Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Product Review & Giveaway- Door to Door Organics!

Earlier in the month, I was excited when Door to Door Organics approached me and asked if I'd like to review one of their produce boxes on my blog. I honestly hadn't heard of the company before then and I was excited to learn more.

Essentially, Door to Door Organics is a company with a Michigan-based (looks like they have a branches in Colorado, Kansas City, Chicago, and East Coast). They are a grocery delivery service that has a core focus on organic and natural products including produce, eggs, cheeses and meats, a lot of which is locally sourced and ethically grown/made/raised.

I agreed to receive a coupon for a free box of produce in exchange for providing an un-biased review of the product I receive.
Product Review- Bitty Mix Produce Box

In order to place an order with Door to Door, I logged in and made a user account on their website, michigan.doortodoororganics.com . The website is straight-forward and easy to use for a newbie. Once you make a user name, you can set produce preference (indicate what are your favorites and what you'd never like to receive in your box) and enter in some basic information. Then you can browse & choose your Box size:

$23 Bitty- Good for 1-2 people
$33 Small- For a family of 3-4 people
$39 Medium- Produce-loving family of 4
$55 Large- For a big family or a vegetarian family

You can also choose whether you'd like the box to include just veggies, just fruits, or be Mixed, which is what I chose. 

Un-Boxing: What to Expect When you Receive your Delivery



I made the video to your left, and it will lead you through the un-boxing experience- thanks to Mike for being my video guy! 

Quality: All the produce I requested, which included lettuce, apples, bananas. oranges, pears, carrots, cucumber, tomatoes, and garlic, was labeled certified organic- it's nice to know. All of the produce looked great and did not seemed damaged by its journey to me. Several things, including the pears and the tomatoes, were a little under-ripe, but that's to be expected.

It did not seem like any of the produce was locally sourced. I was informed that local sourcing would start in June, so I'm considering ordering another box in June to see how the local sourcing is.

Quantity: All in all, I think the amount of produce I received was a fair price for $23. We all know that organic produce can be more expensive than conventionally grown produce, and I would have probably spent about this much at my local food co-op.

Delivery Satisfaction: Delivery went well- I have no complaints. I will say that I did ask for the box to be put into the cooler on my porch and it did not get put there, but that's not a big deal overall.

Customer Service Satisfaction: I had to call customer service because at first the coupon credit didn't go through the first time. I spoke to several people and they were all friendly and nice- my issue was resolved quickly!
Overall Rating and Thoughts: I was really satisfied with Door to Door Organics for the service it provides. The produce all seems to be great quality, although I've only had an apple so far :) Again, I think that $23 was a pretty good value for the amount of produce I received. The only thing I would mention as a current downfall is the lack of locally-sourced produce. As I mentioned, it does seem like they have existing partnerships with local farms, including Tantre Farm in Chelsea. Although there is more information on Door to Door's beliefs and values on their website, I am excited for a company who values organic produce and values the local community connections.

*Win a Bitty Box for yourself!*
Whoa guys- this is awesome! One lucky Reader can win a coupon for 1 free Bitty Box courtesy of Door to Door Organics. All you need to do is:

1) Like Happy Home on Facebook :)
2) Leave a comment on this post below on your favorite type of summer vegetable!

I'll give ya until 11:00pm on Wednesday, May 9th. I'll select randomly!

Also, Door to Door Organics has offered ya'll $10 off your first box, which you can do by signing up and entering the code: happyorganichome

10 comments:

  1. I would love to win! We are debating between door to door organics and joining a local csa. My fave summer veggie is asparagus on the grill. Mmm!

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    1. Hello, this is Carlos Collier, the Director for Door to Door Organics in Michigan. I just wanted to comment here to mention a few of the differences between us and a CSA. First of all there is no commitment. You can try us once and walk away as opposed to pre-paying for an entire season of a CSA. Second, we deliver the produce directly to your door. There is a $2 delivery fee for Grand Rapids area customers, but all other customers in the Metro Detroit and greater Lansing, Flint, Ann Arbor, and Toledo areas - no extra cost for delivery. No need for you to drive to the farm or to a drop off point. Third, there is no "mystery box" of produce. You are going to know exactly what is coming in your box because we send you an email every Friday letting you know what is in your box the following week. One really exciting thing about us though is that you can customize that box to your specific preferences. Don't want the broccoli that week? Simply sub it out for a mango or some locally grown potatoes with a click of your mouse. And no extra charge for making subs. In fact, there are no extra charges at all...no sign up fee, no membership fee, no cancellation fee. All you pay for is what you get in the box. Everything is 100% guaranteed. As for local...we do as much local as climate allows and local produce has already started to make its way into boxes. Starting in June we will have a "Local Farm Box" option where everything in the boxes is sourced from local certified organic farms and orchards. But the really neat thing is that you can have the best of both worlds...want local produce but still need a couple of bananas? No problem - you can sub them bananas in your box or add them a la carte, along with locally sourced grass fed and pastured beef, pork, poultry, fish from the Great Lakes, fresh bread from Avalon bakery in Detroit and Zingerman's bakery in Ann Arbor, local organic and free range eggs from Creswick and Green Meadows, local cheeses...and lots more. Try us out. Use the discount code, get $10 off, and see how fun, easy, and convenient our service is to use. Again, there is no commitment.

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  2. That last picture made me crack up. Thank goodness you took out those pesky veggies to make room for more important things.

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  3. You're a real blogger now!! I like tomatoes.

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  4. A chance to win free organic produce? I'm in! My favorite summer veggie is a tomato!

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  5. I am also debating between Door to Door Organics and joining a local CSA. So much research to be done! My favorite summer veggie is corn, but there is some debate over whether corn is a vegetable or a grain. Either way, it's delicious!

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  6. I have considered trying Door to Door Organics in the past. My favorite summer veggie are peas straight from the vine.

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  7. I've never heard of this service, but it sounds amazing! I cannot wait for asparagus on the grill!!

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  8. i love door to door organics my favorite food in the world is tomatoes. cant wait for the fresh summer ones. also door to door has me hooked on artichokes. so yummy steamed.

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  9. We have a winner, friends- Jenny! :) Thanks to everyone who commented, liked my FB page and participated. Ya'll are awesome! Remember, you can still use the $10 off coupon code- happyorganichome - if you'd like to purchase a Bitty Box to try out. That would make it only $13 to try- pretty great value!

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