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Misfits Market Review

Derek Hales

Written By: Derek Hales

Updated on:

If odd-looking food doesn’t bother you, especially when it comes at a discount, then this grocery subscription box service may be what you are looking for – Misfits Market.

Misfit and Misshapen food at Discounted Prices

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Misfits Market

Misfits Market is easy to navigate and speedy to select & place an order. The majority of the products provided are good quality, however, they are specifically chosen because they may not match the standards that grocery stores have. Misfits does this to offer a way to do grocery shopping at discounted prices, all while reducing food waste. Check Price

Pros

  • Grocery shopping at discounted prices
  • Simple and convenient ordering and shipping process
  • A grocery subscription service that is pay as you go
  • A sustainable, eco-friendly choice that helps ensure good (but weird looking) food doesn’t go to waste

Cons

  • Limited availability of products based on the time of year as well as location
  • Quality of products can vary
  • Many of the items we ordered had a very limited shelf-life remaining once they arrived
  • Some items we just had to throw away immediately (many of the strawberries arrived with mold on them)

Scoring

Weird Food, Discounted Prices
  • Shopping Experience - 98%
    98%
  • Quality - 90%
    90%
  • Value - 93%
    93%
94%

Summary

Misfits Market is a subscription box grocery service that tries to offer discounted prices by reducing food waste. Their easy ordering process is all online and takes minutes to complete. While Misfits is aiming to reduce food waste, they also try to make sure the quality of the food provided is still good, and are mostly successful. While the quality of the products can vary, we are fans of their service and what they are trying to accomplish.

What is Misfits Market?

The Misfits Market is a grocery delivery service that works with farmers and food producers to source the produce and food that grocery stores may not choose to sell.

Misfits Market - apples and onions
Misfits Market – apples and onions

They started off with fresh fruits and vegetables, but since then have moved on to offer a wider range of grocery, pantry, bread, beverages and even meat. 

Misfits aims to offer discounted prices, while trying to maintain the quality of the food. As a result, the food doesn’t always look like what you would expect. The different products may be considered too small or too big. Additionally, it is possible that they could have superficial imperfections that don’t affect the quality of the product. 

Misfits Market - carrots
Misfits Market – carrots

The service is pretty straightforward and easy to set up. First, you sign-up on MisfitsMarket.com and they will notify you when your shopping window will be.

Next, during the three-day shopping window, you can log-in and select which food to add to your cart, based on what they have available at the time. At the end of the shopping window they will finalize the order and have it delivered to you. 

Misfits Market website - delivery window
Misfits Market website – delivery window

They do require you to build an order of at least $30 and there is a flat shipping fee. However, they don’t have any recurring membership fees. In fact, you will only pay when you order. 

Misfits Market aims to reduce food waste while delivering produce and other food items that are still safe to eat. We got to test out the service and while it wasn’t perfect, I am a fan of the service and what they are trying to do for food waste. 

Shopping & Ordering the Food

The ordering process was pretty convenient and easy. The 3 day window to select which food to order ensures that the products are (mostly) in stock and are fresher.

Ordering online was as simple as scrolling through the virtual aisles on their website and selecting the products you want.

Selection is definitely limited, and at the same time, that is the point. They are able to offer their discounted prices with a smaller amount of choices, and by finding the misfit, misshapen foods that grocery stores don’t want.

Misfits Market website - order
Misfits Market website – order

It took me 10 minutes or so perusing the virtual aisles and selecting which products I wanted the first time. Once you get the hang of the process you could manage it in 5 minutes or less even. This is especially true if you tend to order the same foods, or choose food from the same aisle.

While they may not always have the product you are looking for, they are constantly updating what they have available.

Misfits Market - rice and dog treats
Misfits Market – rice and dog treats

In addition, If you are interested in purchasing meat from Misfits Market, this ends up being a separate order. Just like ordering a normal food box, you’ll need to build an order of at least $30 dollars. For our testing, we did not order meat, just the regular food box. 

The Packaging

Once we ordered our food and it arrived a few days later, it was time to take a closer look. The food came in a fairly sizable box with ice packs to preserve the food. 

Most of the packaging is recyclable, which is really nice, because there is a decent amount of it. 

The unpacking process was simple and quick. Exactly what I would expect from this type of service. 

The Food

The order I made consisted of mostly fruit and vegetables, with a few non-fruit / non-vegetables on the side.

Misfits Market products
Misfits Market products

The non-fruit / non-vegetables I ordered seemed really good. Specifically, we ordered a package of wild rice, pet treats, and a few bread products. All of which look to be in great condition, arrived without any issues, and were fresh.

Misfits Market - packaged breads
Misfits Market – packaged breads

The fruits and vegetables we ordered were a bit of a mixed bag. I do want to clarify and say the majority of what we ordered was in great or good shape, but not all.

In my mind, Misfits Market implies that the food may be an odd shape or size, but otherwise in good condition. However, some of the products really didn’t seem to be as fresh as I expected.

Fruit & Vegetable Quality

Let me give a brief overview of the produce we received:

  • Strawberries: Several of the strawberries had significant mold on them to the point where we just had to throw them away. Mind you, the vast majority of them (about 80%) were perfectly fine.
  • Onions: The onions definitely had some soft and brown spots. Much like the strawberries, I lost about 20% of the onion as I cut around it in preparation to cook. 
  • Mushrooms: While the mushrooms were in good condition, they are on the absolute borderline. Based on the coloration, I knew I had about 2-3 days to eat them before they would go bad. 
  • Apples: The apple seemed to be really fresh, however it was possibly the smallest apple I have seen. 3 of these apples were basically the size of 1 normal apple at the grocery store. However, the price wasn’t 70% less.
  • Bell Peppers: Similar to the mushrooms, they were in good condition, however, they only had 2-3 days before going bad.
  • Carrots: They were definitely not the carrots I was used to seeing. I would even call them ugly, but they seemed to be fresh enough. Granted, I had never had this specific type of carrot before, but it seemed to be fresh to eat. 
  • Potatoes: All the potatoes looked fantastic, just as good as any I’d buy from the grocery store. 
  • Blueberries: The blueberries were really fresh. Just like the potatoes they were interchangeable with any blueberries I would have bought from the grocery store. 
  • Romaine Lettuce: The lettuce looked very dirty, but it seemed to be fresh with many days of life left. 

While not everything was pristine, all of the fruits and vegetables were good enough that I would definitely give them another try. Although, I might avoid some choices (especially strawberries) more than others moving forward.

Misfits Market - moldy strawberry
Misfits Market – moldy strawberry
Misfits Market - good strawberry
Misfits Market – good strawberry

For example, strawberries are one of those foods where even at the grocery store it can be very hit or miss.

Is the Misfits Market good value?

While the prices are definitely lower than what you’ll see in most grocery stories, I wouldn’t say they are massively different.

Misfits Market - bell peppers and carrots
Misfits Market – bell peppers and carrots

For instance, many of the prices seemed pretty similar to what I would expect to pay at a grocery store. When the items are in good or better shape, that’s not a problem. However, when you pay near full price for an apple that is half as large as a regular grocery store apple it’s pretty aggravating.

Misfits Market - apple
Misfits Market – apple

I am a fan of grocery subscription boxes because they are convenient and easy to use. Likewise, Misfits Market is similarly simple to use. Most of the food was in good or better condition with the exception of specific items I would think twice before ordering again. 

I also like that Misfits is trying to reduce food waste by finding weird looking food that would otherwise be thrown away. 

Misfits Market - mushrooms
Misfits Market – mushrooms

It is free to sign up for the service, and there are some limitations to the options you have, and when you can order. Misfits Market has its limitations, but if those don’t bother you, it could be an excellent choice for your grocery needs. 

Should you try the Misfits Market?

Misfits Market is a modular grocery shopping service that allows you to choose what products you want (within the options currently available in your area, and timeframe). The products won’t always be perfect, but the majority of what you received will be a similar quality to what you would expect from your average grocery store.

You should consider using Misfits Market grocery services if you:

  • Want grocery shopping at a discounted price: While the prices and available discounts vary, generally Misfits Market aims to sell their products at a discounted price, large or small. 
  • Enjoy the ease and convenience of grocery subscription boxes: If you lead a busy life and don’t have the time to go out grocery shopping all the time, Misfits Market may be a great choice for you. The website is easy to navigate and complete your order, and the packaging wasn’t a hassle to unpack and dispose of the waste. 
  • Need a grocery subscription service that is pay as you go: Because there are no recurring payments, you can use Misfits Market only when you need to. While there are some limitations to the amount you have to order, if planned accordingly, you could handle the majority of your grocery shopping in a 5 minute visit to the website. 

For more information or to try the Misfits Market, visit here.

About Derek Hales

Derek HalesDerek Hales is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of ModernCastle.com. He has been featured in Fast Company, Reader's Digest, Business Insider, Realtor.com, She Knows, and other major publications. Derek has a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Kansas State University. Hales has been testing and reviewing products for the home since 2014.