Frozen vs. Fresh: Why Your Steiner’s Order Ships Without Ice Packs
Let’s talk about something that surprises people.
Your Steiner’s order arrives:
👉 no ice packs
👉 no bulky insulation
👉 no giant waste pile in your trash can
And the first question is usually:
“Wait... is this okay?”
Short answer:
Yes. More than okay. It’s intentional.
The problem with “fresh”
We’re taught that fresh is always better.
But in bakery, “fresh” often means:
- a very short window
- a lot of guesswork
- and a lot of waste
Globally, over 1 billion tons of food is wasted every year.
That is about 8 to 10% of total greenhouse gas emissions.
And a big chunk of that?
Food that was perfectly good.
It just ran out of time.
So why frozen?
Because frozen does one very important thing:
It stops the clock.
Instead of rushing to eat something before it goes bad, you get to enjoy it when you are actually ready.
No pressure.
No waste.
No “ugh we forgot about that.”
But what about shipping?
Great question.
Because yes, frozen food can require:
- ice packs
- insulated liners
- extra packaging
And that creates a different kind of waste.
So we asked ourselves:
Can we design this better?
Here is what we built instead
Our products are:
- fully baked and frozen at peak freshness
- designed to thaw and refreeze without losing quality
- stable in transit without ice packs
That means:
- your order arrives safely
- you pop it in the freezer
- and it is ready whenever you are
Why no ice packs or insulation?
Because most of that packaging:
- gets used once
- cannot be easily recycled
- and ends up in landfills
Instead, we ship in a way that:
👉 reduces packaging waste
👉 reduces shipping weight, which lowers emissions
👉 still protects product quality
A better tradeoff
Here is the real sustainability question:
Is it better to:
A) ship something perfectly cold with a box full of waste
or
B) ship something intelligently, that refreezes perfectly and creates almost no waste?
We chose B.
And then we went one step further
Every Steiner’s product is wrapped in:
👉 home-compostable, zero-plastic film
So you are not just avoiding food waste.
You are also avoiding plastic waste.
No microplastics.
No landfill guilt.
No tradeoff hiding behind the scenes.
What this means for you
- You do not have to rush to eat it
- You do not have to throw anything away
- You do not have to deal with messy packaging
freeze → warm or thaw → enjoy
Still wondering if it’s okay if your order arrives thawed?
Short answer: yes.
Here’s why:
Our products are fully baked and frozen for quality, not because they are fragile.
They are designed to:
✔️ handle transit without ice packs
✔️ arrive cool or even fully thawed
✔️ be safely refrozen without impacting taste or texture
If your order arrives:
👉 cool to the touch
👉 room temperature
👉 or partially thawed
You are still good.
Just place everything in the freezer as soon as it arrives.
Why this works
We built our products to be:
- stable
- consistent
- and forgiving
Because real life is not a perfectly controlled cold chain.
And it should not have to be.
What you will not experience
- no loss of quality
- no weird texture changes
- no compromise on taste
(And if you do, we want to know. We stand behind every box.)
The bigger picture
Shipping with ice packs and insulation would keep things frozen.
It would also create more waste.
We chose to design a product that travels smarter instead.
Less waste.
Less packaging.
Same bakery experience.
3 simple steps when your order arrives
1. Open your box
Your order was designed to travel without ice packs or extra insulation.
2. Place products in the freezer
As soon as your order arrives, pop everything into the freezer to hold peak quality until you are ready.
3. Enjoy the way it was designed
For your coffee cake, remove wrapper and microwave for about 60 seconds.
For your brownies, remove wrapper and thaw for 15 minutes.
The bottom line
A fresh product that gets thrown away is not more sustainable.
A frozen product that gets eaten?
That is the win.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can baked goods be shipped without ice packs?
Yes. Fully baked products like coffee cake and brownies can be safely shipped without ice packs when designed for stability and refreezing.
Is it safe to refreeze baked goods?
Yes. Our products are designed to thaw and refreeze without impacting texture or flavor.
Why is frozen bakery more sustainable than fresh?
Frozen bakery reduces food waste by extending shelf life and allowing you to use only what you need, when you need it.