BREK TEST
I tried five supermarkets’ Special K dupes – one 99p version blew me away and is £120 a year cheaper than the brand
The winner came out more than 70% cheaper per 100 grams
MOST of us love to enjoy a bowl of cereal in the morning, and many of us have a favourite we'll always go back to.
Kellogg's Special K has been on shelves since the 1950s, so there's clearly an appetite among shoppers for the breakfast staple.
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But, like with plenty of products today, there are now so many budget varieties and dupes on offer that it can be hard to know which one to choose.
Whether it's branded or a retailer's own versions, there are vast differences in what you have to pay too.
So, we decided to try six different versions of special K - including the original Kellogg's classic - to see how they compared in terms of flavour, texture and price.
Sainsbury's Tasty Fortified Flakes
- £1.85 for 500g
- Price per 100g: 37p
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I was expecting goods things from Sainsbury's own-brand Special Flakes as the supermarket usually fares well in previous taste tests.
And I was right - its dupe version did not disappoint, with the flakes having a great crunch while still being easy to chew.
Some cereals texture can cut up your mouth, but these were smooth on the palette without being soggy.
The flavour was creamy with a subtle undertone of wheat as well, while the price per 100g was the third lowest out of the six cereals I tried.
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Overall this is a strong contender if you like your cereal crunchy and flavourful.
- Taste: 7/10
- Texture: 8/10
- Price: 7/10
- Overall: 22/30
Asda Special Flakes
- 99p for 500g
- Price per 100g: 19.8p
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Asda's Special Flakes surprised me as the supermarket hasn't performed that well in other own-brand cereal taste tests I've done.
But I was pretty taken aback with how velvety and malty the taste of their special flakes were, with a salty and sweet balance.
They came in cheapest per 100g out of all six cereals I tried, with the 500g box selling for a decent 99p - even cheaper than budget rival Lidl.
The one downside for me was that texture was a bit sandy and grisly, so for that I scored them one mark less than Sainsbury's.
But all things considered, Asda's flakes came out winners of the taste test, marginally pipping Sainsbury's to top spot.
- Taste: 7/10
- Texture: 7/10
- Price: 9/10
- Overall: 23/30
Kellogg's Special K
- £3.30 for 440g
- Price per 100g: 75p
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Up next was the original Kellogg's Special K and the first thing that immediately struck me about the flakes was their colour.
They were distinctly browner than the Sainsbury's and Asda's special flakes, partly because they have a higher wholewheat-to-rice ratio.
This was also reflected in the flavour, with the Kellogg's flakes tasting much more like bran flakes than the first two I tried.
I prefer a creamier special flake, so I wasn't so keen on this flavour, although their texture was super crunchy.
As is the case with most branded produce, the major stinger was the price point, with a 440g box of Kellogg's Special K costing £3.30 at Sainsbury's - £2.20 more than Asda's cheap own brand version.
Based on a box a week, that's an almost a £120 difference over the course of a year.
- Taste: 6/10
- Texture: 8/10
- Price: 4/10
- Overall: 18/30
Morrisons Special Flakes
- £2.19 for 500g
- Price per 100g: 43.8p
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The texture of Morrisons' Special Flakes was definitely the worst out of all six I tested.
After a few chews they became mushy and it felt almost like I had papier-mâché swirling around my mouth, although the flavour was nice and buttery.
The colour was also quite pale compared to rivals which had a more healthy brown tone.
The flakes were also the second most expensive out of all six tested, meaning they actually came bottom when it came to taste, texture and price combined.
- Taste: 6/10
- Texture: 6/10
- Price: 5/10
- Overall: 17/30
M&S Special Flakes
- £2 for 500g
- Price per 100g: 40p
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I had high hopes for M&S because the retailer is one of the more upmarket on the high street and is known for stocking high-quality produce.
And while its Special Flakes were crispy, the flavour was just too wheaty for me and lacked creaminess.
These flakes came in in the middle of the six in terms once the price was also taken into consideration, at £2 a box - double Asda's cost.
- Taste: 6/10
- Texture: 7/10
- Price: 6/10
- Overall: 19/30
Lidl Special Flakes Classic
- £1.19 for 500g
- Price per 100g: 23p
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Lidl is Aldi's discount cousin and usually performs well in taste tests overall.
But I found the flavour and texture of its Special Flakes to both be really disappointing.
The overriding flavour was that of cardboard, while the consistency felt stale on the tongue.
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As expected, the price point was its most competitive aspect, coming out second cheapest overall at £1.19 - beaten only by Asda.
- Taste: 5/10
- Texture: 5/10
- Price: 8/10
- Overall: 18/30
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