Store brands take on Tony, cheerios, and mini-wheats.(dollars & sense)(Product/service evaluation)

We pitted three top-selling cereals--Kellogg's Frosted Flakes, General Mills Cheerios, and Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats--against the smaller brand Malt-O-Meal and private-label knockoffs, some of which cost less than half as much.

Sales of private-label cereal account for 10 percent of the cereal market, up 3.8 percent from 2004 to 2005, according to market-research company Mintel. The price gap between private labels and big brands can be significant: A box of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes costs $3.38; a box of Kroger Frosted Flakes costs $1.76. Part of the surcharge is the result of advertising and marketing expenditures. There can also be hidden extras such as fees for prime positioning on supermarket shelves.

Maybe the biggies can't be beaten, but some competitors sure come close. In each case, Malt-O-Meal was in a virtual tie for overall taste quality. Malt-O-Meal cereal, sold nationwide, costs much less than the major brands we tested. Here's how the options stacked up, in order of overall quality. Cost is for what the label calls a serving.

Frosted flakes

The very good flakes might give you a sugar rush, but they don't have the bitterness common to the rest. And they didn't turn milk bright yellow, as some others did. Per serving, all have about 120 calories, 0 grams of fat, 12 grams of sugars, and 1 gram of fiber.

 
VERY    Kellogg's, 24 cents 
GOOD    Malt-O-Meal, 13 cents 
 
GOOD    ...