The Great Cereal Review of 2020

If you know me, and if you’re on this page right now I’m almost certain that you do, you know that I absolutely love cereal. I’ve loved it since I was twelve and that was the standard breakfast. But unlike many other people, I did not grow out of my love for sweetened, slightly soggy, oat-based breakfast foods. I love cereal so much that it was my plan at Burning Man this year to make my gift a sampling of some of the more obscure cereals available on the market. Now that Burning Man has been canceled, as has my status of living in New York (and my apartment full of seldom found cereal varieties), I have decided to review the extensive collection of cereals found in my parents’ house in Castle Rock, Colorado. This is by no means a comprehensive list of all of the cereals that I enjoy or have tried, this is simply the review of every cereal that I have had in my house over the last 9 weeks. I’ll list out the full ranked list of the 16 kinds of cereal along with the winner from each category and for fun the worst cereal I tried.

The Final List:

Most but not all of the cereals reviewed (some boxes didn’t last until the taking of this photo)

My parents stock way more cereal than is necessary for a normal residence of 2 adults who admittedly don’t have much of an appetite, but that just made for a deeper pool to draw from for this exercise, so I’m not upset in the slightest. The 16 cereals I reviewed are listed below, underneath each category. If you have a cereal you would like me to review, slide into my DMs and I will provide you an address to send your cereal of choice. (Note: Categories were assigned by me by the designation that made sense, if you have any thoughts or ideas for improvement, please comment below).

Classic Kid’s Sugar Cereal: These cereals are the ones we all know from our youth to have cartoon character mascots and questionable amounts of sugar for a “breakfast” food. Generally, the most fun to eat and the reason that most of us got into the cereal game in the first place. These are well known and established names in the cereal game.

• Frosted Flakes

• Cocoa Crispies

• Pops

• Cinnamon Toast Crunch

• Cap’n Crunch

• Honeycomb

• Cap’n Crunch “Oops All Berries”

• Honey Ohs

“Healthy” Adult Cereal: I put the word “Healthy” in quotes because cereal really is not that healthy. It just isn’t. It's mostly carbs with usually a good amount of sugar and little of the micronutrients that make something “healthy”. But, these cereals aren’t desserts masquerading as a breakfast food and therefore get somewhat of a health-conscious designation. Sort of.

• Frosted Mini-Wheats Little Bites (Just smaller Frosted Mini-Wheats)

• Special K Vanilla Almond

• Special K Protein Brown Sugar and Cinnamon

• Multi-Grain Cheerios

• Special K Blueberry with Lemon Clusters

Niche/ Obscure Cereals: These are the cereals that I am CONVINCED did not exist until recently. This is the category that my roommate Tom and I try to buy from whenever we are shopping for our own batches back in Brooklyn. These cereals are a part of the new generation and proof that even something classically stagnant as Cereal is still ripe for innovation.

• Eggo Blueberry Waffle Cereal — Re-release date in November of 2019

• Frosted Mini-Wheats Blueberry

• Frosted Mini-Wheats Filled Mixed Berry (think pop tart but in Frosted Mini Wheat Form) — Release date: sometime in 2011

Evaluation Criteria:

Taste is generally something quite subjective, but since I am such a savant in the cereal space, I figured I could come up with criteria to evaluate each cereal in as objective a manner as possible. Here are those criteria:

There are three ratings for each cereal. Texture and Flavor make up the Cereal Rating. While the Cereal Milk rating is just itself. The final score is the average of the three ratings. Please see below for details.

Cereal Rating (Score is average of two subscores)

• Texture: Texture is the mouthfeel of the cereal once it has reached peak saturation. I enjoy cereal when it has been in the milk long enough to get past the in-box crunchiness but not so long that it gets “soggy.” I understand that everyone doesn’t feel the same but that’s what I’m looking for in cereal and I’m writing the reviews.

• Flavor: This is a tricky category because taste is incredibly specific. In the interest of creating an “objective” ranking system, I will evaluate flavor based on how well I think the producer has hit their target. If a cereal is advertised to taste like blueberries, I sure as shit better taste SOME sort of blueberry flavor in there. The same rule applies to cinnamon, or any flavor really. You get the point.

The Post-Cereal Milk Rating. This category looks at objectively how tasty is the milk after you finish eating your cereal. This is completely separate from the cereal eating experience and is considered separate from the previous two categories. The better the milk tastes, the higher this score.

X-Factor: This will be awarded by me, for whatever reason I deem necessary. It will be worth one point. Not enough to swing a rating from bad to good but enough to make a difference. Don’t worry, this was used frugally.

Overall Score Calculation:

• The Overall final score will be the sum of the three sub-scores PLUS the X-Factor point (if earned) divided by 3. The scale will be from 1–5 with either whole or half-point ratings awarded (i.e. a subscore could be a 3.5/5 )

• E.g. a cereal gets a 3 in Flavor, 4.5 in Texture, 2.5 in Post Cereal Milk, and 1 X factor point. The Overall Score would be (3+4.5+2.5+1)/3 = 3.67

Some quick notes before we get into the rankings and the rationale:

1. I did each evaluation with a small bowl (see below) of each cereal, so as not to spike my blood sugar and to standardize the serving size. That bowl is pictured below. This DOES benefit cereals that get soggy faster, as they will do better in small bowl vs large bowl. But that shouldn’t be an issue. If its the best cereal in a small bowl and you want to eat more of it, just bring the box and some milk to your table and eat it there. Boom, bias resolved.

2. Each cereal was evaluated using skim cow milk as the liquid. I know there are many that would argue against using real animal milk but that is what I had so that is what I used.

3. I have listed the rankings first by overall and second by Cereal Ranking only so as to build a more helpful list.

Tools of the trade

Without further ado, the full and definitive cereal rankings:

Best Overall: The best overall cereal is the cereal with the Highest Overall Score in all measured categories (X-Factor, Post Cereal Milk, Flavor, and Texture).

Final Overall Rankings split by Contributing Category

Best Cereal (No Milk or X-Factors): The best cereal is the cereal with the highest score in the Texture and Flavor categories only. This is simply how good the cereal is in the bowl, exclusive of any fanciness such as Post Cereal Milk or an X-Factor.

Final Cereal Ratings split by Contributing Category

Average Rating by Category:

Interesting and not at all surprising to note that the cereals with the most sugar averaged the highest rating.

The Overall Winner: Cocoa Crispies.

The Grand Champion Bowl!!!! (I know they don’t look like must but trust me, I did the research)

These were SO much better than I gave them credit for before this whole thing started. Yes, they do shine in a small bowl, but as stated earlier, if you want to eat more, just eat a bunch of small bowls. Easy. Bonus points to this cereal for also being the base for a fantastically underrated baked good: Cocoa Crispie Treats.

The Best Cereal: Blueberry Eggo Waffle Cereal

A new discovery during this challenge and boy oh boy are these guys delicious

Man, these are quite the treat. It is highly recommended that everyone bump these to the top of their list for innovative cereals to try. These deliver on texture and flavor in a way that most similarly ambitious cereals cannot. It was the best bite for bite cereal, only unable to take the top overall position due to a lackluster performance in the Milk Category.

The Worst Cereal: Pops

I didn’t want to include a picture for this one but it serves as my PSA, please don’t waste your time on these

Bland. Soggy. Yellow. These are all words to describe the banality that is Corn Pops. There were other cereals that didn’t score overly high in this tasting that I would still willingly eat each and every day, Corn Pops is not one of them. If you learn anything from this analysis, please let it be that you should not waste your valuable calories on something as flavorless and boring as Corn Pops.

Biggest Disappointment: Special K Protein Cereal

Protein-packed, but still disappointing

It's true, I generally love Special K’s cereals as go-to staples of any respectable cereal pantry, but these were flavorless and had the texture of cardboard. Not that fun to eat and really not that healthy. Yes, I know, it may sound insane to think that just because something has 9g of Protein per serving, does not mean that it is healthy, but that is the reality of the world that we live in. Cereal is meant to be eaten for enjoyment anyway, waste no time in the muscle building section of the cereal aisle.

This concludes this round of cereal analysis. However, if you are at all interested in the rankings that created the post you have now read, I have attached every one of the individual reviews in the appendix that follows. Furthermore, if you have any questions on my analysis, comments on my procedure, or recommendations on cereals to try and review in the future, please drop me a comment or @ me on twitter @brooklynbrunts.

Big shoutout to Wework for providing me with a shirt to wear in this photo.

Classic Kids Sugar Cereal Category

Frosted Flakes

• Texture: 4 | This all-time classic is crispy, crunchy, and there is a surprising amount of variety in how each flake hits. Not overwhelmingly crunchy, but they have enough give to offer a challenging experience. Overall, extremely fun to eat without being over the top.

• Flavor: 4.5 | Frosted Flakes. Frosted. Flakes. Flakes that are frosted. Sweetened corn flakes and literally nothing else. Kellog’s doesn’t promise anything crazy here and they don’t overextend themself either. That is part of the reason this cereal works so well. They do what they promise and they don’t promise too much. Yes, it is a pretty basic concept but there is a reason these guys have been a staple for years. It. Just. Works.

• Post cereal milk: 4 | Delicious but not overpowering. Basically just sweetened milk. But I like sweetened milk. Good refreshing finish to an enjoyable bowl of cereal.

• X-Factor: None for this one. Really well delivered across the board but nothing special about Frosties.

• Cereal rating: 4.25

• Overall rating: 4.17 | There isn’t a whole lot to say about this final rating. Frosted Flakes could be the only cereal you have in your pantry and I like to think you would be very happy with that. Not an overpowering flavor so you could eat it over and over again but enough going on so that you don’t get bored. A strong showing here.

Cocoa Crispies

• Texture: 4 | Crispy to a MF T. These are exactly as advertised. Even down to the snapping, crackling, and popping noise that is made once you pour the milk. You gotta eat these guys fast though, they do get soggy and once they’re soggy, they are nowhere near as fun to eat.

• Flavor: 5| These have an absolutely delicious chocolate flavor. Not overpowering enough to make them a dessert cereal, but chocolatey enough to make scratch the sweetness itch quite nicely.

• Post Cereal Milk: 4.5 | Fantastic. After you have a bowl of Cocoa Crispies, you get a free bowl of chocolate milk to wash it all down. Any time a cereal changes the color of the milk it bathes in, it's going to get high marks, and these guys are no different.

• X-Factor: YES | This cereal can be turned into a dessert treat (Cocoa Crispy treat). The versatility in this cereal gets it a little extra bump in the ratings and you just love to see it.

• Cereal Rating: 4.25

• Overall Rating: 4.67 | This is a tried and true winner in the sugar cereal category. Absolutely delicious in a small bowl when you are able to eat them before they get soggy (or if you just eat them quickly as I do). The milk is fantastic. You can make it into a dessert. Really these go above and beyond the call of duty and as a result, come out with one of the highest scores I can award.

Pops

• Texture: 2 | This is completely unique. I do have to give them that. A little crispy on the outside and chewy immediately on the inside. Some get soggy faster than others, however, and that is not the ideal situation. They get soggy quite fast as it turns out. If they don’t work in the small bowl, they definitely won’t work in a big bowl. This one is a miss.

• Flavor: 2 | Pretty bland. No sugar coating this one (and they didn’t) Slightly sweet if we extend the definition of “slightly” all the way to “barely” Overall not a very enjoyable flavor. A hard flavor to pin down, like Captain Crunch, but not in a good way, the way the Captain does.

• Post Cereal Milk: 2| Ehhhh this is alright, but not that great. This is a disappointing end to a disappointing bowl. Woof.

• X-Factor: NOPE

• Cereal Rating: 2

• Overall Rating: 2 | This cereal really shouldn’t be in your pantry. It's below the “Wheaties” line. There are no real health benefits. They get soggy quickly and they don’t punch with any significant flavor. They aren’t BAD but they aren’t good. Don’t waste your time. Take your talents to greener pastures friends.

Cinnamon Toast Crunch

• Texture: 3.5 | Good texture, but I wouldn’t say great texture. Consistent crunch while at the ideal saturation level. Quality chewiness and a nice mouthfeel. The thing with CTC is that every bite hits the same. No variety. Overall very enjoyable but lacking that something special.

• Flavor: 4.5 |Smack dab on the money delicious. Super fucking sweet but my lord are they tasty. Cinnamon flavor is present and accounted for but slightly overpowered by the raw sweetness. This would be a five if not for being too sweet.

• Post cereal milk: 5 | Fucking delicious. They need to make ice cream out of this stuff. Absolute fire. Super sweet, but if I get to the bottom of the bowl and I’m drinking a slightly more vicious milkshake, I’m not mad.

• X- factor: Nope. Good, but nothing worth “exceptional.” Talk to me when they make ice cream out of the milk, then maybe.

• Cereal Rating: 4

• Overall Rating: 4.33 |This is a strong cereal in the Sugar Cereal category. Very tasty. Hard to eat a lot of but if you keep the quantity down, you’re really going to enjoy yourself here.

Captain Crunch

• Texture: 4 | So we have to talk about the elephant in the room here. Yes, Captain Crunch is crunchy. As promised. I trust men who go by “Captain” as a general rule, so if I was misled here, I would have been severely disappointed. Also, I know people talk about it a lot, but I don’t get the whole “this will rip your mouth open thing”. Just crunchy and very fun to eat. They are smaller than I remember them being. But that isn’t a bad thing. It isn’t all about size people.

• Flavor: 3.5| Sweet. Kinda like a Frosted Flakes type thing. Not crazy flavor here but it’s unique. I can’t quite put my finger on a comparable. It's like describing to people what milk tastes like. You can’t do it. Its a base flavor. That is how I feel about this cereal. Captain Crunch tastes just like that, like Captain Crunch. I know you people pay me the big bucks to put words to flavors, but I’m drawing a blank here. Still very good though. Extremely deserving of the 4.

• Post Cereal Milk: 3 | Sadly, nothing special going on here. The milk takes on some of the sweetness, but nothing wild. Average at best.

• X-Factor: Nope.

• Cereal Rating: 3.75

• Overall Rating: 3.5 | This is a very good but still not great cereal. It can be a staple without being an all-star. Call it the 6th man of your pantry. Not going to win any all-stars but you need a deep bench if you’re going to go deep into the playoffs (i.e. deep into the quarantine).

Honeycomb

• Texture: 4 | Excellent crunch right out of the gate. But an airy crunch. The exterior has crunch but then it's a little lighter. Not like a nut type of crunch. Hard to describe but very fun to eat. The slogan is “big mouths wanted” and these are big. You can only fit a couple on the spoon at a time. They hang on to their initial texture throughout the bowl which is a major advantage to having large pieces. It takes longer to get soggy. A big plus in my book.

• Flavor: 3 | Not overly sweet or strong on the flavor. Reminiscent of Corn Pops in that way. Doesn’t really taste like honey. Slightly sweet corn flavor is the bottom line. Small mis/ false advertisement if I’m to be entirely honest.

• Post Cereal Milk: 3 | Slightly sweet, but no fun flavor happening here. Good, but not great.

• X-Factor: Nope

• Cereal Rating: 3.5

• Overall Rating: 3.33 | Honeycomb has never been one of my favorites and that shows with this review. Much better than Corn Pops on the consistency front alone, but overall these do not “wow” me. It’s good, and you wouldn’t be upset if you were at a hotel and this was all they had, but I do not think you would ever go seek these out if you had $5 in your pocket and you were walking down the cereal aisle at the grocery store. Average at best.

Captain Crunch Oops All Berries

• Texture: 4 | Crispy but airy. They feel almost wafer-like once you bite in. Very enjoyable once they have a little milk in them. They disintegrate right after the first couple of chews but man it's quite the experience.

• Flavor: 5 | Its that classic artificial berry flavor that we all love so much. They don’t advertise Oops All “Strawberries, blueberries and raspberries” No. They advertise “all berries” and despite the fact that they have a green-colored piece in the mix, I personally find that they deliver to a T. They are sweet, “Fruity” and delicious. Absolutely great work by the Captain on this one.

• Post Cereal Milk: 4 | The milk picks up the flavor of the berries almost impeccably. It's a little sweet, with that “fruity” flavor. A very delicious treat to wind up with after a bowl. This effect will compound with a larger bowl, of that you can be certain.

• X-Factor: No. I really wanted to say yes, but there is nothing that really stands out as an aside for this cereal. It's just really really good.

• Cereal Rating: 4.5

• Overall Rating: 4.33 | These are absolutely delicious and probably the most fun to eat within the Kids Sugar Cereal Category. Thoroughly enjoyable experience throughout and the flavor is on point. There could be a concern with sogginess but you’ll eat them so fast it won’t even cross your mind. A strong contender for my favorite overall right here. These are MUCH better than the Captain’s classic batch

Honey O’s

• Texture 4.5 | Captain crunch type of texture here WITH the added bonus of crunchy surprises in the middle. The crunchiest O shaped cereal I’ve ever stumbled upon and that is saying something. I’ve done the legwork. The added bonus of the little crunchy cluster in the middle of most Ohs

• Flavor 4 | What I’m realizing throughout this is that Honey flavored cereals have a very hard time Wowing me. They taste generally good, but I do thin they are a relatively high floor, low ceiling flavor. It might just be hard to really execute on the “honey” flavor in cereal form. Overall these were the best I’ve had but still, nowhere near perfect.

• Post cereal milk 3.5 | This is good not great. More honey flavor than Honeycomb for sure and more flavor overall than Captain’s original batch, but nothing that makes me go wild. That being said, it is a solid flavor that I could see being useful if you were to make ice cream out of it, similar to Christina Tosi’s Cereal Milk Ice Cream from Milk Bar.

• X factor: None

• Cereal Rating: 4

• Overall ranking 4 | I really really like these. They are like a super-powered, better flavored Captain Crunch. They hold up to milk saturation better than almost any cereal reviewed in this list. The honey flavor is most certainly present, if not at the forefront. Overall, these are quite good and on the crunch alone, could be a staple in your roster.

“Healthy” Adult Cereal

Frosted Mini-Wheats Little Bites (small frosted mini-wheats)

• Texture: 3 | I really wanted these to be crunchier than the regular sized Mini Wheats but they just aren’t. Not bad per sé, but not great either. Side note, yes you just did read an accent mark in a post about cereal.

• Flavor: 2.5| Underfrosted. I’ll tell you what Wheat cereals don’t need, they don’t need any less flavor. I was hoping to be wowed by these guys but sadly I was quite disappointed.

• Post Cereal Milk: 2| Nothing special going on here. An under frosted cereal doesn’t tend to create particularly fun milk and this was no exception.

• X-Factor: :/

• Cereal Rating: 2.75

• Overall Rating: 2.5 | I want to write a big passionate paragraph about why these let me down, but I just don’t have it in me. I was hoping for more and didn’t get it. That being said, if this was all the Holiday Inn Express was offering at their morning breakfast buffet, I’d for sure eat them. I’m not ungrateful.

Special K Vanilla Almond

• Texture: 4 | The texture of the Special K Flakes provides a good chewy/ crunchy sensation. The almonds serve as a great addition for a great consistent crunch that lasts throughout the bowl. That’s a sneaky little trick for you cereal makers out there if you want crunch that lasts, throw some nuts in there. The flakes get soggy a little fast for my taste but the almonds maintain that required crunch if you’re eating too slow.

• Flavor: 4 | Good vanilla flavor, not overpowering but its definitely there. Sliced almonds provide a sliver of flavor but it doesn’t feel like you’re eating a bowl of nuts. Which is not what I’m looking for. Not too sweet (it is advertised as an adult breakfast option after all). Overall Special K delivered on their promise.

• Post Cereal Milk: 2 | Nothing crazy going on here. Slightly sweetness but milk doesn’t change a whole heck of a lot.

• X-Factor: 1 Star | Yes, I know what you’re saying, Special K Vanilla Almond gets a star? How? One reason: the ability to consume LARGE quantities of this stuff. I LOVE cereal and this is one that you can eat bowl after bowl of without tiring of the flavor or texture. For that reason, it gets an X-Factor

• Cereal Rating: 4 stars

• Overall Rating: 3.67 Stars | Honestly I think this deserves better treatment but the post cereal milk is really bringing the overall rating down. Well, them’s the rules and we must follow.

Special K Protein Brown Sugar and Cinnamon

• Texture: 3 | Good crunch on the first bite, with some chewy interior. When they get a little soggy they get chewier but not in a bad way. Nothing crazy special going on though and really nothing deserving of more than the middle of the road. They have a fun shape so I was hoping for better but didn’t quite get there.

• Flavor: 2 | Underpowered in the cinnamon and brown sugar department. Not a great flavor here. It is a protein cereal, but still, not enough flavor here to keep me around. A little cardboardy. This is the type of thing people assume about “healthy” cereals. Oof.

• Post Cereal Milk: 2.5| A little sweet, but not too sweet. This is tasty with some hints of cinnamon brown sugar. Nothing wild, however. You may be noticing a trend with this cereal. Its almost there, but not quite.

• X-Factor: 1 | PROTEINNNNNNNN. Really the only reason to buy this cereal is if you must eat cereal and you have a protein goal you’re trying to hit.

• Cereal Rating: 2.5

• Overall Rating: 2.83|Very average cereal here. Good protein content, but really, that is not why I eat cereal. A good purchase if you want to pretend to be healthy while eating a bowl of cereal. But otherwise, I would advise you to take your talents elsewhere.

Multi-Grain Cheerios

• Texture: 3 | Classic cheerio texture here. If you like eating oat-y O’s, then this is your wheelhouse. They are GREAT, and very fun to eat in the first half but they get soggy quickly. If you’re my roommate, you enjoy this texture. If you’re me, the soggy cheerio thing just doesn’t really do it for you.

• Flavor: 4 | These are far superior to regular cheerios. There is a little sweetness that just isn’t present in the normal batch. Not overpowering but this is an adult “healthy” cereal and it delivers hand over fist on that promise. These are fantastic with sliced bananas, blueberries, or strawberries.

• Post Cereal Milk: 3 | Nothing particularly special on this one. It's good, not great.

• X-Factor: Nope

• Cereal Rating: 3.5 |

• Overall Rating: 3.33 | This is a stable carrying cereal. This is not going to “wow” you but its good, it's versatile, and you will not get tired of it. 3.5 is to be expected but this is a sleeper pick if you were building a roster.

Special K Blueberry with Lemon Clusters

• Texture 4.5 | First of all, I don’t know what Special K did to make these flakes so crunchy, but they should spread that IP around to the rest of the brand. This cereal has without a doubt the sturdiest and crunchiest flake on the market. Huge points there. That alone gets this cereal to a 4 in texture. But the extra .5 comes from the little Lemon Clusters that are essentially a lemon yogurt-covered oat ball (tiny of course) that are sprinkled throughout the cereal. This would have been a 5 texture if there were more of them but as they are pretty rare, 4.5 is as high as I can go.

• Flavor 4 | Very strong blueberry flavor for a “health” cereal and it all lives on the flakes, which feels like a modern engineering accomplishment. Special K delivered here on their promise and its a very satisfying finish.

• Post Cereal Milk 3.5 | This is traditionally where all “healthy” cereals fall short and sad to say but it happens here once again. I think it has to be a lack of overpowering artificial flavors but whatever the cause, these Special K cereals just have no bite on the post cereal milk. This tastes reminiscent of blueberries but no potent flavor.

• X-Factor: None

• Cereal Rating: 4.25

• Overall Rating: 4 | This is the highest rating of the “Healthy” Adult cereal category and with good reason. It’s absolutely delicious and would be one of my first choices when building my own homes’ cereal roster. Great crunch, solid flavor, explosions of lemon sprinkled throughout and a good enough post cereal milk to keep me coming back for more.

Niche/ New Cereal

• Eggo Blueberry Waffle Cereal

• Texture: 5 | Honeycomb-esque but with a more consistent crunch (no holes in the middle). This cereal stays good all the way through the bowl. Much better longevity than the flake based cereals which is HUGE when you’re looking at what cereal to pick in a larger bowl size. This is a really high-quality texture. A lot of fun to eat. Our first 5 in the texture category!!!

• Flavor: 4.5 | Surprisingly recognizable blueberry flavor. I had low expectations but there is a good if a little artificial, blueberry flavor. With some solid sweetness. Not a whole lot of waffle flavor but that’s a tough taste to nail down anyway. I was very very pleased with this one. And it also reminded me that I haven’t had waffles in far too long. So that breakfast item has now been pumped to the top of the list.

• Post Cereal Milk: 3.5 | Not a TON of flavor. You get that hint of blueberry and a little bit of the sweetness. It's a little bland, not a TON of punch, but tasty.

• X-Factor: None. I know I know, this is sad because of how much of a niche and new cereal this is. But really, this is honeycomb with a better flavor.

• Cereal Rating: 4.75

• Overall Rating: 4.33 | These were really really good. AND you can eat a lot of them. Best new discovery of the whole experiment. Eggo, you have a repeat customer in Eric Brunts. You can take that to the bank.

Frosted Mini-Wheats Blueberry

• Texture: 3 | Same as the frosted mini wheat mixed berry, to be honest. I’ll repost that review here: These are very chewy, and definitely have a unique texture. It doesn’t feel like you’re eating cereal as much as you’re eating a slightly soggy pastry. That is not necessarily a bad thing. I actually enjoy these quite a bit, but it really is a different experience. You get a slight crunch from the frosting, early in their soak, but nothing that lasts. Kind of like dunking a cookie in milk for a little too long. Not bad, just different.

• Flavor: 4 | Surprising burst of blueberry on the first couple of bites. But as you get deeper into the bowl and the milk soaks more, you lose a little bit of that zing. It's still there, but the blueberry is not as prominent. Drops this down from a 5 to a 4. I’m a harsh critic I know, but I do it so you guys are informed, consumers.

• Post Cereal Milk: 2| Under flavored. Nothing special here. I’m just not that impressed with the milk FMW brings to the table. There is a distinct lack of blueberry flavor in the post cereal beverage. Real shame.

• X-Factor: Nope

• Cereal Rating: 3.5

• Overall Rating: 3 | I was really excited about this one and on the first couple of bites, I was quite impressed. But it went downhill pretty fast and that doesn’t bode well for a full-sized bowl. High expectations but they just did not quite deliver. Welp. Maybe next time.

Frosted Mini-Wheats Filled mixed berry

• Texture: 3 | These are a very chewy, and definitely have a unique texture. It doesn’t feel like you’re eating cereal as much as you’re eating a slightly soggy pastry. That is not necessarily a bad thing. I actually enjoy these quite a bit, but it really is a different experience. You get a slight crunch from the frosting, early in their soak, but nothing that lasts. Kind of like dunking a cookie in milk for a little too long. Not bad, just different.

• Flavor: 3.5 | This is an interesting one. They taste exactly like frosted wheat, with a sliver of mixed berry (what exactly mixed berry is supposed to taste like, I’m not sure). I’d say overall, they deliver as advertised pretty well, but for the most part its a relatively unexciting flavor. I would have wanted more punch on the berry. Otherwise, pretty solid. A nice change of pace from the classic FMW.

• Post Cereal Milk: 2 | Almost nothing exciting going on with this milk after the fact. It doesn’t even get that sweet, which is the biggest disappointment. There is absolutely zero of the berry flavor in the milk. It tastes slightly sweet and not bad, and therefore, does not get a 1.

• X-Factor: No dice | I wanted the Pop-tart type cereal design to get some recognition but the mixed berry filling just didn’t quite get there for me.

• Cereal Rating: 3.25

• Overall Rating: 2.83 | So this is one of purely personal preference. I like this cereal, but I don’t think there is anything crazy special about it. It's Frosted Mini-Wheats with a slight twist. Almost Bud Light Lime-esque in the slight variation of the original, except I would definitely rather have a bowl of these than a Bud Light Lime. Enjoyable to eat for sure. I would have liked to see a little bit more out of the Berry flavor but all in all, a good time for the whole family

If you made it through all of the writing included in this post I sincerely thank you for indulging me in a review of one of my true passions. It’s been roughly six weeks of me eating cereal with more mental focus than ever before and I hope that my analysis has provided you with some guidance when you next find yourself in the cereal aisle wondering “Hmm, what slightly soggy oat breakfast should I bring home today?”