Category: Reviews

REVIEW: Smartfood Doritos Nacho Cheese Popcorn

Holly 13 Comments

Smartfood Doritos Nacho Cheese Popcorn Bag

What is Smartfood Doritos Nacho Cheese Popcorn?

Kicking off the year strong, Frito-Lay created a Sam’s Club exclusive variety of its popular Smartfood Popcorn that uses the classic Doritos Nacho Cheese seasoning. It offers the flavor of Nacho Cheese Doritos, but without the stained fingers you might get with the chips.

How is it?

Smartfood Doritos Nacho Cheese Popcorn Bowl

The flavor of Nacho Cheese Doritos is strongly present but without the expected crunch of the tortilla chip or corn flavor. Admittedly, it was a little jarring at first. Once my mouth and brain took a moment to adjust expectations, it was a very delicious snack. Without the chip’s corn flavor, you get a chance to really taste the different elements of the nacho cheese seasoning. The garlic, onion, and paprika shine the most, with the cheese flavor coming in subtle at the end.

Anything else you need to know?

Smartfood Doritos Nacho Cheese Popcorn Bag Back

Because this is available at Sam’s Club, the item is over 2.5 times bigger than the standard Smartfood bag. If you don’t want to open it yet, you can always use it as a lower back pillow when you’re sitting at your desk.

Conclusion:

Smartfood’s Doritos Nacho Cheese Popcorn is an all-around enjoyable item. It’s a nice blend of Smartfood Popcorn and Doritos Nacho Cheese that feels new, but familiar. I could absolutely see it being a hit at parties or as a new snack to break up the normal noshing. Hopefully, it does well enough that we get other crossover flavors in the future. Maybe some Smartfood Flamin’ Hot Dill Pickle Popcorn?

Purchased Price: $5.28
Size: 17 oz bag
Purchased at: Sam’s Club
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 1/3 cup) 160 calories, 11 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 200 milligrams of sodium, 14 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 1 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Pink Strawberry Coconut Refresher

Vin 9 Comments

Dunkin Pink Strawberry Coconut Refresher Hold

Strawberry and coconut are two of the most delicious fruits on Earth, yet I don’t think I’ve ever had them mixed together.

How’s that possible?

At this point in my life, I feel like I’ve tried almost every fruit duo you can throw at me, yet here I sit, wracking my brain, and I can’t think of a single snack, candy, juice, cocktail, pastry, ice cream, whatever, that prominently features a combination of strawberry and coconut.

I didn’t even have that realization until I saw this Pink Strawberry Coconut Refresher in the Dunkin’ app. Then it hit me like a brick. Why haven’t I had this before?

I’ve actually been pretty mixed (no pun) on Dunkin’s line of “Refresher” drinks as a whole, but I had a good feeling about this one. It’s strawberry. It’s coconut. This one had to work, right?

Oh, it worked. I think this might be my favorite non-coffee drink Dunkin’ has ever released.

As it turns out, “pink strawberry,” is actually a concoction of strawberry and dragonfruit. While it’s most definitely an overpowering strawberry flavor, the dragonfruit adds a tart kick that levels off the sweetness you’d probably get from straight strawberry concentrate. Toss in the mellow creaminess of the coconut milk, and you’ve got a perfectly blended drink.

Dunkin Pink Strawberry Coconut Refresher Top

I genuinely don’t like to use the word “mouthfeel” (*shudder*) … but they really nailed the mouthfeel.

There’s no indication that the coconut milk is flavored, but I could be convinced there was a tinge of vanilla sweetener. If you’ve ever had Italian Ices mixed with vanilla custard – not sure what they call that around your way – it reminded me of one of those. I used to get Watermelon and Vanilla as a kid, and I was whisked back to those days*.

Dunkin Pink Strawberry Coconut Refresher Half

I also love when these drinks have that oil and water style separation. The way the coconut milk sat atop the vibrant pink juice and slowly cascaded down made me feel like I was drinking some kind of crazy theme park creation.

I gotta say, this lived up to its “Refresher” name. It gave me an energizing pep in my step, but if I had to dock it slightly, I would say this is more of a midday “pick me up” type drink. I don’t know if I’d ever order this in the morning over my standard coffee, as I tend to try and stay away from too much sugar to start my day.

I really enjoyed the flavors and the boost this Refresher gave me. This is definitely the proper use for coconut milk. I tried one of Dunkin’s coconut milk lattes and didn’t even wanna finish it. In this format, I wish I got a larger size. I’ll one hundred percent be a repeat customer.

So, I guess I’ve had strawberries mixed with coconut now. If anyone can tip me off to any other product that combines those two flavors, I’d appreciate it.

*Oh, and if anyone from Dunkin’ sees this – Watermelon Coconut Refresher. Let’s do it.

Purchased Price: $3.69
Size: Medium
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 170 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 mg of cholesterol, 65 milligrams of sodium, 31 grams of total carbohydrates, 28 grams of sugars, 0 grams of fiber, and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Nestle Sensations Kellogg’s Froot Loops Cereal Flavored Milk

Marvo 5 Comments

Nestle Sensations Kellogg s Froot Loops Cereal Flavored Milk Bottle

What is Nestle Sensations Kellogg’s Froot Loops Cereal Flavored Milk?

It’s the follow-up to last year’s Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cinnamilk, and Froot Loops’ latest march towards being part of a complete everything else that’s not breakfast.

How is it?

Nestle Sensations Kellogg s Froot Loops Cereal Flavored Milk Top

It has an aroma that reminds me of Froot Loops, and it nails the cereal’s flavor. But it’s much milder than I thought it would be. I mean, it tastes like the milk that’s at the bottom of the bowl after eating Froot Loops. That’s fine, but I was hoping there would be less milk taste and more cereal flavor. I guess I wanted it to be as strong as eating Froot Loops in milk, but without the cereal, if that makes sense.

Anything else you need to know?

This might sound weird, but don’t pour this into a glass. Drink it straight from the bottle. My first taste of this came from that mug above, and when I took a sip, it was hard for my taste buds to notice the fruity flavor. (Yes, I did shake it.) But it was much more noticeable when drinking it from the bottle. I’m sure there’s some food science-y thing that involves having my nose over the bottle’s spout that causes the flavors to stand out more or something like that.

Also, with a General Mills cereal-flavored milk last year and a Kellogg’s variety this year, will Post will get one next year? Or maybe Quaker will get one? Cap’n Crunch Cereal Milk sounds delightful, but NOT Crunch Berries-flavored milk. I don’t want that.

Also, holy cow! This milk has 14 grams of protein.

Conclusion:

Nestle Sensations’ Kellogg’s Froot Loops Cereal Flavored Milk does capture that bottom of the bowl milk flavor, but there’s not enough of a cereal punch to make me want to follow my nose to drink another.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free product sample. Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 14 fl oz
Purchased at: Received from Nestle
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 bottle) 250 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 20 milligrams of cholesterol, 190 milligrams of sodium, 40 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber 39 grams of sugar (includes 18 grams of added sugar), and 14 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Cheez-It Puff’d

Erin 36 Comments

Cheez It Puff d Bags

What are Cheez-It Puff’d?

A new variety of baked snacks from Cheez-It, these tout themselves as “cheesy, airy, & puffy” and come in three flavors: Double Cheese, White Cheddar, and Scorchin’ Hot Cheddar. They strongly resemble a Cheez-It product from a few years ago, Cheez-It Crunch’d, but because I never sampled those, I can’t confirm if Puff’d is a retooling of Crunch’d or something entirely new. These are Cheez-It’s version of a cheese puff.

How are they?

Cheez It Puff d Back Bag

At first glance, promising. They come in bags that assure you they’re “crave-ably cheesy,” “incredibly airy,” and “perfectly puffy.” The shapes look like they’d be fun to eat and the smallish size makes them seem like a snack you could toss up and catch in your mouth like popcorn. Occasionally two of them remain stuck together in a neat little domino shape. They look like the sort of thing you’d have in a bowl and happily munch on, eating way too many because they’re so light and airy. Unfortunately, the fun stops there because these are not good.

Cheez It Puff d Closeup

They remind me of several types of things you would use to fill a box for shipping so the contents don’t break in transit. My first thought was that these are like eating old packing peanuts. Not even fresh packing peanuts but more like what I imagine the packing peanuts that surround the Christmas ornaments I inherited from my grandmother decades ago probably taste like. Next, I thought about another box filler, those not-totally inflated little plastic bags of air that all come connected to each other. Remember what I thought was a cute domino shape? It’s actually just two of those stuck-together bags. While eating, I thought to myself, “these are why some people really hate cheese puffs.” There’s something strange about them right from the start. It’s almost as if they’re stale, even though I know that’s not possible. Any puffiness they have immediately melts away the second they’re in your mouth and what’s left is pretty off-putting and oddly sticky.

Anything else you need to know?

They say they’re baked with real cheese inside and out, and I don’t have any complaints about the flavors. Double Cheese has the most regular taste of the trio and is the least remarkable. I’m unclear if there are supposed to be two different cheeses (presumably cheddar and something else?) or if it’s just supposed to be twice the amount of the regular cheese flavor. At any rate, it doesn’t stand out as being particularly strong. The White Cheddar version is sharper and more distinctive. Scorchin’ Hot Cheddar isn’t too fiery to handle but has a pleasant heat.

Conclusion:

Cheez It Puff d Bowls

I like cheese puffs and want to like these, but I can’t get past the texture. If you give them a try, I’d recommend White Cheddar or Scorchin’ Hot Cheddar. A single serving is 40 pieces, and this is a rare case in snacking where I won’t come close to eating that many.

Purchased Price: $2.99
Size: 5.75 oz bag
Purchased at: Mariano’s
Rating: 4 out of 10 (Double Cheese), 5 out of 10 (White Cheddar), 5 out of 10 (Scorchin’ Hot Cheddar)
Nutrition Facts: For all three flavors (40 pieces) 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 5 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 2 grams of monounsaturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 270 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 1 gram of total sugars, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Milk Chocolate Honey Graham M&M’s

Julie 9 Comments

Milk Chocolate Honey Grahams M M s Bag

What are Milk Chocolate Honey Graham M&M’s?

The busy bees at M&M’s have added a new seasonal flavor to their hive: honey graham, featuring milk chocolate with a crisp rice center.

How are they?

Milk Chocolate Honey Graham M&M’s could be described as “upgraded Crispy M&M’s” because they have a subtle, wonderful current of additional sweetness running through the candy. The dominant flavor is intermingling honey and milk chocolate, which reminds me of a Toblerone bar. The crispy rice center provides a perfect light texture to accompany the delicate honey flavor.

Milk Chocolate Honey Grahams M M s Closeup

Clad in honeycomb-esque yellow and brown shells, these M&M’s are tiny compared to other seasonal M&M varieties. They are close to a plain M&M in size, so it’s difficult to tell whether the flavor is coming from the chocolate itself or the crisp center. Either way, every bite provides a satisfying blend of flavor and texture.

Milk Chocolate Honey Grahams M M s Innards

However, in an “upgraded Crispy M&M,” the graham component is difficult to identify. The crisp rice slightly echoes the texture that I associate with graham crackers or rice cereal. But while the honey flavor is wonderful, it doesn’t have enough nutty or toasty shades to remind me of graham flavor.

Anything else you need to know?

Even though I liked the flavor of these M&M’s, I wondered what could have been with a graham cookie center instead of crisp rice. I had some Teddy Grahams on hand, so I cruelly dismembered one in order to sample an M&M with a Teddy Graham leg as its center. (Sorry, but I did it in the name of science.)

Milk Chocolate Honey Grahams M M s Transplant

This addition did satisfy my graham fix, but it overwhelmed the chocolate of the tiny M&M. I’m not sure it was an improvement, but a better candy engineer than I could probably readjust the ratios for better results.

Conclusion:

The honey and chocolate flavor duo of Milk Chocolate Honey Graham M&M’s is something to buzz about, but the crisp rice center may leave graham fanatics feeling stung.

Purchased Price: $3.49
Purchased at: Tops Friendly Markets
Size: 8 oz (226.8 g) bag
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (per 1 ounce/about 30 pieces) 130 calories, 5 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 40 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 15 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein