An Honest Review of Imperfect Foods Grocery Delivery
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 on your first order.
Some links in this article are affiliate links and if you click on them I will receive a small commission at no cost to you.
**Use this coupon code to save on our first order!**
Have you heard of Imperfect Foods? (UPDATE: Now merged with Misfits Markets.)
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 coupon 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 most important 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 20-30% lower than store bought.
Imperfect Foods Unboxing Video
How to Order From Imperfect Foods Grocery Delivery
I signed up and ordered my first box to test it out.
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. These things 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, thankfully.
(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 the ice pack and silver packaging!
If your boxes aren’t delivered by FedEx, you can leave the 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 (Jan. 2020) 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) $2.99
Total = $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 for delivered-to-your-door food.
Most of the time you can get free shipping with a $60+ order, too.
UPDATE: In the years since recording this unboxing, Imperfect’s prices have increased just like stores (hello, pandemic) – and they seem to have gone up with the Misfit merger as well. Because of this I only order occasionally (mostly produce when my garden isn’t producing) mainly for convenience. See more in the “January 2024 Update” below.
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.
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 this coupon code 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 Use The Coupon Code:
Simply CLICK HERE to check out the website and the 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!
*June 2021 Update*
We’ve been getting boxes regularly, and Imperfect Foods continues to deliver through the pandemic and lock downs (was I ever grateful for the deliveries then!). I wanted to address a couple things from the comments:
- 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 times 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.
- Like I mention in my review, if you can easily find produce and food cheaper in your area, this might not be the service for you – that’s okay. I still think it’s worth it to try it and see – like any store there are things I’d never pay a certain price for and other things that are decent price. I always add in the convenience of having it delivered and because I’m rural that’s good for me.
January 2024 Update
If you’ve visited the Imperfect Foods website, you may have noticed that the prices are quite a bit higher than what I listed in 2020.
Like everything, they have gone up quite a bit and to be honest I don’t order from them as much anymore.
I place an order only once a month or 6 weeks and then usually produce and a few dairy products that are similar to what I would get in stores (their butter prices have been consistent with stores, for example).
It’s been especially nice when things have been super busy and I don’t see me getting to the store to refresh our produce to be able to have it delivered. So that’s how ordering from Imperfect has been fitting into our food budget these days!
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.
I was so excited to order from here but that was short lived. Not only was my box missing items (they did refund) but most of the produce was in such bad shape it was either inedible from the start or wilted and rotten in 2 days. So for $20 the only edible products we received were: a small container of raspberries, 2 pears, a lemon and a yes bar. We threw out everything else as it was rotten. And I had to make an extra trip to the grocery store.
Hello Jami,
I am pleased to have found your site and will take my time exploring it. I came across it by searching for review about Imperfect Foods. I have been a customer for a few months now and have decided to close my account with them, not without regret. While I love the idea of reducing food waste and support their business concept, I cannot compromise with their quality any longer.
After reading the reviews on this site, my impression is that the quality of their produce varies greatly locally. So, hopefully, they can resolve the issue locally and improve.
My family lives in Houston, Texas and we do not have any problems with access to grocery stores or long distances. On the contrary, there is a grocery store war going on down here. Also, farmers markets are available, much smaller than what I am used to from Germany but, they are here and they are close.
Having said that, I thought it was worth giving Imperfect Foods a chance because the concept of reducing food waste is important to all of us. My focus with my orders has been on produce as I juice a lot. As others have written on this site, my veggies were often smaller than those at the grocery store but I did not mind that. What I did not like in past deliveries was the fact that broccoli was always ‘bendable’ when it arrived and overall the veggies never seemed to be quite fresh. – I like your photos. It is great to see the difference as my vegetables have never looked anything like that.
My last delivery on March 31, 21 was the last straw for me. – And please, see below the e-mail that I sent to Imperfect Foods, today. I am describing my complaints in detail:
April 2, 2121
“Dear customer service department,
I was in contact with your customer service yesterday and brought my issue to their attention. The reaction was immediate and friendly. They issued a partial refund of $4.57 and even offered a $10 credit in case I would decide to stay on. Thank you for that.
That is not why I am writing this email, today.
I told your customer service representative that I would be closing my account. I am doing this with disappointment because I wholeheartedly support the idea of saving food that usually will be thrown away. For that reason I embraced your business concept. – However, imperfect needs to be distinguished from rotting.
In the past, my experience has been that the vegetables you deliver are much smaller than grocery foods. That is acceptable as long as the vegetables are fresh. Unfortunately, I have had limb veggies, especially broccoli, in previous deliveries.
In my last delivery from 3/31/21, I found that three of four carrots were mushy at one end, the avocado was as small as a lemon and the apples well, they are always small. Last night, I also noticed that the chard had black and mushy sides on its stems and the cilantro was completely limb with black leaves inside. That was after my contact with you customer service representative. The chard I could still use by cutting away the black sides, and the cilantro I could revive overnight in cold water. This morning, I noticed that the avocado is starting to show green mildew spots and that was frankly too much. – Consider all of this for vegetables that are not exactly inexpensive. – Sad. – I took pictures by the way.
The reason for this email is to alert customer service about the situation and to create a record. A quick live chat does not do that I suppose and my complaint was not complete anyway.
I am hoping that your produce quality will improve in the future as the concept is worth saving.
I for my part will now close my account. Veggies are much fresher at my local farmers market and even Whole Foods and Trader’s Joe are much better options at this point.
I wish your company all the best.
Kind Regards
Christine Potthast”
This was my message to Imperfect Foods, today. I thought it might be of interest to add this to your review. While I am not overly picky or critical, I do expect is that my produce is fresh. Hopefully, they can improve their quality down here in Texas.
Thank you for your thorough review. Christine Potthast
That is too bad, Christine, but I totally get it. If my produce was anything like that I probably would never have written my review. š
From all the comments I have noticed the difference in local – which is too bad for a country wide company. I can only hope, like you, that they will be able to make their service the same no matter where you live.
Looks like Trader Joe’s beats about 90% of these prices.
There were many things not available when we ordered. The apples were very bruised. The snack mix was very small and expensive. Why if if was going to be discarded? They chose dark chocolate covered nuts and it was too much chocolate. We didn’t get a full box either order and gave up. Delivery was sketchy at best, but that may have been FedEx.
I live in Minnesota as well and although some of my items are smaller than I thought they would be, this is a great way to try foods not readily available in our stores all year due to our temperature/ and high prices. My husband and myself both work and when we r not working , we are running our kids around and my IF box safes time we just do not have much of.
Thank you for adding your thoughts!
I just moved from CA to St Paul and am shocked at food prices here!
One reason I moved was to save money.
I fear that the quality in MN may not be good, so reading your comment was helpful……perhaps worth a try???
I am a huge IP fan. I’ve been using them in Minnesota for over a year now and it just keeps getting better. I eat like a queen now. They are great with communication. Always respond to email, always text when my order is in the way and delivered.
There has been some sloppy packing of boxes but what people have to realize us this is more like a CSA than regular grocery delivery. Yes items end up sold out after I place my order sometimes, but they always notify me in advance via email. Whoever packs my boxes throws in tons of freebies. Once I got four loaves of Dave’s bread for free, along with three fresh mozzarella balls and two heads of cabbage. If it’s something I can’t use, I give it away.
Their packaged products are amazingly curated. The bakery goods are over the top amazing. They have croissant toast from La Boulangerie in SF and this cinnamon bread that comes totally drizzled in icing. Their upcycled oat pulp cookies are the bomb too.
Yes, sometimes I have to sort the spring greens and cut around bruises. Every now and then there’s a bad avocado. But you learn what’s good and what isn’t and as a single person I’m always letting stuff go bad and picking around anyway. If you’re expecting perfect, don’t buy Imperfect. The tradeoff is less food waste and a better environment. But maybe pretty peaches are more important to you.
I could never afford another grocery delivery service around here, much less all the high quality organics I get with IP. I am a customer for life!
I’m so glad you left this review, Jenelle!! I think the reviews here are the case with many of this type – the people who are happy don’t bother leaving a review, so they seem skewed. š
My experience is like yours – I’m actually amazed at the condition of our “imperfect” produce. Most of the time it sure seems perfect and if not, it’s mainly bigger or smaller sizes than in stores. But that just reminds me of what my vegetables look like when I’m harvesting from my garden! Occasionally there’s a spot (like I mention in the video), but it’s easy to cut around.
And totally agree that they’ve upped their game with the non-produce offerings! Fancy butter, deli meat, and that toast you mention – yum!!
It’s not for everyone, like anything really, but I do encourage people to at least try a box to see. Plus, it’s like Christmas opening the boxes each week. š
I live in NYC, in the hood. These prices are a joke. I can buy from the corner market, buy produce that looks the same, AND support a local small business (arent you crunchy white women all about that?) . Plus they do no contact delivery (=
I got my first and last box today, that was 50 dollars of destroyed (literally broken into pieces) produce that was supposed to be enough for 2 people for a week. It was enough for 2,perhaps 3 meals. And I’m bout that controlled portion size. šš½ My tofu was disgusting and had obv been frozen and thawed and was inedible, onions moldy, and 3 teeny tiny apples that were the cost of a pound of the same apple strain. I’m not sure what silver spoon you were born with in your mouth, but this ain’t it, sis. This most certainly ain’t it.
I’m glad you have access to such good produce for reasonable prices, Jewels.
I can only say that on the other side of the country, the IF delivery, service, and produce are working for me. I have never gotten a moldy onion, my apples are usually always the size I show in the video, and the produce isn’t all “broken,” which you can also see in the video.
It works for me, so I think it’s worth trying, but I know it won’t work for everyone.
Why do you come in so ready to be rude to a stranger? Completely and unnecessarily rude for her just giving and honest review of her thoughts.
I had some similarly experiences with Imperfect Foods. I’m in Boston, Ma. I did also notice that the fruit and veg was priced the exact same as my local Market Basket so I really wasn’t at an advantage buying from them. And I agree, the portions are very small. I couldn’t get many meals out of them at all. I think it’s the idea of ‘doing a good deed’ of some that is what’s really resonating with everyone.
I live in a food desert neighborhood which for me means no grocery stores without a 30 minutes bus ride or local shops a neighborhood over that delivers. Being high risk, Imperfect helped us avoid leaving the house during the pandemic without using Amazon/Whole Foods (because as Seattle residents, we see their impact firsthand.
It sounds like I might be lucky I’ve had such success with Imperfect for the past year. I think I had a super soft lemon once, and they gave me the wrong coffee one time, but overall it’s been super good. The fish is much cheaper and better quality than what I could normally buy around me, which is funny because living in the heart of west coast salmon fishing still doesn’t make it as affordable as what I get in my box.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience! That’s mine, too, as another West Coaster. š
What are crunchy white women? HA! I’m rolling.
I love your review… I had a very similar experience, down to the odd tofu and damaged/broken pieces. I was trying to explain to customer service about the tofu and I wish I would have thought to say it was frozen and thawed… I truly was at a loss of what had happened to it, but that makes sense to me now.
xx
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.
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.
I like the fact that you use very little plastic.
Yes.
how many potatoes in 1 lb you received. I did not see too many of them in your box.
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.
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.
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. Iām 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 youāve had any experience like this? My foods are packed in The Seattle area.
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!
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.Ā³
Itās not called or branded as āBargain Foodsā. Just because you have extra free time to cut coupons doesnāt mean that everyone does. Regardless of your particular situation, some of us work strenuous hours making it hard to sit around clipping coupons, others are housebound and canāt get to the store. For many, it IS about the convenience and mitigating food waste so it works for them.
Where do you people shop???? This prices are higher than I have ever paid in Southern California Ever!!!
You are lucky – SoCal is the heart of the produce basket for the US and you’re benefitting from your proximity.:)
I live in Massachusetts and the prices here, including at Whole Foods, are even cheaper than Imperfect Foods and the quality is better.
Good to know.
I live š n Minnesota and the prices are better than the grocery store. I pay for organic what I’d normally pay for conventional at the store.
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.
I’m so glad to know that – thanks so much for letting us know!
Wish they delivered to my ZIP code in South Florida
Hopefully they will soon, I know they are expanding!
Iāve 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.
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.
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 thereās no way to really get a hold of customer service other than email. Also, the produce is apparently āthrownā into the box because when I receive it, it looks exactly like that: I donāt 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 didnāt receive my full order, I contacted Imperfect immediately. Iāve 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 āmaybe you will get what you orderedā 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, donāt think I am saving anything other than a high delivery fee. I find that I pay the same for the āimperfectā 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.
Thanks for posting this. MY THOUGHTS/EXPERIENCES EXACTLY.
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.
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.
Thanks for your input, Sydney!