Azure Standard Review: Everything You Need to Know (2024)

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Have you ever heard of Azure Standard, the bulk co-op out of Oregon that sells organic products, cleaning supplies, and even garden starts? Learn everything you need to know about shopping there in this comprehensive & honest Azure Standard review from a regular customer!

mason jars with dried garbanzo beans, dried spices, and coconut sugar for azure standard review.

My experience: My husband and I started shopping at Azure Standard in 2020 when they were the only place we could find flour to feed our sourdough habit! They’d been recommended by our friends for years.

Since then, we’ve shopped with Azure, usually every few months, and I hope this review helps you understand how great this company really is!

Full disclosure: I’m going to be totally honest about what’s worked for us and what hasn’t so you can make an informed decision.

What is Azure Standard?

Think of Azure Standard as a bulk co-op. It is an Oregon-based company that sells a wide variety of bulk foods and household goods. They deliver your goods on a semi-trailer to a drop site near you.

Azure Standard was initially a 2,000-acre family-run wheat and cattle farm in Oregon. In 1971, the family decided to walk away from the chemical fertilizer culture happening elsewhere instead opting for more natural methods.

Over time, their customers started asking them for more options than they could provide, and that’s when Azure Standard was really born. Since 1987, they’ve been helping customers source the highest quality and most sustainably grown foods they can find!

Today, Azure is like a natural food grocery store with the best organic food items, gardening supplies, eco-friendly cleaning products, and more. It’s like having a co-op (even if you live way out of town).

Many people like them because you can buy bulk food: think 25 lbs of oats and 8 lb buckets of dish soap. They do sell smaller, regular-sized items, too, but you save money and reduce your packaging waste when you buy in bulk.

Our goal with this Azure Standard review is to help you see how it compares to similar retailers like Costco, find the best products to buy, and feel empowered to start your first order!

What you’ll love about Azure Standard


  • EXCEPTIONAL QUALITY – The thing that brings me back to Azure again and again is the fantastic quality of the products. We’re never disappointed with their frozen goods, grains, oils, butter, and more and there are several items that we only get from them because they’re just so much better.  
  • GREAT VARIETY OF PRODUCTS – If you’re a little crunchy or trying to eat better, it can be hard to find the exact products you need at an affordable price. They really have a great selection, especially for pantry staples. We love to buy their organic whole wheat bread flour, organic refined coconut oil, and more.
  • REASONABLE PRICES – After really watching our grocery budget for the past couple of years, I know that some items can be pricier than what you’d find at the store, but other items are very reasonably priced or even significantly cheaper than other stores. It’s always good to know your price point for your favorite items and shop where you get the best value!
  • GREAT FOR BULK BUYERS  – Sometimes it seems strange to me that my husband and I buy flour in 25 lb bags for our household of two, but this is what works for us. When you cook almost exclusively from scratch, you use more of the basic pantry staples than other people do. We often buy gallon-sized containers of vinegar or oil, 25 lb bags of flour or oats, 8 lb jugs of dish soap, and more.
Try it for yourself

Shop Azure Standard

Check out Azure Standard’s website to find your new favorite products! Be sure to create a free account and check out the drop locations, too.

How does Azure Standard work?

It all standards with Azure Standard’s website. You’ll want to create an account and look for drop points near you. I’m very lucky that I have one just a few miles away in a local church parking lot. Other people have to travel to their site or order via postal delivery. If possible, I highly recommend in-person drop sites when possible to reduce your fees and make sure you get your products quickly.

Once you find your delivery drop location, apply to be a part of that drop site then start shopping! The sheer volume of options is overwhelming at first, so start with your most common pantry staples (and see my tip about price comparing below). I began with dried beans, flours, oats, popcorn, etc.

After you place your order, you can still adjust it until the Monday of your delivery week (you’ll get emails to remind you of this). If the items are in stock, they will be packaged up for your delivery and your card will be charged. There are times when products run out of stock, which can be frustrating. The inventory system isn’t always entirely accurate, so it will seem like something will be available when it’s not. This is just part of the process. Some people get really frustrated with this. I haven’t had a lot of problems with this, so it doesn’t bother me as much.

During your delivery week, you’ll receive an email from Azure giving you the specified time and date of your delivery. This is always an estimate and can change due to weather, traffic, and other issues. If there are delays, you will hear from your drop coordinator to let you know. 

Head to the drop site about 15 minutes before the delivery. Every site operates differently, but mine usually has everyone help unload the pallets. Our drop coordinator made laminated name tags for all the customers, so you just put everyone’s things by their names. Grab your items, check to make sure you got everything, then head home!

Pro Tip: Comparison shop!

Conduct a price comparison at your favorite local stores. I usually know to the dollar how much I’m willing to spend on a pound of salt or a bottle of vinegar, but those numbers come from experience. You need to know what is a reasonable price for your favorite items and that comes with experience or research!

  1. Make a grid on a piece of paper or open up Google Sheets to make a quick spreadsheet.
  2. List your most commonly purchased grocery items and cleaning products in the first column.
  3. Make a new column for every store or retailer you want to compare, like Costco, Fred Meyer, etc.
  4. Check your local store’s prices online or in-person. Record those numbers (and the quality if possible).
  5. When you find products that are a better price or higher quality for a similar price, add them to your Azure cart.
large glass jar with azure standard dishwashing detergent.

What are the best things to buy from Azure Standard?

There are some products we only buy from Azure Standard now because the quality of the products is so high and the products are exceptional. These are some of our favorite things!

  • Butter (the Rumiano butter is phenomenal!)
  • Wheat flour (or their wheat berries!)
  • Rolled oats
  • Organic popcorn kernels
  • Dried lentils, black beans, & garbanzo beans
  • Spices (curry powder, lemon pepper, cumin, etc)
  • Organic refined coconut oil
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Cleaning products (I’m in love with their dish soap, dishwasher detergent, and laundry detergent)
  • Nutritional supplements
  • Plant starts & gardening supplies (like this organic fertilizer)
  • Mason jars  & storage jars
  • Kitchen equipment (cutting boards, etc)
Try it for yourself

Create Your Azure Standard Account

Check out Azure Standard’s website to find your favorite bulk foods, non-toxic cleaning products, gardening supplies, and more! Create your free account to get started today!

What We Love about Azure Standard (Azure Standard Review)

I’ve been an Azure Standard customer since 2020 and have no plans of quitting them any time soon. What keeps bringing me back? Quite a lot, actually.

1. Great quality foods

I’ll admit it – I’m a picky shopper. I know what quality looks like, and I’m willing to pay for the best (within reason). Most of the foods I’ve ordered from Azure have been wonderful. They’re our go-to source for many pantry staples, especially their grains, oils, vinegars, etc. They also offer a wide range of ingredients, including some I just can’t find in stores.

2. Commitment to excellence

Azure Standard has extremely high standards for their products. You’ll never find GMOs, conventional refined sugar, bleached flour, artificial preservatives, MSG, nitrates or nitrites, and more. You can see their full list of quality standards here. I’ve seen them remove popular brands simply because the company was purchased by a mega-corporation.

They’ll even formulate or package their own products if they can’t find brands they like (like their cleaning supplies and canned foods). Clearly, they put their values ahead of their dollars, and I sure appreciate that.

They’ve even started producing their own mason jars to offer a source of American-made canning jars. We haven’t used them for canning yet, as we got them for pantry storage, but they seem heavy-duty. I’ll report back with more info when we try the smaller jars!

3. Azure-sourced products

I’m not sure how many people are aware of this, but Azure even grows or raises some of their own foods! They have their own herd of Piedmontese cattle that they raise organically on pasture, and they also grow their own plant starts, some grains, and more. This always makes me so happy!

4. Fantastic cleaning products

I just mentioned this earlier, but Azure recently started producing their own cleaning products and soaps. They weren’t happy with the quality of ingredients in other products, so they made their own. Who does that?! I first tried them at my local co-op and was floored by the quality. 

We now use their dish soap and dishwasher detergent exclusively. We also order our laundry detergent from them (Country Save). The dishwasher detergent is a little pricey, but the dish soap and laundry detergent are some of the best prices I’ve ever seen. You can even buy laundry detergent in a 50 lb bag!

bottles of azure stsandard dishwasher detergent and dish soap.

5. Various sizes

Although Azure is known for their bulk foods, that’s not the whole story. They often sell smaller containers too, so you don’t always have to buy a gallon or case of your favorite products. This makes them useful for ordinary families or couples. 

As an avid home baker who loves baking sourdough, I also really appreciate that I can get large bags of flour and other grains. They have a much wider range of products than Costco, so you can’t even compare the prices. It’s really nice to be able to get exactly what you need and in the right size, too. 

6. Reasonable prices

I mentioned the prices earlier, and I know this is the main deciding factor for a lot of people. There are some items that I find to be a high price. This doesn’t mean they aren’t worth it; it just means the price is over my budget for that item. For example, the prices for butter have gone through the roof. We used to buy 15 lbs at a time, and we now stock up at a local bulk store. 

However, we’ve seen that some prices are significantly lower than anywhere else. For example, we can get a gallon of organic refined coconut oil (our daily cooking fat) for about $15. For a GALLLON! Costco only sells virgin coconut oil, which I can’t use.

We were recently in Portland and visited the Bob’s Red Mill storefront. They have tons of pantry staples in all different sizes, similar to Azure. My husband and I wanted to pick up some basics while we were there, so I double-checked the prices against Azure. You could get the same quality at Azure (organic, 25 lb bags) for less than buying them at Bob’s Red Mill. We still grabbed a few for the sake of convenience, but it would have been cheaper to shop Azure. 

7. No membership fees

Unlike Costco, Thrive Market, Sam’s Club, and other bulk retailers (online or in-person), there is NO membership fee. 

8. Free shipping over $50 (within certain regions)

If you live close to Oregon, shipping rates are very low. For me, shipping is free when I spend $50. If, for some reason, you have a small order, the shipping fee is only $5. I’ve only paid this once in a desperate search for a specific type of tomato start (yellow brandywine – if you know, you know). 

For areas further away from the West Coast, there is an additional charge of 8.5% of the order’s total. You can also order their products by postal delivery, but those prices seem a little high to me.

Plus, you actually help Azure save on fuel costs when you order! Whether the truck is half full or packed to the brim, they have almost the same fuel cost.

jars of coconut sugar, popcorn, cumin, and garbanzo beans from azure standard review.

9. Supports lots of small and local businesses

One of my favorite perks about Azure Standard is that they support a lot of small, American-run businesses.

For example, there is a peanut roastery near me called CB’s Nuts. Azure Standard sells their peanut butters & roasted peanuts in bulk!

I love seeing regional farms and businesses featured. See a complete list of the brands Azure Standard sells here.

10. Excellent customer service

Like any small business, especially during the pandemic, Azure had to go through its own fair share of delays, setbacks, and issues. Sometimes products come damaged, or there are other issues.

Fortunately, Azure is incredibly customer service-focused. They are so friendly, easy to reach, and they always make the problem right.

Try it for yourself

Shop Azure Standard

Check out Azure Standard’s website to find your new favorite products! Be sure to create a free account and check out the drop locations, too.

11. Large assortment of bulk produce

Fresh, frozen, or processed, Azure Standard is a wonderful place to buy produce in bulk! In the summer, they’ll offer different varieties of produce in bulk quantities, which is fantastic for canning or preserving. They also offer large portions of frozen green beans, berries, and more. This is a great way to eat farm-fresh produce for less while reducing your packaging waste.

As with any grocery delivery company, be cautious about ordering easily perishable produce. We typically only buy storage crops or frozen vegetables from Azure, although we’ve seen in the Facebook Group just how many people love their fruit case deals, like their cherries, apples, and pears.

I did buy their produce variety pack once to try it out, and I wasn’t thrilled with the quality. I tend not to buy produce from Azure as I prefer to shop my local farmers market or eat my homegrown food.

Note: Look for transitional crops! Transitional produce comes from fields that are in the process of becoming organically certified. The growers use organic methods, but the crops may still have trace amounts of pesticide residue in the fields from being farmed conventionally. This is a great way to eat high-quality, organically raised food for less.

12. Azure Cash & Referrals

Azure Standard offers cashback on all purchases with some extra cashback on different sales products. This is a nice little incentive that saves a little money here or there! They’re especially generous with rewards with their new products, so it’s a great way to try something new and save some money on a future order.

Plus, once you fall in love with Azure Standard, you can refer your friends to their website. For any new customers who spend over $100, you will get $25 in credit towards your next order! This is the Share Azure program and you can see it offered as a tab on your account when you login. No application necessary!

13. Sustainable Packaging

I love that Azure Standard typically packages their items in a way that reduces packaging waste. For example, many of their products are packaged in paper bags that you can later biodegrade or compost. I know folks who save those bags for mulching in their garden or around fruit trees!

They also pack orders in leftover boxes from receiving the products they sell, so you might take home your purchases in an old yogurt box or kombucha box. Azure Standard typically offers their liquid products in either glass or plastic so you can choose the packaging that fits your standards. The glass containers do cost more.

Azure Standard is not plastic-free nor is it zero waste, but you can definitely reduce the packaging you get altogether or opt for more environmentally-friendly packaging.

14. Active Facebook Group

I’m in the Facebook group with over 4,000 other people! I love seeing how other folks shop at Azure. Some people do massive grocery hauls to load their stockpiles, others do a once-a-month grocery shop, and some people just shop when they need to.

You’ll learn the best tips out there from other regular shoppers, so be sure to join the group!

jars of bulk foods from azure standard.

Azure Standard Cons

1. Delivery scheduling challenges

The main reason I did not order from them right after I first heard of them years ago was my concern over drop site logistics. Sometimes, the drops are in the afternoon and sometimes they are delayed, so how would that fit with a work schedule? This can be an issue for some people, as I see people post about this in the Facebook Group occasionally.

It has been much easier to manage the delivery schedule since I started working from home and I’ve also found my delivery times stabilized post-pandemic.

2. Not receiving a product

Azure’s inventory system is imperfect. Every Azure Standard customer has likely experienced this problem, and it can be frustrating, especially if you’re low in stock or need something you can’t find anywhere else. I suspect that this is an issue that they will continue working on in the future, as it probably makes things more challenging for them, too. 

I recommend being a bit flexible about it. It is disappointing, especially when you try to get something again and again. Just keep trying!

3. High prices on some products

Personally, we stopped buying butter from Azure because the price increased dramatically from 2022 to 2023. Some items can be purchased cheaper in local stores, although often at a lower quality. I also find the meat prices to be exceedingly high. Does this mean the quality is low, or they aren’t worth it? Not necessarily. Price matters, though, and many of us have to make decisions based on affordability. 

4. Limitations on products

Although Azure has a huge inventory, they have a long list of things they don’t sell. This means it can be hard to find *everything* on your list. For example, they don’t sell pork products, so no bacon.

They also don’t sell refined sugar, so you’ll need to pay a little extra for organic cane sugar, coconut sugar, maple syrup, etc. This isn’t exactly a negative since we’re trying to eat less sugar anyway, but it does mean we sometimes need to grab those items elsewhere. They do, however, have an amazing selection of sugar alternatives. It turns out I love coconut sugar!

Is Azure Standard worth it?

I have to say that the longer I use Azure products, the less I even bother with Costco. We actually let our Costco subscription lapse last year and didn’t even renew it until the very end of the year.

I really like that I can get everything I need in one delivery and get enough to last us a while. Although sometimes the prices are higher, Azure often has lower prices per pound than our local stores for much higher quality. I’ve fallen in love with their frozen berries and can’t believe the prices!

We definitely shop other places too (farmers markets, our local co-op, local chains), but we love Azure and get an order usually every few months to stock up. If we can’t find a good deal locally, we know to look for it on Azure! I always get excited for every delivery day and love restocking, knowing I’m getting the best products for a great price.

We’ll be Azure Standard shoppers for a long, long time, and we hope you give them a try, too.

Try it for yourself

Create Your Azure Standard Account

Check out Azure Standard’s website to find your favorite bulk foods, non-toxic cleaning products, gardening supplies, and more! Create your free account to get started today!

jars of dried beans and oatmeal from azure standard.

FAQs

What should a first-time shopper expect on their first Azure Standard drop?

This process has shifted a bit for us depending on the drop coordinator. Basically, you’ll get an email from Azure once your order is placed and the truck is loaded. This will tell you the anticipated date and time for delivery. Your drop coordinator may also reach out to you to remind you of this, and they’ll definitely let you know if there are any delays.

Since the drop time is just a window, don’t head to your pick-up location until you hear from your coordinator that your truck has arrived!
When your truck arrives, you’ll see a crowd of cars appear at your drop site (often a parking lot somewhere).

The truck driver lifts up the trailer, and people start hauling out orders and sorting them by name. Feel free to pitch in and help. Every drop is a little different, but most are run off of teamwork.

Collect your items, double check you received everything, then head home.

Note: Delays happen, and they can be unfortunate. It can be challenging if your schedule isn’t flexible. This put me off for years, but it’s not an issue now that I work from home.

More Azure Standard Reviews

Still trying to decide if you want to try Azure Standard? We hear you! We thought about it for a while before we bought. Now, we wish we started shopping there sooner!

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