thought dried grains an beans last for ever if stored properly – – If fact, I have dried beans from a few years ago and they are still good). I always store the unopened bag in a clean tight container that requires a screw driver to loosen the lid. On 4/20/25, I did not have enough from my 2021 purchase (bought in Sac co-op), in another container. I opened a container holding my Azure Mar 2024, the bag has a few bugs crawling outside and some on the bottle of the container. I see them coming out of the litte holes (pin size) from inside the bag. Took it out of the pantry, I opened the bag, there were more crawling inside, disgusting! A day later, I opened the 2nd container, black bugs are seen. I contacted Azur and was advised to email. I emailed them pictures and provided details. Because it is more than 7 days, they will not replace it even thought it is unopened. All 3 containers are in the same pantry, only the Mar 2024 pruchased from Azure was infested. I looked up the manufacture, Lundberg, it says to work with the supplier address any product issues. I exchange many emails with Azure customer service and asked them to contact Lundberg, and even requested to talk to a manger. I even emailed the CEO. Now 2 weeks+, no call back from manager or response from the CEO. Customer service pretty much placed the blame on me for the infestation and that a request has been made for a manager to contact me. First of all, the packing is not open. That means the grains a infested inside the bag. Even if this was open within 7 days, the larvae will likely go unnoticed until the bugs are hatched. Secondly, I was blamed for the infestation. I been checking my pantry every other day to make sure I don’t have any bugs… so far, is cleared, THANK GOD. I read online, bay leaf deters by, so I put pay leaves on shelves and inside the containers where I store things. I am also grateful, we did not eat any of the 2 bags from Azure. Lastly, Azure said they ship goods out within 45 days when they received the goods. When I asked then why is it the 2 bags for rice only have 6 months life left… no explanation. I know put things on sale and note that the item is about to expire. My rice was not one of them! Since Azure refused to help, I contacted Lundberg. I received an email response withing 24 hours for more information so they can send to the quality team AND they will replace the 2 bag of rice. I am grateful to Lundberg for their customer service satisfaction. I have been buying their product for over 10 years and will continue to give them my business and recommend them to friends and family. Very scarely! Looking for another vendor. Love to hear where you buy bulk.
Thank you!
JG
Grade: F-
Cost: No savings and, in fact, you end up paying more.
Summary: “Yikes! That Azure thing was a scam!”
1. When my husband and I did all the math, we can still actually get all our groceries cheaper at Whole Foods or from Amazon Subscribe and Save compared to even the largest bulk options at Azure! No savings except on one or two items, which wasn’t worth the following frustrations either:
2. The pickup was a huge hassle. The truck driver came a day late, then hours late, it was hugely inconvenient to our family’s schedule as they kept changing it, and by that point my special items were melted! NOT worth saving quarters here and there, plus the gas cost and extra time it took with the changes wiped out any savings and actually COST us more when we calculated it!
3. Now that they have our e-mail address, they spam us with junk emails constantly.
4. On top of that, we’ve had an absolutely awful experience since the time we hit “Purchase” on our cart from Azure! Our friend who recommended them did NOT get credit for our *significant* first purchase, so we sent an e-mail inquiry to their customer service person who has been completely unhelpful and is either 1) lacking simple problem-solving skills at her job or 2) is simply follow instructions to steal money from customers on purpose. We ourselves run an online business and know they could solve the issue with 3 quick steps and 5 extra minutes of her time.
With ALL of these issues, you couldn’t pay us to shop there again! We’re letting all our friends know as well, as our PSA of the day. 🙂