Science has long sought a way to eliminate the middle man. Get from A to C without stopping at B with today's Groupon: for $25, you get $50 to spend toward home-delivered, straight from the source groceries from FreshDirect. The company spreads freshness around New York and New Jersey, provided you're within its delivery zone, or you can always skip the small delivery fee (which you can use your Groupon toward) and pick up directly from its Long Island City facility. This deal is valid for new customers only.

Its centralized location of operations allows the staff to deliver food fresher than you'll find in the supermarkets, with similar or lower pricing. FreshDirect carries more than 8,000 items, which you can conveniently browse in the comfort of your home. Shop around the clock, especially if your computer is on a model train circumnavigating a giant sundial in the center of your living room. Browse in your favorite birthday suit, or let your cat walk across your keyboard to randomly pick items. When you're satisfied with your selections, select your delivery time, then wait for the grocery store to come to you­—department by department.

Harvest some off-the-vine fruits from its Great Right Now section, such as Asian pears, and fruits commonly used as vegetables, such as asparagus (pricing varies by season). Meats, such as boneless porkchops, are cut to order with preparation and delivery occurring in a constantly refrigerated environment. Reel in some seafood or bask in an extensive cheese lineup, such as Formaggio fresh salted mozzarella, which makes up a good part of its fresh dairy offerings. Visit its online deli to pick up cured meats, sides, and more.

You can even pick up a ready-to-cook meal, beer and wine from Union Square Wine & Spirits, and (probably) inedible health and beauty supplies. Everything you seek is just a wave of the mouse away. And best of all, you won't even have to brave the cold to restock your shelves.

Fresh Direct accounts will be activated within seven days of redeeming online. Groupon purchasers will receive Promotion Code for use at www.freshdirect.com within 7 days of purchasing Groupon online. Prices are approximate and change daily.

REVIEWS

The New York Times featured FreshDirect, and Citysearchers give the company an average of three stars.

• But what we really appreciate is that FreshDirect’s delivery staff will show up to bring the groceries between 6:30 and 8 a.m., before we need to make lunches for the day, or between 10 and 11:30 p.m., so we can catch them after we’ve been out for the evening. – Ron Lieber, New York Times
• Enter Fresh Direct. Clean, fresh, competitively priced food delivered to your door for five bucks. It's as good as it's going to get in New York. – asternmrk, Citysearch