Science has long sought a way to eliminate the middleman. Get from A to C without stopping at B with today's Groupon: for $50, new customers get $100 toward grocery delivery from FreshDirect.

FreshDirect shuttles fresh produce, meats, seafood, prepared meals, and a host of zip codes in the area, preventing time-consuming trips to the grocery store. By centralizing its operations, FreshDirect can deliver fresher foodstuffs than many supermarkets offer, with similar or lower pricing. FreshDirect carries more than 8,000 items, which can be browsed online, around the clock, especially if one's computer is on a model train circumnavigating a giant sundial.

Mouse-clickers can harvest off-the-vine fruits, such as seedless pixie tangerines, from the store's What's Good section. Meats, such as Australian lamb loin chops, are cut-to-order, with lean, organic, and Kosher options available. Customers can also reel in seafood or bask in an extensive cheese lineup, which includes Formaggio fresh salted mozzarella. The deli fills virtual baskets with cured meats such as maple-roasted turkey and an assortment of sides, from curried chicken salad to fresh sauerkraut.

In addition, shoppers may snag chef-prepared heat-and-eat meals or let the cat walk across the keyboard to randomly pick items. When satisfied with their selections, customers simply select a delivery time, then wait for the store to come to them—department by department.