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At the time I’m writing this…we’ve been using Imperfect Produce (now called Imperfect Foods) for six months now (that’s over twenty five boxes). Before we signed up I was curious to learn more about how it works. So here’s my Imperfect Foods review. Completely honest and hopefully helpful.
UPDATE May 2020: They have a dedicated page for all your COVID questions, including information on delivery delays and how they’re handling this situation. Just click on COVID-19 in the menu and you’ll find the information you’re looking for.
Imperfect Foods Review
In this post I’ll go through the positives and negatives about my experience using Imperfect Produce, as well as what makes Imperfect Foods stand out from the rest of the produce boxes out there.
Things I love about Imperfect Foods
- No more last minute grocery store runs.
- We get to customize our box.
- They bring it to my door.
- We’re reducing food waste.
- No plastic bags.
Related: Three Online Grocery Stores To Find Real, Healthy Food
No More Last Minute Grocery Store Runs
I don’t have to stress about making it to the grocery store with my kiddos. We still go to the store for non-produce items, but by using Imperfect Produce, we don’t ever reach the point where the fridge is empty and everyone’s hungry. That’s not a good situation to be in.
With Imperfect Produce I know the box will come on Tuesday afternoon and it’ll provide apples, oranges, vegetables, and sometimes a non-produce item that I want to try out. They’ve recently added a bunch of discounted pantry staples like oils, vinegar, snacks, pasta, and more.
Customize Your Box
We’ve used other produce delivery services before, and the one thing that we didn’t like was the big element of surprise. It made it hard to meal plan when we didn’t know what produce we would be getting.
On Thursdays I log in and know exactly what’s coming in my box. PLUS I can add and remove as much as I’d like. If we have a week with an abundance of produce, I can skip the box all-together, or only get a couple items that I need. You only pay for what’s in your box.
When you go to sign up, you get to choose whether you want the Organic box or the Regular box, and what size works for you. At this moment, there is small, medium, large, extra large, and organic, fruit only, vegetable only, and a mixed fruit/veg. We signed up for the Large – Organic mixed fruit & vegetable box.
They’ve recently added even more options (other than just produce). Now, when you sign up for a box you’ll get the option to add on other non-produce grocery items.
This is what you’ll see:
Try Imperfect Produce TODAY! Use this link for $10 off your first box.
They bring it to my door
Our first box arrived on a Tuesday afternoon. A van labeled “Imperfect Produce” found our house (which is a feat in and of itself). We have a really long driveway and we’re kind of out in the country.
I felt bad about making the driver come all the way out to us, but when I mentioned it, she was all smiles and was super friendly. She told me we’re not even the farthest ones out, so that made me feel a little better.
Try Imperfect Produce TODAY! Use this link for $10 off your first box.
We’re reducing food waste
I was initially interested in Imperfect Produce because of their mission to reduce food waste and sell the less-than-perfect-looking produce that would otherwise be wasted. I’ve been learning about how much food is wasted because it doesn’t look good enough to make the supermarket shelves.
When I look closely at the apples from our apple trees and compare them with apples from the store, I saw that the home-grown apples often have little marks on them. It doesn’t mean they are any less delicious or that anything is wrong with them. It just means they were grown on our giant old apple trees in our yard. It’s hard to think about all the perfectly good fruit that is thrown away because of little imperfections like that.
Imperfect Produce sources food that would otherwise be wasted and sells it at a discount. We get the organic box and it does save us money. Not only does it save us money on the price of the produce, but also because I have fewer trips to the store. Fewer trips to the store = fewer spontaneous purchases = good news for the budget. Looking to overhaul your grocery budget? Sign up for this awesome course that’ll help you every step of the way.
No plastic bags
We try to use re-usable produce bags when we go to the store, but inevitably there’s a few times where I don’t bring enough, or I just forget the bags all together. Imperfect Foods boxes up the fruit and vegetables without the need for any plastic bags. The items that could get bruised easily are usually put in a plastic container within the box.
Try Imperfect Produce TODAY! Use this link for $10 off your first box.
Things I don’t like about Imperfect Foods
- It’s not a one-stop-shop for all your grocery needs (although they’re getting there with recent changes). There are still things I need to get at the grocery store. The difference is that I’m never desperate for produce, which is a big deal to me. Because we eat a lot of veggies. UPDATE 5/11/2020: With their recent changes you can add on dairy, snacks, meat/fish, and grains for an additional fee.
- Their selection changes weekly, so if you like eating the same meal over and over, you’ll need to still go to the grocery store on the weeks they don’t carry an item.
- Delivery fee. This isn’t really something I don’t like about them, because like I said, they come ALL THE WAY out to our house and it’s totally worth the convenience to me. But I wanted to mention it, because it might not be worth it to you. There’s a $4.99 delivery fee for each box you have delivered.
- It’s not available everywhere. They’re growing quickly, but they still aren’t available in every city. Check their website here to see if they deliver to your area. If they’re not, it’s very possible they’ll be there soon.
What do you think? Do the pros outweigh the cons? Is it something you might be interested in trying out? If so, click here to get $10 off your first box today!
What’s Different About Imperfect Foods?
We’ve tried a bunch of other produce delivery services in the last few years. Here’s what makes Imperfect Produce (or Imperfect Foods as they’re now called) stand out above the rest.
More control
You get to choose what goes in and what stays out of your box every single week. You also get to log in a few days before your delivery and see ALL the options. So instead of letting someone else decide what you get, YOU pick. This makes it easier to think through my weekly meal plan and make sure I’m getting food I’ll actually eat.
Sense of Humor
I laugh out loud sometimes at their weekly newsletters and their blog. Here’s an example on their error page.
I think we could all use a little more laughter in our lives…don’t you?
Hand Delivered
The produce box is hand delivered by somebody in the company. It’s not shipped via UPS, it’s hand delivered to your door by somebody in an Imperfect Produce van. And the drivers always seem really happy to be there.
Environmental Focus
Food waste is a really big problem, and I appreciate that Imperfect Produce is trying to help address the problem. Grocery stores want the food to look “perfect” and won’t even accept the imperfect shaped or colored produce. But that’s exactly what Imperfect Produce does.
Ready to try Imperfect Produce? Start here and get $10 off.
Questions you might have
Yes. There is a $4.99 delivery fee for each delivery.
Go to their website, click on the “Sign Up” button. It’ll ask you for your zip code, and when you put it in they will tell you yes or no!
Usually no. As long as it’s clear to the driver where to leave the box. There’s a place for “Driver Instructions” in the sign-up process. This is where I explain that we have an extremely long driveway and ask them to put the box on our porch.
I emailed them to ask this question and they said the farms they’re sourcing their food from differ each week, depending on where there’s excess produce they can use. But they mostly source food from medium to large farms. Their business model was designed this way (which makes sense to me…bigger farms, more surplus/imperfect produce to provide). Their website says they source 78% of their produce from family farms or cooperatives, 13% is wholesale, 6% comes from grower representatives, and 3% comes from corporate farmers. If you want more transparency in where your meat is coming from, look into something like Crowd Cow.
They deliver Monday through Friday from 12pm to 8pm. Which day they deliver to you depends on your zip code. To find out when they would deliver to you, enter your zip code on the sign up page. It says on their FAQ page that they can provide a shorter window if it’s more convenient for you, but you can’t change the day.
There is an automated text message when your box is getting close (under 10 minutes). And another text when the box has been delivered.
When you specify where you want them to drop the box, you can specify “in the shade” (assuming there is some). Or you can put a cooler on your porch and ask them to put the box in the cooler and close the lid. The drivers won’t deliver to a garage or inside your house.
According to their website, online grocery stores aren’t allowed to accept SNAP and other benefits. However, they have a reduced-cost box for anyone who meets the requirement for CalFresh/SNAP/EBT benefits. When you sign up, click the box to apply for a reduced cost box and you’ll get a 33% discount if approved.
Conclusion
Grocery shopping is a pain. Give Imperfect Foods a try. It makes shopping less stressful, delivers produce to your door, and it’ll feel like you’re doing your part to help reduce food waste (and cut back on plastic produce bags).
Ready to try Imperfect Produce? Use this link and Get $10 off your first box today!
Or, pin this for when you’re ready
Corey says
This was great! I’ve been wanting to learn more about Imperfect Produce and you outlined it all so thoroughly!
Megan says
Corey, Hope you found all the info you were looking for!