I tried Misfits Market, the online produce store for "funny-looking" veggies. I won't be reordering.

Mary MeisenzahlOct 24, 2022, 19:10 IST

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Misfits Market sells "funny-looking" organic produce online through weekly delivery boxes.
I tried out the service and found the fruits and vegetables were fine, but I didn't save any money.

Food prices are up more than 13% over the same time last year, and many people are changing up grocery shopping habits to find better deals.

The fresh fruit section.Irene Jiang / Business Insider

I try to eat a lot of in-season fruits and vegetables, so I decided to try out Misfits Market and see if it might be a good way to get affordable produce.

Misfits Market has raised more than $525M in funding. It announced plans Wednesday to buy Imperfect Foods.Misfits Market

The company has raised over $500 million in funding with the pitch of selling produce that's "too big, too small, or just sort of funny-looking," that would otherwise go to waste.

Photo by Jared Siskin/Getty Images for Misfits Market

The company has raised over $500 million in funding with the pitch of selling produce that's "too big, too small, or just sort of funny-looking," that would otherwise go to waste.

In September, Misfits Market announced plans to acquire competitor Imperfect Foods for an undisclosed amount, allowing them to better compete with brick and mortar grocery retailers.

Imperfect Foods

In September, Misfits Market announced plans to acquire competitor Imperfect Foods for an undisclosed amount, allowing them to better compete with brick and mortar grocery retailers.

I visited the Misfits Market website to sign up, where I chose a weekly grocery plan over the a la carte option.

Misfits Market

When you sign up for weekly deliveries, you'll get a specific day each week with a three day shopping window.

Misfits Market

When you're within the window, there are hundreds of foods and drinks to scroll through and add to your cart.

Misfits Market

The selection isn't huge, but it covers most things I'd want in a regular grocery trip.

Misfits Market

I liked the availability of seasonal items, like squash.

Misfits Market

Each item has a stated price and information about how much it is discounted from typical market price.

Misfits Market

It's not clear exactly where this information comes from, because I can buy whole organic carrots at Walmart in my area for 96 cents per pound, less than the $1.19 price from Misfits Market.

Walmart

It's not clear exactly where this information comes from, because I can buy whole organic carrots at Walmart in my area for 96 cents per pound, less than the $1.19 price from Misfits Market.

Each item also comes with suggestions for how to prepare it, which is nice but not really necessary for basic vegetables like carrots and onions.

Misfits Market

Your order automatically ships on the selected date, either with groceries you've specifically selected or an automatic list if you don't change it.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

I went with the suggestions for my first box, including blackberries, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

It came out to just over $40 after my first order discount, including shipping.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Misfits Market texted me when my order shipped and when it was delivered, which I appreciated.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

The box was sitting in my apartment building's doorway by the time I received the text. It was decorated with misshapen fruit, which I thought was cute.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

I think the branding is very clever; it makes you feel like you're doing something good by buying this "sometimes normal" produce.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Inside there were several layers of packaging and isolation to keep everything cold.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

There was an ice pack, some styrofoam, and lots of cardboard.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Everything looked to be in good condition when I finally got past the packaging.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

I started unpacking, and everything looked about how I expected it should.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

As promised, some of the produce looked a little non-standard, but fine.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Some of the bell peppers were smaller than the ones I typically buy at the grocery store, but I expected that.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Everything seemed very fresh except for one pepper that was soft in some spots, but parts of it were still salvageable.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

The broccoli was much more stalk than flower, which isn't my favorite part to eat but I made it work.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Overall I thought the quality of the produce was mostly good.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Prices were a bit more than I usually pay, but not to a huge degree.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

I live in an area with a lower cost of living than many cities, so it's possible some shoppers would see more savings if they live in higher cost areas.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

The main issue I had was just with the volume of food.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

I live in a household of two people, so even with large batches of soups and stir frys this is a lot of food to get through before it spoils.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

I probably wouldn't order a smaller amount though, because I wanted to hit a certain amount of food to make the shipping costs feel worthwhile.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

The other disadvantage of buying perishable food this way is that, of course, you don't necessarily get to pick the freshest items.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

None of the items I got had spoiled, but it would have been nice to have a longer window to use them.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

It's the same reason that I don't like to buy milk through a grocery pickup service anymore, because I like to choose the one with the latest expiration date.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Overall I love the idea of Misfits Market and avoiding food waste, but I think it would only make sense in very specific situations, and mine isn't one of them.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

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I tried Misfits Market, the online produce store for "funny-looking" veggies. I won't be reordering.

Food prices are up more than 13% over the same time last year, and many people are changing up grocery shopping habits to find better deals.

I try to eat a lot of in-season fruits and vegetables, so I decided to try out Misfits Market and see if it might be a good way to get affordable produce.

The company has raised over $500 million in funding with the pitch of selling produce that's "too big, too small, or just sort of funny-looking," that would otherwise go to waste.

In September, Misfits Market announced plans to acquire competitor Imperfect Foods for an undisclosed amount, allowing them to better compete with brick and mortar grocery retailers.

I visited the Misfits Market website to sign up, where I chose a weekly grocery plan over the a la carte option.

When you sign up for weekly deliveries, you'll get a specific day each week with a three day shopping window.

When you're within the window, there are hundreds of foods and drinks to scroll through and add to your cart.

The selection isn't huge, but it covers most things I'd want in a regular grocery trip.

I liked the availability of seasonal items, like squash.

Each item has a stated price and information about how much it is discounted from typical market price.

It's not clear exactly where this information comes from, because I can buy whole organic carrots at Walmart in my area for 96 cents per pound, less than the $1.19 price from Misfits Market.

Each item also comes with suggestions for how to prepare it, which is nice but not really necessary for basic vegetables like carrots and onions.

Your order automatically ships on the selected date, either with groceries you've specifically selected or an automatic list if you don't change it.

I went with the suggestions for my first box, including blackberries, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes.

It came out to just over $40 after my first order discount, including shipping.

Misfits Market texted me when my order shipped and when it was delivered, which I appreciated.

The box was sitting in my apartment building's doorway by the time I received the text. It was decorated with misshapen fruit, which I thought was cute.

I think the branding is very clever; it makes you feel like you're doing something good by buying this "sometimes normal" produce.

Inside there were several layers of packaging and isolation to keep everything cold.

There was an ice pack, some styrofoam, and lots of cardboard.

Everything looked to be in good condition when I finally got past the packaging.

I started unpacking, and everything looked about how I expected it should.

As promised, some of the produce looked a little non-standard, but fine.

Some of the bell peppers were smaller than the ones I typically buy at the grocery store, but I expected that.

Everything seemed very fresh except for one pepper that was soft in some spots, but parts of it were still salvageable.

The broccoli was much more stalk than flower, which isn't my favorite part to eat but I made it work.

Overall I thought the quality of the produce was mostly good.

Prices were a bit more than I usually pay, but not to a huge degree.

I live in an area with a lower cost of living than many cities, so it's possible some shoppers would see more savings if they live in higher cost areas.

The main issue I had was just with the volume of food.

I live in a household of two people, so even with large batches of soups and stir frys this is a lot of food to get through before it spoils.

I probably wouldn't order a smaller amount though, because I wanted to hit a certain amount of food to make the shipping costs feel worthwhile.

The other disadvantage of buying perishable food this way is that, of course, you don't necessarily get to pick the freshest items.

None of the items I got had spoiled, but it would have been nice to have a longer window to use them.

It's the same reason that I don't like to buy milk through a grocery pickup service anymore, because I like to choose the one with the latest expiration date.

Overall I love the idea of Misfits Market and avoiding food waste, but I think it would only make sense in very specific situations, and mine isn't one of them.