While most of the other reviews on this blog pertain to store brand products, I have a deep appreciation for the Malt-O-Meal brand, which tend to offer outstanding cereal knock-offs for a pretty deep discount as opposed to the national brands. So while the focus of this blog is generally store brand or private label items, Malt-O-Meal still fits in with the same philosophy of store brands by providing a high quality product for a great price.
Well now their value has gotten even better, as Big Lots is offering massive 33.8 oz. bonus bags (that’s over two pounds!) of their Cocoa Dyno Bites for just $2 (prices and selection may vary). Put simply, that’s at least twice the size of typical cereal boxes, and still generally cheaper than said boxes, so this has the makings of a great value. But how does it taste? After all, just because something is inexpensive, doesn’t necessarily make it a great deal!
The first thing you will notice, besides the ridiculously large size of the bag, is that the cereal smells like straight-up cocoa. It’s sad that I have to give extra marks to a chocolate cereal for smelling like chocolate, but in this world of processed chemicals posing as edible food, the fact that this doesn’t smell like it came out of a factory is a welcome change. Other than that, they look like puffed up bits of corn cereal that are colored brown, so it’s pretty much what you should be expecting.
As great as they smell, taste wise, these things are even better. It’s hard to sum them up without sounding like an advertisement for them, but they are literally bursting with cocoa flavor. Every bite is chocolate heaven; so sweet, yet not to the point that it‘s sickening. I cannot compare it to the national brand, simply because it’s been so long since I’ve had it, but I can guarantee that they are either very similar, or Cocoa Dyno Bites are even better. Seriously. This is almost as close to perfection as I’ve ever had in a chocolate cereal, and while that sounds like pure hyperbole, I’m not exaggerating in the least.
And let’s once again refocus on the bag…we’re talking 33.8 ounces of cereal! I’m lucky to get four servings out of a typical 12 or so ounce box, but with these bags, I’m getting upwards of 10. Of course, that’s just me, and I tend to fill my cereal to the top of the bowl, so if you have kids or teenagers, this would be a fantastic way to stretch your cereal budget.
Overall: 10/10. Malt-O-Meal has always been my pick as the best cereal manufacturer, as they tend to offer great knockoffs at a great price. But with Cocoa Dyno Bites, they have really outdone themselves. Smelling of pure cocoa, they taste even better, with a deliciously sweet chocolate taste that’s just flat-out addicting. While they are already a great value, Big Lots is currently offering 33.8 oz. bonus size bags for just $2 (price and selection may vary by store), which makes this an out-of-this-world deal. If you have even a passing interest in the national brand, I’m highly recommending you give these a shot. There’s a good chance you’ll never go back to the original again.
