I’m thrilled to finally do a Misfits Market review. I’ve wanted to try them for a few years, but it was one of those things that kept getting pushed to the back burner.
I’m the meal planner and grocery shopper in the house about 95 percent of the time. That task got more complicated in 2020 when the whole family was suddenly home 24/7.
Before that, my husband would eat lunch at the office, and my daughter would eat at school, so I didn’t have to plan as many meals and didn’t run out of inspiration as often.
There were some shifts within the grocery budget, too, with increasing prices, lack of availability of some items, and everyone eating at home all the time. We also wanted to stay out of the stores as much as possible.
Now my husband works from home most of the time. My daughter can eat snacks in class and take more interesting, nutritious lunches if she chooses to (microwave access helps a lot), so things still haven’t changed that much.
All that to say, I will take inspiration, convenience, and grocery savings however they appear, and Misfits Market looked helpful. So I wanted to try it.
Embark on a culinary adventure like no other as they bring you a vibrant array of deliciously imperfect produce, delivered straight from the farm to your doorstep. Embrace the uniqueness, savor the flavors, and transform every meal into a celebration of sustainable, fresh, and extraordinary ingredients.
Features of Misfits Market
- Discounted produce and other foods that wouldn’t make the cut in other stores due to size, imperfections, excess stock, or upcycled ingredients
- Curated shopping carts based on what you love and use
- Flexibility within the cart–edit what they choose for you as needed
- Weekly deliveries (you can skip when you need to, though)
- Opportunities to shop with points earned or earn money toward future orders with their referral program
- Introduction to foods you might not have tried
- An extensive delivery map
- No sign-up fee–it’s free to join!
- A user-friendly site that makes it easy to manage your account
What Do They Offer?
It’s more than just produce, but let’s talk about that first.
Misfits Market has mostly certified organic and non-GMO produce that they’ve “rescued” from other places where it might go to waste. Sometimes, they’ll have conventionally grown produce, too, but the organic produce is always clearly marked.
It’s not like a regular grocery store where you go in, expect to find everything, choose exactly what you want, and check out. Though there is plenty to choose from (they boast 500+ grocery items), the selection could vary weekly. That makes it exciting to shop with them.
I’d never even heard of watermelon radishes, but I saw them there and added some to my cart because I love trying new things. On a random Sunday morning, I sliced one up and tried it. (It was sweeter than a regular radish, but similar in flavor, if you’re wondering.)
In addition, you can find sauces, jellies, baked goods, snacks, beverages, meat, seafood, dairy, eggs, and pantry staples (I picked up some pasta with my order). A lot of what’s here that isn’t produce is a result of overstock.
Pros
- You don’t have to pay a fee to sign up.
- You save money on quality foods (there’s lots of produce, but it’s not just produce).
- The shipping is fast.
- They pre-fill your cart with suggestions, which can lead to meal-planning inspiration.
- There are recipes on the site for even more inspiration (they look good!).
- It minimizes food waste by “rescuing” food from farmers and food makers.
- The produce was fresh when I got it and lasted several days before I got around to eating it. I still have a grapefruit and some sweet potatoes sitting on the counter over a week later.
- You can choose the day you want the box to arrive to coincide with your schedule, but it’s not wide open. Where you live will determine which days you can choose from. For example, my delivery day is Thursday, and I can only change it to Wednesday.
- You can save money by shopping with points earned on previous orders and/or referring friends and family.
- Their delivery area covers most of the United States.
- There’s a Food Preferences section (in beta as of this writing) where you can give feedback on the produce they put in your cart. You don’t just offer your opinion on what you got, but also what they suggested. So if you don’t like apples, for example, you can give the apples they put in your cart (that you removed) a thumbs-down to lower the chances of them showing up again.
- The site is user-friendly. It’s easy to navigate and understand.
- They help you reuse or recycle your packaging.
Cons
- Your produce might not be as pretty as it would be in the store, but that’s kind of the whole point. It’s still delicious.
- Some of what I ordered was unavailable when my box was packed and shipped. (I wasn’t charged for it, and they let me know before the package arrived.)
- You’ll need to remember to go in and edit your cart and/or skip the shipment in the allotted window or risk things you don’t need.
- There’s a window of about 2.5 days to add or remove items from your cart. I like to build my cart through the week wherever I’ll be ordering from as I think of things I need or want to make, so that’s a minor inconvenience.
- There’s a $45.00 minimum order.
- I wish I could choose from more than two delivery days, but I understand that it’s based on when they deliver to my area.
- Auto-processing can be a blessing because it’s less that you have to keep up with. Still, it could also be bad if you’re on a tight budget, don’t need food from Misfits Market that week, and forget to skip in time.
How It Works
With Misfits Market, you get a customized shopping experience based on how many people you’re feeding and the types of foods you want to buy.
For example, I selected 1-2 people, Fruits, Vegetables, and Snacks, and it created a cart for me. It gave me a price range my future orders will stay within (unless I add more).
Each category has a “starting from” price. For instance, if you want to include fruit for 1-2 people in your box, that section starts at $15.99 ($19.99 if you’re shopping for three or more people).
Vegetables start at $19.99. Bakery starts at $8.99. You’ll get the stated amount of produce from your chosen categories in each box they curate for you. So you can expect about $15.99 worth of fruit, etc., in each box. As you add categories, you can monitor your weekly plan’s price to ensure you stay within your budget.
Ordering
As soon as you set up your account, you’ll have a cart ready to go that reflects your category preferences. You can make changes if you see something you don’t like or if something you want to add isn’t already there.
The produce could be funny-looking, as these are “rescued” items that could otherwise go to waste. When you shop, you’ll see why an item’s listed so you can decide if you still want it. Some of the products in jars might’ve been made with imperfect berries, like the Chia Smash I ordered. Other items are there just because there was overstock.
Shipping
Shipping was fast once my box shipped. I got the email that my items had been sent on August 1st, and the box was delivered early on August 3rd, right on time.
In the email, they’ll tell you if there was anything you ordered that they couldn’t fulfill (you’re not charged for them if they can’t, so it’s not like you’re agreeing to pay a specific amount per week, no matter what you get).
When I log into my account, it shows that the box was shipped on August 3rd and delivered (by Veho) on August 3rd. Either way, it was quick, and nothing was bad when I got it. The box was well-insulated and had an ice pack at the bottom to keep things cool.
My Thoughts on the Products I Got
The whole point of Misfits Market is to put “less pretty” groceries to good use. Mine looked fine to me, though. I don’t care what it looks like as long as it’s fresh, but I thought everything looked great.
When it was time to ship, they were out of a couple of the things I ordered (cucumbers and some crackers), but I wasn’t charged for them, and they let me know before the box arrived, so I had time to go get replacements from the store if I needed to. That would’ve been more of an issue if those items had been for a recipe, but they were just snacks, so it wasn’t a big deal.
I ordered two sweet potatoes and got five. They were small, though, so that might’ve been why.
The Curated Cart
I appreciated the cart they put together for me, even though I swapped some things out.
When I looked through it, I saw blueberries, limes, and avocados. I immediately felt inspired to create a salad with blueberries, avocado, sliced almonds, and honey-lime dressing, so I added the greens to the cart. I had everything else I needed, including burgers I needed a side for that wasn’t more broccoli (the go-to lazy vegetable to steam in the microwave around here).
I ordered tomatoes for the burgers, and they were beautiful–they looked as good as, if not better, than what I get at the grocery store. It was just what the weekday needed!
The cucumbers they added for me were no longer available when the packing date came around, so just be aware that just because they added it, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll still have it when it’s time to ship the box.
Price Comparisons
Here’s an example: For two organic avocados at Misfits Market, it was $5.69. I checked Publix through Instacart (assume a bit of markup for Instacart, plus the delivery fee or optional membership fee that can save you money on delivery fees), and it was $6.63.
However, you might save money somewhere like Aldi or Lidl. Currently, Aldi’s showing three organic avocados for $3.75 (using Instacart).
Who This Is For
- People who want to save money on groceries and don’t mind if their produce doesn’t look perfect as long as it’s fresh.
- People who like inspiration when it comes to meal planning, thanks to recipes on the site and pre-filled carts. (The recipes you may see while you look around don’t match up to the items in your cart, but you can look through them for inspiration and then add the ingredients to your next order.)
- Those who want to play a part in cutting back on food waste.
Who It’s Not For
- “Out of sight, out of mind” people who will set up a cart and then forget to check it before it sends more food automatically.
- People who enjoy going to the grocery store to pick out their own produce.
- Last-minute meal planners and grocery shoppers (unless you’re trying to change that)
Alternatives to Try
Thrive Market
I like Thrive Market, too, but I don’t love that you need to pay a fee to sign up and place an order. If you order a lot of your groceries from them throughout your membership, you’ll make it up, but it still stings to pay for it upfront. (It also helps that they frequently send emails about product discounts.) I took solace in the fact that they sent a generous welcome gift with my first order, and I got to choose between a few options so they’d be things I’d actually use.
I was overwhelmed (in a good way) by the Thrive Market options they had once I got out of the section they’d curated for me. When you first sign up, you’ll see recommendations based on your answers to their questionnaire. Shipping was fast. It only took a couple of days. I like that you can shop there anytime instead of waiting for a specific window each week.
Instacart
I’ve used Instacart for years. You don’t have to sign up as a member to use it, but it’s worth it for the money you’ll save on delivery fees if you use it often. I like that you get access to many stores in the area, including members-only stores like Costco and Sam’s Club.
You don’t need to plan much more than a couple of hours in advance (you can get your order in as little as two hours or choose a time slot for delivery), which I love for last-minute meal-planning days.
However, it’s expensive because some, if not most, prices are higher on the app and in the store, and you’ll need to factor in a tip for your shopper. You can lower your cost by choosing pick-up instead of delivery. If your area has an Aldi, Lidl, or similar store, you may still get close to Misfits Market pricing on some items even when you use Instacart.
Hello Fresh
Hello Fresh is fun to use because you get to choose recipes (or let them choose, as you can set these up to automatically ship each week, too). Then the groceries you need to cook those meals will be delivered to your door like clockwork.
It’s more expensive, and you don’t get to pick and choose extra grocery items outside of your meals (so you won’t be able to order eggs, butter, or a random, interesting-looking pasta to stock your pantry and fridge).
When you compare Misfits Market vs. Hello Fresh, Hello Fresh is a lot more expensive. Still, they’ve also done the work of putting recipes together and selecting all the items you need to create them at home.
Both work in different ways to try to minimize food waste, though. Hello Fresh gives you precisely what you need to make specific meals. No more letting extra produce go bad in the refrigerator drawer.
You’ll still have to go to the store or use an additional service if you choose Hello Fresh, but they can do the bulk of the meal planning for you each week and send you the ingredients for those. That way, you’ll still spend less at the store because you’ll only need to pick up a few things. And less time figuring out what to eat and what you need to buy to make it happen.
HelloFresh delivers weekly meal kits with delicious, prepped ingredients and easy-to-cook recipes directly to your door. Take the guesswork out of meal planning and cook delicious food for you or your whole family. Unlock 16 free meals and enjoy complimentary breakfast for life with code VENTURE16FB
FAQs
Question: Is it Hard to Cancel Misfits Market?
Answer: No, it’s easy to skip and cancel under your account’s “My Plan” section.
Question: Is Misfits Market Cheaper than the Grocery Store?
Answer: It depends on the product, the stores you usually shop at, and whether or not you use a delivery service. Generally, though, I’d say yes.
Question: Is Misfits actually good?
Answer: Yes. The prices are better than reasonable, shipping is fast, the cart selections and recipes are inspiring, and the food is fresh.
Conclusion: Try It
I wish I’d tried Misfits Market sooner. The savings, the selection, the opportunity to try new things, the fighting of food waste, the reusing/recycling help with the packaging I never quite knew what to do with, and the built-in inspiration from a curated cart make it a win for me. I also appreciate that you don’t have to pay a fee to sign up and try it out, and if you don’t like it, it’s easy to cancel.
Embark on a culinary adventure like no other as they bring you a vibrant array of deliciously imperfect produce, delivered straight from the farm to your doorstep. Embrace the uniqueness, savor the flavors, and transform every meal into a celebration of sustainable, fresh, and extraordinary ingredients.
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