Category: Reviews

REVIEW: Kellogg’s Pop-Tarts Bites

Mike 4 Comments

Kellogg s Pop Tarts Bites

Do you wake up precisely 43 seconds before you need to be out the door? Or maybe you have a heart condition, and the sudden POP! of the toaster would too much for the ol’ ticker? Or perhaps you don’t like your kids too much, and don’t want to do anything that could be mistaken as cooking for them?

If so, Pop-Tarts Bites are the product for you! Able to go from box to mouth in under 10 seconds, these bite-sized pieces promise the classic Frosted Strawberry or Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon flavor without all that tedious toasting.

An even faster, less labor-intensive version of toasted Pop-Tarts may seem like a product in search of a problem, but I’m willing to be convinced. After all, I’m a guy so impatient that I’ve never successfully cooked a TV dinner using the conventional oven instructions. I always get tired of waiting and throw it in the microwave.

Kellogg s Pop Tarts Bites Pouches

I open a pouch of each and stick my nose in deep to sniff that classic Pop-Tart scent of slightly undercooked pastry. The Brown Sugar Cinnamon has an additional spice scent, and the strawberry strongly reminds me of strawberry jam. So far, the experience is identical to regular Pop Tarts.

I pop a Brown Sugar Cinnamon Bite into my mouth, crunch through the frosting, and into the sugary center. These taste like Pop-Tarts. The Brown Sugar Cinnamon Bites have a kick of spice to them, and the Strawberry Bites have a nice tartness, but these are fundamentally the popular toaster pastry.

Kellogg s Pop Tarts Bites Innards

If anything, they’re a bit more monotonous. With a traditional Pop-Tart, you can vary the eating experience by adjusting the amount of filled center vs. unfilled edge in each bite. I know I’m not the only one who likes to nibble away all the edge first, leaving the super sugary center for last. It’s also possible I way over think these things.

For me, the major drawback to these is that they can’t be toasted. While I understand one of the selling points of Pop-Tarts is that they allow you to eat breakfast while still in REM sleep, I’ve always preferred them toasted. Having a “cooked” breakfast will enable me to maintain the facade of being a functional adult. Plus, it gets rid of the aforementioned undercooked dough flavor. A brief 20 second trip in the microwave results in a pillowy crust and warm filling, an improvement, but one not intended by the manufacturer.

Everything you need to know about Pop-Tarts Bites is right there in the name. They’re mini bite-sized Pop-Tarts. They deliver precisely that but don’t add much to the Pop-Tarts Extended Universe.

Purchased Price: $4.98
Size: 10 pouches/box
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 pouch) Strawberry – 150 calories, 3 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 160 milligrams of sodium, 29 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 15 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein. Brown Sugar Cinnamon – 150 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 160 milligrams of sodium, 29 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 grams of fiber, 15 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: International Delight Limited Edition Peeps Creamer

Meghan 4 Comments

International Delight Limited Edition Peeps Creamer

What is the International Delight Limited Edition Peeps Creamer?

Born to delight caffeine-addicts everywhere, this creamer without borders exists to bring the cuteness of Just Born’s famous springtime chicks into your drab and dreary cup o’ joe.

How is it?

Crazy premise aside, this concept isn’t as insane as it sounds. Peeps, divisive as they are, are basically super-sweet marshmallows, and the addition of marshmallows to any hot beverage is a definite plus in my book.

On its own, the creamer tastes reminiscent of the fluffy treats, with predominant flavors of sugar and vanilla coming through. Even so, I didn’t get a distinctly “Peeps” vibe while I was sipping on it, and I think I know why. Without their characteristic dusting of sugar, Peeps aren’t much different from Kraft Jet-Puffed. Lacking that signature coating, this is just a green, marshmallow-flavored creamer.

International Delight Limited Edition Peeps Creamer in Coffee

The Peeps theme became even more lost when I added it to an actual cup of coffee. While good, it didn’t really taste like marshmallows anymore, and I could have easily mistaken it for French Vanilla if I hadn’t known better.

International Delight Limited Edition Peeps Creamer Closup

Besides the packaging itself, I’m not so sure on how this is supposed to make my coffee cuter, since it didn’t impact its appearance any differently than my typical addition of almond milk does. What’s more, I found its slightly greenish hue to be quite unsettling at first, and I actually sniffed the bottle before tasting it to make sure I hadn’t grabbed an expired bottle on accident.

Is there anything else you need to know?

I liked adding this to hot chocolate more than I did in coffee. Hot chocolate + liquid marshmallow + mini marshmallows on top = liquid bliss!

Conclusion:

Although the marketing at play here is probably more unique than the actual product is, I would say that this is still worth picking up if you’re on the hunt for a decent coffee add-in. Just close your eyes while you pour it out so you won’t think about the color.

Purchased Price: $3.18
Size: 32 fl. oz.
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 tablespoon) 35 calories, 1.5 grams of total fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 10 milligrams of sodium, 5 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 5 grams of total sugars, 5 grams of added sugars, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Diet Coke Blueberry Acai and Strawberry Guava

Mike 12 Comments

Diet Coke Blueberry Acai and Strawberry Guava

What are Diet Coke Blueberry Acai and Strawberry Guava?

After decades of merely fiddling with its Diet Coke lineup with the occasional vanilla, cherry, or lime addition, last year Coca-Cola let its food scientists run wild and released four new and exciting flavors aimed at the Millennial demographic. Diet Coke isn’t just for your mom anymore! Today, Coke adds two more: Blueberry Açaí and Strawberry Guava.

How are they?

Diet Coke Blueberry Acai and Strawberry Guava Cans

Both of these sodas have a strong fruity flavor, though I don’t taste much of the second listed fruit in either case. The Blueberry Açaí Diet Coke mostly tastes like blueberries, perhaps with some extra tanginess. It’s like how a fruit snack can somehow be more like its fruit flavor than the actual fruit itself.

Diet Coke Blueberry Acai and Strawberry Guava Closup

The Strawberry Guava Diet Coke mostly tastes like strawberries, though a bit mellowed in this case. It seems inadequate to say the guava adds a tropical flavor, but here we are, me having written the obvious and you having read it.

Is there anything else you need to know?

A confession: I know that readers rely on us at The Impulsive Buy to be your knowledgeable guides through the ever-changing culinary world, but I have to admit that I had no idea what açaí actually is. I don’t even know how to make that weird “c” thing (Thanks, spellcheck!)

Sure, it’s trendy, so I’ve eaten it in various bowls, smoothies, and other overpriced preparations, but what exactly is an acai? Google tells me that it’s a “small edible blackish-purple berry.” So it’s a blueberry. That explains why I could only taste the blueberry flavor in this soda. Or was I just tasting the açaí?

Conclusion:

If you’re a diet soda fiend like me, you’re always happy to have more options at hand. Man cannot live on Coke Zero alone. These two new additions may not be as exotic-tasting as their names suggest, but they’re tasty nonetheless.

Purchased Price: $4.99
Size: 8-pack
Purchased at: Festival Foods
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 0 calories, 0 grams of fat,0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 35 milligrams of sodium, 0 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 0 grams of sugar, and 0 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Nestle Coffee mate Snickers Creamer

Marvo 9 Comments

Nestle Coffee mate Snickers Creamer

Nestle has teamed up with, um, Mars to offer a Snickers-flavored coffee creamer. I’ll let the words on its 32 fluid ounce bottle tell you more, “Satisfied? You’re about to be. Because when it comes to satisfaction nobody does it like Snickers. And when it comes to creamer, nobody does it like Coffee mate. It’s a match made in peanut caramel chocolate coffee heaven.”

For those of you who don’t know what a Snickers bar is for some reason that I guarantee will be a sad story to me, it’s a layer of nougat topped with a layer of caramel with peanuts wading in it and everything is enrobed in chocolate. If that description makes your deprived mouth water, people who don’t know what a Snickers bar is, then let me disappoint it by saying this doesn’t remind me of the iconic candy bar in hot coffee, iced coffee, or in my new way of using creamer, overnight oats.

In the battle between Milky Way vs. Snickers, I’m #TeamSnickers. So I’ve had more than enough of the candy to know what it tastes like, and this doesn’t immediately or distantly remind me of it. I also tried it neat and could taste the chocolate, peanut butter, and caramel, but it formed an odd artificial sweet flavor that I wouldn’t enjoy on its own. Oddly, it smells wonderful, like cookies and cream.

Nestle Coffee mate Snickers Creamer Closeup

When added to coffee it still doesn’t taste like Snickers, but it also doesn’t taste like it does when sipped straight from the bottle. It’s mostly chocolatey, and the weird sweet flavor gets covered up by the java’s bitterness. But there also isn’t anything that reminds me of peanuts or caramel. (Also, what about the nougat?) With its strong chocolate base, it makes my coffee taste like a different shade of mocha. It’s a decent creamer, but I was expecting a bit more.

So, the “um” at the beginning of this review was my brain trying to wrap itself around the idea that Nestle has teamed up with Mars in some DC/Marvel-like crossover. Hey, Nestle rhymes with DC and Mars kind of rhymes with Marvel!

It’s a little odd to see Nestle, the brand behind such favorite candy bars as Butterfinger, Crunch, Baby Ruth, and 100 Grand, team up with Mars, the company behind more popular candy bars, to offer coffee creamers. But I guess now that the candy division of Nestle is now owned by Ferrero (yes, as in Ferrero Rocher), the Nestle that doesn’t deal with candy in the U.S. can do whatever the heck it wants.

With Coffee mate’s Snickers Creamer, it’s as if Nestle and Mars got lazy and slapped the Snickers name on this without actually making it taste like the popular candy bar. I mean, it’s as lazy as copying whatever text is on a bottle and using it in the first paragraph of a review. It’s fine as a coffee addition and I’ll drink the rest without hesitation, but if you’re a hardcore #TeamSnickers, it might not satisfy you.

Purchased Price: $4.29
Size: 32 fl. oz. bottle
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 tbsp) 35 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 20 milligrams of sodium, 5 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Post Hostess Donettes Cereal

Meghan 10 Comments

Post Hostess Donettes Cereal

Hitting shelves just in time to take advantage of America’s nationwide diet-fatigue following a month of calorie counting and gym-going, Hostess has recently collaborated with Post to release a dynamic duo of breakfast cereals drawing inspiration from two of their most iconic treats!

Advertising miniature donut-shaped pieces coated in a dusting of superfine powdered sugar, it’s easy to see why Hostess’s Donettes cereal would lure weary resolutioners away from Post’s more “healthful” (i.e. boring) offerings. After all, why settle for Shredded Wheat when you can chow down on a bowl of Donettes for breakfast?

Tempting premise aside, my less than awesome experience with Kellogg’s recent Pop-Tarts cereals caused me to be a just a bit skeptical towards how accurately Post would be able to portray the nostalgic fried delights in spoonable form.

Post Hostess Donettes Cereal w Cheerios

My trepidation turned out to be unjustified, though, because Post actually did a really good job with these. Each piece truly resembled the famous mass-produced dough rings, and dwarfed Cheerios by size alone. The sugary outer dust of each miniature donut directed the cereal’s flavor profile, much like with actual Donettes. I think the ultrafine sugar arguably worked even better in this instance, since it wasn’t thick enough to require you to have a glass of water on hand to help you get them down.

Post Hostess Donettes Cereal Bowl

It holds up surprisingly well in milk, too, especially since it’s just shy of 50% sugar by weight. This isn’t Captain Crunch or anything, but I was able to finish my bowl before it got soggy. Better yet, the sweet dust surrounding each morsel was similarly robust, and I was able to detect its presence even on my final few bites.

Post Hostess Donettes Cereal Closeup

At the end of the day, is this the most unique breakfast item out there? Probably not. That dubious honor undoubtadly belongs to Jimmy Dean’s Blueberry Pancakes & Sausage On-A-Stick. Even so, Donettes Cereal is still tasty in its own right, and it’s the marketing that really allows eating this to be an experience of its own. If nothing else, I would tell people to give this a shot just so they could experience the simple joy of shoving donuts into their mouth by the spoonful.

Now, please excuse me while I pour myself another bowl of Donettes.

Purchased Price: $3.98
Size: 18 oz. box
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup) 150 calories, 50 calories from fat, 6 grams of total fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 115 milligrams of sodium, 25 milligrams of potassium, 24 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 13 grams of total sugars, and 0 grams of protein.