Has anyone used Imperfect foods?

[JustMe]

Has anyone used Imperfect foods? They do deliver in my area and I have seen some trucks out and about, but don't know anyone who has used them. Looks like you can pick what you want eack week (out of what they are selling) and they deliver it. It seems that things may vary geographically, but I would love to know if anyone has used them at all and what your experience was. Would also like to know how the selection of non-dairy milks and whole grains were (even though it would probably vary).

Here is their website

https://www.imperfectfoods.com/

[AnnieW625]

My sister has been using it for a few years and is very happy with it. She gets veggies and eggs (maybe cheese as well), but doesn’t drink milk so I don’t know if that is an option.


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[Zukini]

Yes, we have used them for a couple months now and are impressed with the selection, quality and pricing. Our order window closed earlier today (Saturday) and delivery is on Mondays in our area. I cannot see specific items outside of this 45 hour ordering window unfortunately so cannot speak to specifics. They offer a wide variety of conventional and organic produce, meat, dairy and pantry items, and their own private label snack foods and cheeses etc.

Yes, you can totally customize an order’s contents - they give a suggested item list based on your interests, and you may also modify your schedule, shop all available inventory, skip or add an order, etc. The website is clear and simple to use. Much like an Instacart or Shipt or your local grocery online ordering. Once your order period ends, you will be charged for what’s in your cart so the biggest thing is to edit your items before the window closes. And they do send reminders. DH and I each share a login to add items to the cart and have had no issues with syncing.

For “imperfect food” we’ve had a lot fewer misses than expected - watermelon wasn’t ripe but it’s winter, some of the mandarins were bruised but mostly edible and sweet once you removed the peels. The odd shaped sweet potatoes made us smile cause they were just so dang cute. But I could see how they would be left behind on a grocery shelf. On the other hand, they sent the most perfect broccoli I’ve seen in years, no blemishes whatsoever, we admired it before cooking it lol. Smoked salmon was delish, as was grass fed ground beef, pork, duck and chicken were great. Portions are small with meats so pay attention to weights. If you order 4lb chicken, you are probably getting 4 1-lb frozen packages. Yogurt, cheese, kombucha and orange juice all great. Added whole cows milk to my order today and was scanning for Ripple milk for a neighbor - they had a variety of other options but i can’t recall specifics.

Meats well frozen and large ice packs inserted to keep cold bags as cold as needed. Everything is delivered in sealed boxes and apart from the insulated bags, everything is kind of all together in there. It would be fine on the doorstep for an hour or two in the winter till you got to it. I did notice a good selection of plant based meats and prepared food options. Brioche bread / buns was as good as the one I get at Whole Foods. We also got oats and lentils. The dark chocolate covered pretzel pieces are positively delicious but we found lots of chocolate covered almonds in there too - probably would not be a “safe” snack brand if allergies are present.

With the weather and damage here in Texas this week, we placed our biggest order yet today and are hopeful everything will be in stock and delivered. Overall, they’ve been useful to take the pressure off snagging a spot for curbside during this Covid period.

[jgenie]

Yes, we have used them for a couple months now and are impressed with the selection, quality and pricing. Our order window closed earlier today (Saturday) and delivery is on Mondays in our area. I cannot see specific items outside of this 45 hour ordering window unfortunately so cannot speak to specifics. They offer a wide variety of conventional and organic produce, meat, dairy and pantry items, and their own private label snack foods and cheeses etc.

Yes, you can totally customize an order’s contents - they give a suggested item list based on your interests, and you may also modify your schedule, shop all available inventory, skip or add an order, etc. The website is clear and simple to use. Much like an Instacart or Shipt or your local grocery online ordering. Once your order period ends, you will be charged for what’s in your cart so the biggest thing is to edit your items before the window closes. And they do send reminders. DH and I each share a login to add items to the cart and have had no issues with syncing.

For “imperfect food” we’ve had a lot fewer misses than expected - watermelon wasn’t ripe but it’s winter, some of the mandarins were bruised but mostly edible and sweet once you removed the peels. The odd shaped sweet potatoes made us smile cause they were just so dang cute. But I could see how they would be left behind on a grocery shelf. On the other hand, they sent the most perfect broccoli I’ve seen in years, no blemishes whatsoever, we admired it before cooking it lol. Smoked salmon was delish, as was grass fed ground beef, pork, duck and chicken were great. Portions are small with meats so pay attention to weights. If you order 4lb chicken, you are probably getting 4 1-lb frozen packages. Yogurt, cheese, kombucha and orange juice all great. Added whole cows milk to my order today and was scanning for Ripple milk for a neighbor - they had a variety of other options but i can’t recall specifics.

Meats well frozen and large ice packs inserted to keep cold bags as cold as needed. Everything is delivered in sealed boxes and apart from the insulated bags, everything is kind of all together in there. It would be fine on the doorstep for an hour or two in the winter till you got to it. I did notice a good selection of plant based meats and prepared food options. Brioche bread / buns was as good as the one I get at Whole Foods. We also got oats and lentils. The dark chocolate covered pretzel pieces are positively delicious but we found lots of chocolate covered almonds in there too - probably would not be a “safe” snack brand if allergies are present.

With the weather and damage here in Texas this week, we placed our biggest order yet today and are hopeful everything will be in stock and delivered. Overall, they’ve been useful to take the pressure off snagging a spot for curbside during this Covid period.

How do their prices compare to traditional grocery stores and Whole Foods?

[basil]

I've used them. I started early in the pandemic this spring, trying to do without grocery runs as much as possible. These days I often skip weeks depending on what they have and what I buy at the store. Their produce is cheaper than my regular grocery store and definitely cheaper than Whole Foods, but maybe comparable to Costco without the giant quantities. I use them a lot for staples that I don't use massive quantities of (onions, shallots, lemons, limes, garlic, potatoes) and those are cheaper than buying at the store. Plus it is an easy way to keep them on hand without much thought. I also often buy pasta, canned tomatoes, cannellini beans, and Lacroix or Spindrift seltzer. The kids like some of the snacky stuff they offer. We usually grocery shop on the weekends and our delivery day is Wednesday, so it's an easy way to restock fruit for the week without having to stop at the store.

A lot of the imperfections I've noticed have to do with size. I.e. a lemon may be tiny or humongous and vary week to week.

There are a few issues - Sometimes they can be sloppy with packaging. Most times, things are just sort of loose in the box. My brother uses them and once got a box where two containers of blackberries had opened and were loose and squished all over everything else. And I've had a few instances where they got my order wrong - I got things I didn't order and didn't get things I was charged for. I think that happened 2-3x out of the months of orders. In case of missing items or damage, getting refunds was easy (just fill out a form online and response and refund within a few hours) but still annoying if you were counting on something and didn't get it.

[mommy111]

We did.....just wasn’t worth it, the price difference wasn’t enough to make up for the inconvenience

[jgenie]

Is there a purchase minimum per order?

[basil]

Is there a purchase minimum per order?

I don't think so? But you get free shipping if you spend $65. Otherwise it's $4.99.

[JustMe]

Thanks so much for the info. I will probably try them and see how it is. I really hate when companies don't let you look at what they are actually selling before you sign up although I guess you just can unsubscribe if it doesn't work.

Jgenie, the website says that some locations have a minimum and some do not. However, it states the minimum is only $31 to $40 when there is a minimum and it will tell you when you are signing up if there is one for your area.

[Zukini]

Pricing is definitely lower than WF for produce. Pantry items and meat items are probably closer to in-store.

Some examples copied below... note that quantity for the produce only indicates their units, so 1 unit of cucumbers might be 2 actual cucumbers and a unit of tomatoes may be 3-4 while potatoes are 1 unit = 1 lb. The website is VERY clear on what you're paying for, quantity wise. Packaged foods have exact weights.

Product / Qty /Our Price / You Saved
Conventional Cucumber 1 $1.09
Conventional Roma Tomatoes 1 $1.19 $0.73
Conventional Cilantro Bunch 1 $0.79
Conventional Jalapenos 1 $0.59 $0.14
Conventional Pears 1 $1.99
Diestel Family Ranch - Organic Sugar-Free Oven-Roasted Turkey Breast 1 $5.49 $2.50
Diestel Family Ranch Non-GMO Roast Beef Deli Meat 1 $6.99 $1.00
Imperfect Foods - Cold-Pressed 100% Orange Juice 2 $7.98
Diestel Family Ranch Non-GMO Uncured Beef Pastrami Deli Meat 1 $6.99 $1.00
Imperfect Foods - Cranberry & Orange Scones 1 $4.49
Imperfect Foods - Uncured Bacon Ends and Pieces 1 $3.99
Conventional Lemons 1 $1.29 $0.25
Conventional Cucumber 1 $0.99 $0.22
Conventional Broccoli Crowns 2 $5.58
Conventional Sweet Potatoes 2 $1.98 $0.34
Conventional Tomatoes 1 $1.69
Conventional Green Beans 1 $1.89
Conventional Avocados 1 $1.59 $2.15
Imperfect Foods - Dark Chocolate Covered Pretzels 1 $2.99
Imperfect Foods - Grass-Fed 85% Lean Ground Beef 1 $6.49
Conventional Mandarins 1 $3.99
Imperfect Foods - Aged Gruyere Cheese 1 $3.99
Conventional Green Onions 3 $2.07
Conventional Leeks 1 $3.29
Organic Onions 4 $3.96 $2.24
Organic Radish Bunch 1 $2.29
Organic Leaf Lettuce 2 $5.98
Conventional Cilantro Bunch 1 $0.79
Conventional Carrots 1 $0.79 $0.59
Conventional Celery 1 $2.39
Rambler Sparkling Water 1 $2.49 $1.00
Graziers Grass-Fed European Style Unsalted Butter 1 $4.49
Capra - Gourmet Lamb Tamales 1 $7.99
Imperfect Foods - Wild Caught Mahi Mahi Fish Taco Portions 2 $11.98
Health-Ade Kombucha Pink Lady Apple 1 $3.49
Imperfect Foods - Organic Dark Chocolate Nut Pieces 2 $5.98 $6.00
Conventional Spinach Bunch 3 $5.67
Nancy's Organic Whole Milk Yogurt - Plain 1 $5.99 $0.80
Fabrique Delices Smoked Duck Breast Half 1 $12.99