Crio Bru Brewed Cacao Ecuador French Roast Coffee Alternative Natural Healthy Drink | Made with 100% Pure Ground Cacao Beans | 99.99% Caffeine Free, Keto, Low Carb, Paleo, Non-GMO (10 Ounce (Pack of 1), Organic)

First of all, Kudo's to Ash for pointing out a bialetti can be used as I don't have a french press and did not want to start buying more equipment I may not use beyond a week. I use my stove top bialetti and my aeropress which was recommended by the manufacturer as well in their A and Q. This helped me make the decision to try this. Well, after being a coffee addict for many years I think I really am making the switch at this point. Two days in and no heartburn or palpitations and I slept well last night. The trick is you need to take a caffeine pill (at least I did) while you're transitioning so you don't get nasty withdrawal symptoms. If I go 4 hours after waking without caffeine I get eh nastiest migraine so I new I could not risk that so I bought some vivarin. 200 mgs of caffeine. I know, that means I'm still not off caffeine, BUT that's like 40% of the caffeine I was ingesting when I had my 2 mugs of strong Joe. My goal is to ease of the caffeine and cut the vivarin in half in a couple days. Can't go cold turkey, and hey, if I have to take one caffeine pill a day so be it. Still way less then what I was consuming. I really like the taste with just one packet of stevia and just a splash of cream. It adheres to all my keto and intermittent fasting rules, which are pretty restrictive. Two cups of 3 tablespoons of cacao each comes out just right. The bag will last a decent amount of time making this not so expensive. This really does do the trick for that morning treat and with enough kick. The theobromine in it is practically a happy drug. I never realized caffeine constricts blood vessels until I started researching this. Theobromine dilates blood vessels and increases heart rate in a more positive way. This is like win win all the way for someone who gets nasty heartburn (coffee is pretty acidic) and palpitations, but likes a tasty hot beverage in the morning to start the day. Believe the hype. Just make sure you make it right or you won't maximize the taste and experience. Keep the condiments to much less than you would with coffee too.

I was always a big coffee drinker. I wanted to try other items. I had originally purchased the intro set directly from the company; two 10 oz bags and a French press. I tried it immediately upon receiving it. The first couple of times I tried it, I thought it was just too watery and too boring and really nothing. It was missing fat and sugar for sure I thought. I went ahead and put everything up in the cupboard and ignored it for a few months. About a month ago, my doctor mentioned something about my blood pressure elevating, and I decided to go off coffee entirely. It really wasn't doing anything for me except making me feel nervous. So, I pulled the packages out, but I couldn't find the French press, so I decided to try making it with what I had on hand. (using a fine mesh sieve and a bowl) 😳 I shook some of the ground into the sieve, poured hot water over it, and let it kind of sit in its own liquid. I forgot about it for about 20 minutes, but then I came back in and there it was. So, I decided that I would go ahead and give it a try anyway. It's now no longer piping hot, but I'm sure it's pleasant. Well, was I surprised! I can only guess that it needs to sit in the liquid for a period of time! I took a sip, and the flavor was not only so much better, within about a half an hour I was in so much better a mood! I contacted friends and family and I was letting them know about this fabulous thing! Since then I have finished off what I had left. I have ordered the pound and a half bag, and I will be getting a lot more! That was delightful!

*The Pitch*: I was turned on to Crio Bru by a food blog that suggested using it in a frozen summer dessert. From there, I tried drinking it as suggested and then added my own twist. *The Package*: Crio Bru is packaged just like coffee, as it is marketed as a more mellow alternative to coffee. It comes in a vacuum-sealed bag that you can pinch shut with a wire (just like a bag of coffee). *The Fit*: I’ll start with the dessert. To that end, it is amazing. It involves simmering the crio bru in milk/cream on the stovetop with sweetener (the recipe I read called for maple syrup, but I used brown sugar instead and it was excellent) and then freezing it in ice cube trays. When you’re ready, you blend the ice cubes with some kind of liquid (coconut, almond, or dairy milk) and the result is a rich, full-bodied chocolate drink that is super refreshing on a summer day. Now, on to the consumption as directed by the packaging. It is recommended to steep ½ cup of Crio Bru in a french coffee press for a total of about 15-20 minutes. As it’s brewing, it smells *amazing* like a river of chocolate. However, I found the finished product to be far too bitter to appreciate like a cup of coffee. My tongue is expecting rich chocolate taste from the brewing aroma, but I’m greeted with the reality of bitter cacao. I was able to tweek the brewed recipe by adding some cream and sugar after the fact (like high tea). Just adding a little sugar to cut the bitterness and some cream to finish out the chocolate flavor does wonders. Ultimately though, this is an expensive treat for what it is. One french press calls for ½ cup of Crio Bru. The bag probably holds about 2-3 cups so you’re looking at 6 servings optimistically and the bag was ~$14 at the time of review. *The Good*: Delicious frozen desserts can be made from this cacao bean grind. *The Bad*: It’s pretty spendy considering how much it takes to brew. *The Ugly*: Nothing ugly about this drink. It’s a fun splurge. *The Bottom Line*: I really enjoyed the dessert made from Crio Bru but the drink itself is only so-so. It’s fairly expensive for what you get. While I will buy this again, it will only be an occasional treat.

this so good made in a french press, use half cacao and half coffee or all cacao for a delicious brew

It needs a lot of grounds to make a flavorful cup. The taste is good, but it's costly. I might ask for this a special gift once a year. I think it's too costly for a regular drink.

Not unplesant but not as interesting as I'd hoped. Its just coco that doesn't dissolve. You have to use a huge amount to get it to taste of anything, or leave it steeping so long it goes cold. Ethical trading certifications aside, you can by unbranded coco powder, add boiling water and it tastes the same and costs a fraction of the price.

Just doesnt taste good sorry I wanted it to be good. will go back to tea and coffee

Brewed it up in a 1l French press. Tastes just like a super rich hot cocoa.