Interested in trying out Imperfect Foods grocery delivery? Check out my honest review, how it works, and what it costs along with an unboxing video where you can see how the products are packaged, as well as how to save $10 on your first order. (Spoiler – I love it and think you will, too!)
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Have you heard of Imperfect Foods? The last I had heard of them they were known as Imperfect Produce, delivering only produce, and were only available in select larger cities. Recently, though, I discovered that they have grown into a larger grocery delivery subscription box service and are available in a lot more areas.
But I really got interested when I read that the boxes you get now are customizable – not just the “this is what we have” boxes I had gotten in the past from similar produce deliveries. Even though it was sometimes fun to try new produce, most of the time it was a quite a few things our family just wouldn’t eat.
So I grabbed a $10 off referral link and visited the website. Before I ordered, though, I looked around at some of the FAQs to answer some questions I had.
The first being – did they deliver in my area? I was happy to see that yes, they did – they are now in 43 states, in fact. (Note: some areas are serviced by FedEx and may have a minimum requirement for each box.)
Other questions answered on the website include how to pick the food in your box, how the food is delivered, pricing, and delivery options. I was also pleased to read about their mission to eliminate food waste and build a better food system for everyone. And that the prices average 30% lower than store bought.
How to Order From Imperfect Foods Grocery Delivery
So I signed up and ordered my first box. I do have to say I was a bit confused at first because when you sign up you are required to pick a “starter option.” This is a small, medium, large, or extra large box that will be delivered on a weekly or every-other-week schedule as you choose. You also choose organic or conventional. It made me think I was only going to get what was listed.
Don’t worry, though, you’re not locked into anything. I think there were prices listed at that point, but nothing is charged until your window for customizing your box opens. This happens a few days before your delivery – you will get an email.
And it’s at the customization stage, when you can choose to leave what they’ve chosen for your box, or take it out and add others, that I finally “got” the system.
Here’s a screenshot I took of customizing my medium size box:
On the right is where the items for your suggested box are listed and it’s easy to just scroll through and remove what you don’t want. It doesn’t matter that I chose an organic box – I can add any conventional produce I want. Again, you’re not locked into anything.
(Wondering why I sometimes choose conventional? To keep my grocery budget down, I use the “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean Fifteen” lists, buying organic for the former but choosing conventional for the latter.)
Then you scroll through the items pictured on the left and click the “+” to add to your box. You can choose all produce or both produce and non-produce, it’s up to you. So simple, right?
Imperfect Foods Packaging
If you’ve had a chance to watch the video, you know that I’m most happy with the lack of plastic in packaging. The box I ordered this time was delivered in two cardboard boxes and the only plastic was around a head of cauliflower, a plastic box for the tomatoes, and the cheese and tortillas.
The only other packaging was a cold ice pack and the silver quilted liner for the cheese.
What to do with the packaging?
Cardboard is never hard for us to recycle, since we’re always saving it up to use in the garden, plus most recycling places still take cardboard. But what about the ice pack and lining? You may be able to reuse them for picnics or camping, but you’d only ever need one or two.
Guess what? Most of the time you can return them, boxes and packaging! If your boxes aren’t delivered by FedEx, you can leave them and the other packaging out when your next box is delivered and they’ll take it away. Isn’t that a great option?
Again, there is more on this on the website, but I was really happy to try this out and see that yes, they did just take the packaging I put out on the porch.
Types of Food & Pricing for Imperfect Foods
Pictured above is my entire order that was delivered in the two boxes as I show in the unboxing video. Keep in mind these are things I chose this time – there were lots of other produce and grocery options I didn’t choose, including more fruits, as we already had some.
Here are the produce and non-produce items included with the prices:
- Organic Celery (1 ct) $1.89
- Organic Bell Peppers (1 lb) $3.19
- Organic Carrots (1 lb) $2.18
- Organic Potatoes (1 lb) $1.58
- Organic Apples (3 ct) $1.79
- Organic Parsnips (1 lb) $2.39
- Organic Rainbow Carrot Bunch (1 ct) $2.29
- Organic Grape Tomatoes (1 ct) $3.09
- Organic Romaine Lettuce (1 ct) $2.09
- Organic Beets (1 lb) $1.75
- Conventional Onions (1 lb) $0.65
- Conventional Cauliflower (1 ct) $3.06
- Conventional Turnips (1 ct) $1.89
- Conventional Avocados (3 ct) $1.99
- Imperfect Foods – Sharp White Cheddar Cheese (8 oz) $3.49
- Mi Rancho Organic Flour Tortillas (6 ct) (10.8 oz) 1 $2.49
- Mind Fish Co. Skipjack Tuna with Spring Water (5.6 oz) 1 $1.49
- Imperfect Foods Organic Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips (14 oz) $2.99Total = $40.29 + $4.99 delivery
Note: in the video I mistakenly say it cost $43, which was actually what our first box was – this one with shipping was $45. But this is just to give you an idea of prices and cost, which I hope you can see are pretty good.
How does this fit into a tight grocery budget?
I’ve already gotten this question on YouTube, so I wanted to address it here, too. Our budget isn’t as tight now as it used to be when our kids were younger, but I remember what it was like. And I can’t answer if this would be right for you with your specific circumstances and the area you live. Some parts of the country can get cheaper produce – if this is you, it’s probably not a good fit.
But I do encourage you to at least check out the website and prices, using the $10 off your first box to try it and see if it’s something that will help you keep your budget down. I regularly shop at Grocery Outlet and the prices you see listed above are all comparable, even with the delivery fee.
As for me, if it saves me a trip to the store it will save me money because I often buy items I see on sale that aren’t on my list (this isn’t terrible, but does make the trips more expensive). I hope to use this service to keep us in produce (which is usually the reason I go to the store) and only shop once a month in a regular grocery and once every other month at Costco.
As you can probably tell, I’m pretty happy with Imperfect Foods and will continue to get boxes every other week from them as we need them. It’s very easy to skip a delivery, though, so you’re not even locked into that if you don’t need anything.
How to get $10 off your first order:
Simply CLICK HERE to go check out the website and a coupon will be applied to your account once you set it up!
Have you used Imperfect Food Delivery Service? I’d love to know what you think!
6 Month Update: We’ve been getting boxes regularly for now, and Imperfect Foods continued to deliver through the pandemic and lock downs (was I ever grateful for the deliveries then!). I wanted to mention 2 things:
- Yes, I have gotten 1 – 2 produce items that weren’t useable – beets that were too woody, even after cooking and one other I can’t remember. I didn’t bother contacting them because it’s not really a thing they would’ve been able to tell and I really do want to support the idea of less food waste and shopping responsibly.
- The customer service has been really great the one time I’ve used it (this is in contrast to one of the comments). When I was given less rhubarb than I ordered, I sent in a message on their website and was emailed the next day with a credit to my account.
- The service has gotten really popular because of the pandemic issue and I’ve learned that the sooner I customize my box the more likely they won’t be sold out of some things. I’ve put a reminder in my phone when my window opens to choose.
Disclosure: affiliate links in this article will earn commission based on sales, but it doesn’t change your price. Click here to read my full disclaimer and advertising disclosure.
Molly Perry says
I just got my first (and last) box today. They just left the box on the porch and did not ring the bell or knock so even though my husband was home, he didn’t know a box of food was sitting outside. When he opened it, everything was just thrown inside. The cold foods were in a bag that was open and the almond milk was half out and produce was sitting in the bag next to the chicken. I live in the Sacramento area and most of the prices are MUCH higher than I pay at the store. I will be cancelling my subscription. I really thought it would be awesome to help fight food waste and save some money, sadly this is not to be.
Georgia says
The meat, fish, and produce prices are much higher than what we pay in Dallas. The salmon smelled bad and tasted worse; clearly it was not fresh. I am trying to cancel UNSUCCESSFULLY. They keep sending me unwanted food. Very unhappy.
Marianne says
I like the fact that you use very little plastic.
Jami says
Yes.
lillian leone says
how many potatoes in 1 lb you received. I did not see too many of them in your box.
Jami says
That video was awhile ago – in my last order, I got 5 smallish-medium and one large yukon gold potatoes and when I weighed them they were a little over 1 pound.
Lil W. says
This may seem a bit paranoid, but I always wonder if the unwrapped, sticker-free loose produce I order is indeed the higher-priced organic version that I selected (usually the options are side-by-side, conventional being cheaper). What’s to stop them from throwing in the conventional? Ethics, I hope! Just a thought.
Kittie says
I have been getting imperfect foods weekly for nearly a year. Customer service is great but I get really tired of contacting them nearly every week. I’m not sure who is packing my boxes but they are imperfect. Not sure if they are just super stoned or what exactly. I will see if you’ve had any experience like this? My foods are packed in The Seattle area.
Jami says
Yes, I do have issues with getting everything that I’ve ordered. Not every week, but maybe a couple times a month? I do contact them and they’ve been very responsive. But I’m like you – I wonder why it’s not getting better? They’d certainly have less customer service to deal with if they could get the boxes packed correctly every week, lol!
Bill says
I see no bargains here. I’m a savvy shopper and none of these prices are that good. Do a little coupon cutting get off the couch and price shop. You’ll be glad you did. Your paying for convenience and being lazy.³
Janis deDebrant says
Where do you people shop???? This prices are higher than I have ever paid in Southern California Ever!!!
Jami says
You are lucky – SoCal is the heart of the produce basket for the US and you’re benefitting from your proximity.:)
Vera says
I live in Massachusetts and the prices here, including at Whole Foods, are even cheaper than Imperfect Foods and the quality is better.
Jami says
Good to know.
EmAlabama says
I think it’s important to mention that for the many families (like mine) who are struggling through this pandemic, Imperfect Foods has the option to send you a survey of eligibility if you are receiving SNAP/EBT/other subsidized food benefits. Though it is illegal through the USDA for online grocery companies to accept these as forms of payment, they have generously offered 33% off every order for qualifying families. This is my first time ordering a box, but I find their mission and values somethingI can surely get behind.
Jami says
I’m so glad to know that – thanks so much for letting us know!
Tiffany says
Wish they delivered to my ZIP code in South Florida
Jami says
Hopefully they will soon, I know they are expanding!
Gail Dickinson says
I’ve been ordering from them for a few months, their fish is very good. The produce is often good but packing is terrible and it is not unusual to have blackberries or grape tomatoes strewn around the box. I decided to try a veggie spaghetti with pesto dish and it arrived with the top off. Chips have come with the bag split open from weight on top. So you have to be very careful what you order. Misfits packs their produce better.
Jami says
Yes, I have had loaves of bread flattened and bags of chip shards, lol. But overall it’s not bad – I know they’re trying to fit the most in each box.
Simone says
I posted this on another “review” as well. People should know what they are getting into prior to signing up, but thankfully, there’s no “contract” and can cancel at any time.
I have been a customer of Imperfect Foods now for about three months. While I love the convenience of the service and I think the leafy green produce I receive is better than most of what I can find in a store, twice now, my order was not correct and there’s no way to really get a hold of customer service other than email. Also, the produce is apparently “thrown” into the box because when I receive it, it looks exactly like that: I don’t get bundles of carrots, they are strewn all over the box. Same with anything else that is loose such as onions, shallots, potatoes, apples, etc. (leafy greens are bundled with rubber band or twist-tie).
Twice now when I didn’t receive my full order, I contacted Imperfect immediately. I’ve received an email stating that someone will get in contact with me within 24 hours and this last time (missing many items from my order), it was a lot longer than 24 hours before the matter started to get resolved; there was no initial contact within 24 hours.
Also, the week of Thanksgiving, I was told that I would be getting my delivery on Monday rather than Tuesday, just to find out at the end of day on Monday, there was no delivery, no text or email to tell me that it was delayed to Tuesday.
I enjoy this service but maybe because it is so new, there are still many glitches. I cannot depend on the company to get my order right, so I cannot accurately meal plan with their system of “maybe you will get what you ordered” delivery, lack of communication, and inability to correct the order quickly (in other words, get me what I ordered rather than giving me a money credit).
As far as saving money, don’t think I am saving anything other than a high delivery fee. I find that I pay the same for the “imperfect” food that I would at a grocery store and sometimes, such as with certain meat items (and cheeses), Imperfect Foods is higher than the grocery store.
Molly says
While I love the idea and like the way the Imperfect Foods works, I am disappointed nearly every week by items missing from my order. I send an email nearly each time letting them know of the error and asking why it happens nearly each week. Oftentimes there is an item or two I did not order. Is this someone’s idea of offering a replacement? It’s not a replacement, I don’t offer my thanks for it, and it’s not what I ordered. Why do I keep ordering? I don’t want to go into the grocery store and I like this better than ordering delivery from a conventional grocer. That part is definitely my own issue and so I will soon give up on the far from perfect service of Imperfect Foods.
Sydney Bowers says
I have been using Imperfect foods for about 4 months now. I must say that I agree with you that it a great service, but, I have had a few problems. I had some vegetables sent with no ice so they were extremely wilted. They have sent wrong items (that’s how I discovered romanesco – I had ordered cilantro), and left out items. I had something that said keep frozen until use, and it came with no ice and was completely thawed out. They were very good about crediting my account for the wrong items, spoiled items, and the items I was not sent. The produce is not consistent, but overall, I do recommend the service.
Jami says
Thanks for your input, Sydney!