Recently, my father, Joseph, who is a big fan of raisin bran cereal, gave me two boxes of the bran flakes to enjoy. One box being Post Raisin Bran(R) and the other Kellogg’s Raisin Bran(R), I put both boxes in the pantry and looked forward to sampling some of each brand. Seeing the boxes standing side by side, I couldn’t help but make comparisons. In an effort to assist the general consumer, presented here is an unbiased and objective consumer product comparison review of Kellogg’s Raisin Bran and Post Raisin Bran. For the sake of this product comparison review, both the Kellogg’s and the Post Raisin Bran boxes being referred to are 25 oz boxes. (Technically, the Kellogg’s box contains 25.5 oz.)
First of all, the boxes themselves are very different. The box of Post Raisin Bran is approximately 1 inch taller and approximately 1/ 4 inch wider than its Kellogg’s counterpart. While the front of the box design on the Post version is certainly informative, it looks sort of cluttered. White lettering on a conservative shade of purple, with a yellow heart and a spoonful of cereal in the center. The lower right corner is dominated by a “Lose 10 lbs” info blurb and there is quite a bit of descriptive and nutritional information printed on the front. The somewhat squatter, but definitely in- shape box of Kellogg’s Raisin Bran, on the other hand, fairly exudes fun, vitality and excitement, with the smiling sunbeam pouring “Two Scoops”(R) of raisins into a gigantic bowl of bran flakes. The shade of purple used on the Kellogg’s Raisin Bran box is a much brighter and happier hue.
Upon opening the boxes, one can see that both brands of cereal are packed in similar plastic bags, which are easy to open. After pouring equal amounts of each brand of raisin bran into bowls, it was readily apparent that these products were very different in appearance. The Post Raisin Bran flakes are generally larger than the Kellogg’s variety. The color of the Kellogg’s Raisin Bran flakes is a somewhat earthy, toasted- brown hue, while the Post Raisin Bran flakes have a more golden- brown appearance. Upon close examination, the raisins in the Kellogg’s Raisin Bran appear to be somewhat larger than those in the Post version. Each brand also appears to have equal amounts of sugar attached to each raisin.
After adding the suggested serving size of 1 / 2 cup of fat free milk, I sat down to enjoy performing this consumer product comparison review. Within seconds of the milk being added, both brands of cereal began absorbing the liquid. After approximately 1 1/2 – 2 minutes however, the Kellogg’s Raisin Bran clearly absorbed more of the milk than did the Post cereal, rendering it slightly mushy. The Post Raisin Bran held up well to the milk, retaining a crunchier mouth- feel than the Kellogg’s brand. When it came to the all- important taste test, neither brand completely dominated the other. Both brands exhibit a very good, yet different flavor.
Upon first bite, the Post cereal demonstrated an earthy, grain- rich taste, which did not seem very sweet. After locating a couple of raisins, the flavor greatly improved. While there appear to be less raisins in the Post Raisin Bran than the Kellogg’s version, the ones that are there work very well with the bran flakes, to create a tasty, balanced cereal. While not at all unpleasant, the Post Raisin Bran posesses a slight aftertaste of grain. Allthough the Kellogg’s Raisin Bran definitely became soggy quicker than the Post brand, it nonetheless retained a smooth, pleasant flavor and an agreeable mouth- feel. Overall, the Kellogg’s Raisin Bran tastes sweeter than its counterpart, yet the balance of raisins and bran in the Post variety produces a subtler sweetness.
Nutritionally, both brands of cereal contain 190 calories ‘dry’ and 230 calories when mixed with 1 / 2 cup of fat free milk. Interestingly, the Post cereal contains 10 calories from fat per 1 cup serving, while the Kellogg’s cereal contains 15 calories from fat, per 1 cup serving. In this objective review, there is no clear winner, or better brand of cereal determined. Both brands of raisin bran are very good. Each brand was rated using several criteria and each exhibited pluses and minuses. In the final analysis, it is up to each consumer’s individual tastes and preferences that determine which is the best product for them.
