I save money on organic groceries with Misfits Market, the subscription that sells 'ugly' produce

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• I ordered groceries from Misfits Market and loved how easy, customizable, and efficient it was.
• My produce, oat milk, and snacks arrived safely and everything was fresh and delicious. 
• Misfits Market recently acquired its competitor Imperfect Foods, which offers a similar shopping experience.

I actually love grocery shopping in person, but sometimes making a trip to the store during a busy week just isn't possible. That's when online grocery delivery is a game-changer. One of my favorite online grocery services is Misfits Market, a company especially worth trying if you care about buying organic and Earth-friendly groceries from places like Thrive Market. 

Misfits is convenient, reasonably priced, and importantly, focuses on produce that would've gone to waste because of things like cosmetic imperfections or surplus inventory. Misfits also now owns Imperfect Foods, bringing together two sustainable grocery powerhouses. Learn more about the merger and changes to the experience.

How does Misfits Market work?

Once you sign up for Misfits Market, you'll set your Plan Preferences. Here, you can choose how many people you're shopping for and all the different kinds of items you want to see in your cart. Misfits carries fruits, veggies, pantry items, baked goods, meat, seafood, dairy and eggs, beverages, and more. 

Misfits will pre-populate your cart with suggested groceries. During a designated three-day shopping window, you're allowed to adjust your cart, taking out and adding items as you wish. You can only pick out your items during this window before your box ships out. I recommend shopping as early as possible once your shopping window opens (you can set calendar reminders) because some items sell out quickly. You can easily skip a week or pause your subscription. 

You can't choose your own delivery day with Misfits— a delivery day is assigned to you based on your location. After confirming your order, you'll get notifications for when it's shipped out and delivered. There's free shipping for orders over $70 and an order minimum of $25. A flat shipping rate of $6.99 applies to orders under $70. Misfits Market currently delivers to all contiguous 48 states. 

What kind of groceries can you get? 

The majority of Misfits Market's produce is certified organic and non-GMO, with items clearly labeled if they're not.  When I shopped in the middle of summer, cherries, tomatoes, watermelon, mangoes, and cucumbers were abundant. I tried the service for a second time at the beginning of spring, and I saw asparagus, broccoli, mushrooms, and turnips.  

In addition to fresh produce, herbs, and proteins, Misfits Market carries milk (and milk alternatives), snacks, and drinks. Many of the pantry brands available focus on sustainability and healthy eating. For example, I've ordered tortilla chips from Garden of Eatin', which are made with organic, sustainably harvested corn, and oat milk from Minor Figures, a carbon-neutral brand. 

Newer to the platform is wine. You can order 3-, 6-, and 12-packs of wine that are organic, low-sulfite, or vegan. 

All of Misfit's groceries come from sources like farms and brand partners where the items may have gone to waste otherwise. These range from surplus inventory to out-of-date packaging to cosmetic imperfections.  

I can always count on timely delivery, efficient packaging, and high-quality produce. 

The groceries in both my orders from Misfits Market arrived intact, save for a couple slightly dented boxes, and in great quality. I was impressed with how efficiently packed each box is and how the package is organized into a few sections to make unboxing a bit easier. 

The produce is not individually wrapped, which helps save space and is fine by me since I'll be washing it anyways. When I ordered meat and seafood, they were placed in their own section of the box along with an ice pack. 

As with any online grocery delivery service, you're relinquishing the control of picking out the exact zucchini or bunch of cilantro that you want, and you just have to trust the service to pick out ripe, fresh produce for you. In return, you save on time and energy. I've never experienced any problems with the quality or freshness of the items that I got from Misfits.

Misfits Market versus Imperfect Foods

	Misfits Market	Imperfect Foods
Cost of grocery items	On average, 20 items cost $50 total	On average, 18 items cost $40 total
Shipping fee	Free for orders over $70; $6.99 flat rate for orders under $70	Free for orders over $60; $6.99 flat rate for orders under $60
Delivery day	Assigned to you based on zip code	Assigned to you based on zip code
Delivery areas	Contiguous 48 states	Most of the West South Central region, Midwest, Northeast and all along the West Coast

Misfits Market purchased Imperfect Foods in 2022. They continue to operate as two separate services, though Misfits now uses Imperfect's delivery vehicles: don't be confused if you see one pull up to your driveway after you order from Misfits. 

Both offer fresh produce, proteins, dairy, snacks, and pantry staples. Imperfect also sells some household and beauty items. 

We're still in the process of retesting Imperfect, but the primary difference between the two appears to be price and availability. Misfits Market operates in the lower 48 states, while Imperfect Foods still operates regionally. Here's the full list of Imperfect Foods' delivery areas.

We're looking forward to retesting both services to better understand the differences post-merger, but for now we recommend Misfits Market over Imperfect Foods if you like more customizability in your grocery ordering and delivery experience. 

Is Misfits Market worth it?

Now that I've used Misfits Markets a couple times, I can confirm that it's a convenient and quick way to get your groceries delivered. I'm always able to order everything on my grocery list — from greens to snacks and seltzers to a whole watermelon — thanks to the organized, easy-to-navigate site. I love that most options were organic, yet the prices weren't outrageous. The delivery is reliable and it's easy to adjust your future deliveries or account settings for your needs. 

Pros:

• Large variety of mostly organic produce and sustainably sourced grocery items.
• Great customer service if your produce or groceries are squished.
• Selection changes regularly. 
• Rewards system gives you freebies for doing your regular grocery shopping. 
• It is easy to skip or cancel your delivery.

Cons: 

• Availability with produce varies on the season, therefore stock is often low.
• Limited shopping window.
• Unable to choose your own delivery date
• Grocery stores sometimes have cheaper and more competitive prices.
• Cannot specify food allergies.