An Honest Review of Misfits Market

I understand the appeal of beautiful food; we eat first with our eyes (and our phones) after all. But if we only choose the most beautiful produce, we let perfectly edible food go to waste. That’s where companies like Misfits Market and Imperfect Foods (edit: now both under the same umbrella) come in – their goal is to reduce the amount of food that gets discarded due to being deemed unacceptable by grocery store standards or surplus. I’ve been a member of the former since December 2019 and thought it was time to write an honest review. Because I believe it’s important to be clear about these things, you should know: this post is not sponsored, I’ve never partnered with the brand, and I’ve purchased everything listed. You will find my referral link within this post – if you decide to sign up using my link you will receive a discount on your first order, and I will receive a credit (at the time of writing, this discount/credit amount is $10, but sometimes it is even higher).

I decided to join the program after looking into CSAs in the Charlotte area shortly after I moved here – my primary sources of produce in our hometown were shares from a local CSA and a local grocer with a farm (which featured discount bin for overripe or damaged produce) – and while they do exist here, it simply was out of my budget for the amount of produce my household usually consumes. So, I joined Misfits Market, which at the time was running a half-off signup special, for a bi-weekly delivery.

Since joining nearly two years ago the service has changed drastically. Initially, the company offered two box sizes for delivery – the Mischief (small) and the Madness (large). I opted for the Mischief, said to contain twelve different types of produce weighing 10-13 pounds for a total of $27.27 after tax and shipping. At first, the boxes seemed to contain much more than that; I was absolutely blown away by the bounty arriving at my doorstep every other week for around $50 per month. Often I would have to scramble to finish a box before the next one arrived. But then the pandemic happened, and it hit the company hard. It seemed everyone was clamoring to sign up for a subscription when we were being told to quarantine at home, and they stopped accepting new members for some time. During that period I noticed delays in shipping and a decline in the quantity and quality of the items I received; things were packed haphazardly, like a heavy butternut squash crushing tomatoes packed below, and on more than one occasion the box arrived with a punctured cold pack. These troubles were frustrating, but it seemed safer than heading out to shop in person. I switched my membership to a weekly delivery for a few weeks, and Michael and I were able to avoid the grocery store for over a month at a time.

Eventually, they seemed to find their footing again, and over the next year, I received a box twice a month on average. I looked forward to delivery day, tracking the package through FedEx, and getting my reusable produce bags ready. Most of the items I received were from the USA and seasonally appropriate, although there were definitely products from Mexico and Central America in the mix. Once the box arrived, I could meal plan for the week. I’m pretty good at coming up with meals based on a list of ingredients, but not knowing what would arrive and receiving items I may not have selected forced me to find new uses for things. For example, collards arrived repeatedly over the summer of 2020, and in addition to cooking them in the southern way, I also discovered the large leaves could be used in place of a wrap. Any scraps (kale stems, yellow center celery stalks, etc.) usually found their way into my morning smoothie.

This past summer, though, Misfits Market changed their program structure. Rather than receiving a random selection of fruits and vegetables, customers now have the option to build their own boxes during a three-day shopping period each week. The selection changes weekly, and it now includes pantry staples, conventional produce, meat, and fish in addition to organic produce. The minimum purchase amount is now $30, and shipping costs $4.50 (although their FAQ states it costs $5.50; this could vary by market) May 2022 update: shipping now starts at $5.99; our shipping cost is now $7.99 per box. This means that no matter what I order now, the cost will always be more than the Mischief box I initially subscribed to. Because of that, and because it’s not an automated purchase anymore, I tend to only order every 2-4 weeks now and supplement with trips to the grocery store (typically Aldi or Trader Joe’s). It is immensely helpful, though, to know what I’m expecting to receive because it ultimately leads to better-planned meals. The prices change along with the selection, so a squash purchased this week may be cheaper next week but a head of broccoli might cost more on your next order. Although it depends on the item, for my area I’d say Misfit’s Market prices are on average: slightly more expensive than Aldi/Lidl, around the same price as Trader Joe’s, and significantly cheaper than non-sale prices at Whole Foods/Harris Teeter/Publix. Here are four of my recent orders to compare with prices in your area:

While not receiving a mix of assorted produce means I never have to face a fennel bulb (my arch nemesis) again, I do somewhat miss the surprise of it all. But I also appreciate that I can order more than just produce now, and typically at a discount – Minor Figures oat milk, for example, is $5 at World Market (no longer available) or $4.16 online from the manufacturer (plus shipping). When ordered from Misfits Market, it has never cost more than $3. Meat, fish, and meat alternatives are available to order in a “cold pack” – the minimum order for a cold pack is $30, which counts toward your minimum for produce. This means you can meet the order minimum with $30 of just meat/seafood/alt-meat, but you can’t order $25 of produce and $5 of meat/fish. I try to eat animal protein at home no more than once or twice a week, so I’ve never ordered a cold pack. However, Misfits guarantees the items in the cold pack will arrive safely and offers a refund if the temperature rises above 40ºF or if anything gets punctured.

So, how does everything arrive at your door, anyway? Products arrive at your door a few days after ordering and are currently packaged in a cardboard box lined with recyclable paper insulation and containing one or two ice packs. These ice packs are reusable, although I wish there was a way to send them back for the next shipment (in the meantime, my local food bank is able to use them). The contents  of the ice packs are supposed to be safe to pour down the drain, and the bags can be cleaned and recycled with other plastic bags (typically accepted at collection bins located at grocery stores). Each box comes with a recipe card and/or flyer for products available the following week. Frankly, I would prefer this to be an email newsletter or a section on their website. Sometimes fragile items like tomatoes arrive in compostable clamshells, and unfortunately, most of the time peppers arrive in plastic bags and baby greens are packaged in plastic clamshells, which are not accepted by most recycling facilities.

Most of the time I can’t believe the produce is unacceptable for a grocery store shelf. Yes, sometimes things seem smaller or larger than you might expect or you may have to cut out a little bruised spot, but ultimately everything is just fine. However, on more than one occasion I’ve received produce damaged in transit; Misfits Market has been incredibly slow to respond to complaints about damaged items, although I typically receive a credit for the amount for a future order.

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room – is this the most sustainable option? Choosing a CSA and/or shopping at a local farmer’s market is the most sustainable option (apart from say, growing your own veggies), but it can be prohibitively expensive. I’m the first to admit that I can’t afford to do all of my weekly shopping locally. And we can’t just ignore the fact that our produce travels a long way to get to our tables, and how much of an environmental burden that is. But food waste is also a burden – the resources required to grow food that just gets tossed can’t be ignored either. In a perfect world, we would all have easy access to purchasing affordable food grown locally, but that’s not the case. I’m not an expert at determining emissions footprints (or even a novice), but I would assume that the environmental cost of shipping produce to a local grocery store and me driving in my car to buy it is about the same as having it delivered to my door. So to me, it’s six of one, half a dozen of the other. It’s very easy to get all The Good Place on making these decisions; I don’t know that as consumers we are presented with the right options for balancing our budget and footprint.

Will I continue ordering? For the foreseeable future, yes. While it’s no longer my primary source of produce, I’ll continue supplementing my grocery purchases through Misfits Market once or twice a month. I also will consider trying Charlotte-based Freshlist, which offers local produce and ingredients for delivery or pickup at Charlotte-area breweries – but again, cost is an issue. 2022 update for locals: I’ve tried Farmstead once – see my order here – and think it’s a great option for frequent travelers who prioritize local products, as it can be delivered same-day. 2023 update: Farmstead no longer serves Charlotte.

Who should order through Misfits Market? People who live in one of the 44 48 states Misfits Market serves, enjoy eating organic produce yet can’t always afford it at the store, don’t mind ugly produce or cutting away bad spots, like the option of meal-planning, and those who are just too busy to shop in person. Who shouldn’t order through Misfits Market? People who don’t live in the delivery area, who prefer to consume only local products, who are squeamish about foods that look imperfect, and people who grocery shop impulsively and prefer instant gratification.

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If you found this post helpful and want to give Misfits Market a try – I’d greatly appreciate it if you use my referral link to sign up. By doing so, we’ll each receive $10 off our orders, and you’ll also receive my eternal gratitude ❤️.

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