Crio Bru Brewed Cacao Double Chocolate Light Roast

Nice strong flavor with a London Sip moka. If youre expecting hot chocolate youll be disappointed. More like a mild bakers chocolate thats been roasted. Wonderful aroma, slightly bitter. If you use a flavored creamer itll balance out nicely! Im just using half/half.

This is NOT hot chocolate! This is a really good dark chocolate flavored beverage made with hot water so it will not give hot chocolate vibes. It is wonderful and despite being unsweetened, I could probably drink this plain. I did add a splash of sweet cream creamer to it and I love it! Will definitely be ordering more! The French press is key to making a good cup, and let it sit for longer than 10 minutes if you want a stronger brew. My mom made hers in her coffee pot and didn’t care for it, I told her to try the French press and she likes it much better.

First saw this in a store, bought the mild ‘Ghana’ version, was just too weak for me. Saw this double chocolate on Amazon, had to try it. This is ground up cacao beans. Directions on package for French press, but that did not work at all for me. There is too much fine powder mixed in with the coarser pieces. Using a #2 filter in either a coffee machine or pour over, also ‘plugs’ up and takes forever to drip into cup. I ended up buying the metal #2 pour over cone that is laser drilled with holes. No need for paper filter. Found at a kitchen store, not at a big box store. You can stir while it’s soaking, so nothing gets plugged up. Once you pour water on it, a pleasant aroma of chocolate is detected. Once brewed, it has the same feel as regular coffee, but with a mild flavor of chocolate. Since there is no caffeine it’s great for drinking later in the day or evening. I did buy the extra strong flavor in store, it was nasty smelling, (think dirty feet), and awful taste. I like the double chocolate flavor, you might try a larger sized French press, see if that works for you.

I’ve been a Crio Bru user for years now. I was a coffee drinker for years but found coffee was elevating my blood pressure so decided I needed an alternative. Tea was too weak. I tried decaf and I’m okay with it but didn’t love it. Then a friend recommended Crio Bru and it sounded intriguing enough to try since I’m also a chocolate field. I admit it took a bit of experimenting to get the perfect brew but now I love it. It was way too weak in a coffee machine. It needs to steep for a while. But I now use a French press and it’s perfect. My perfect amount seems to be two rounded scoops in my 32 oz French press, and steeped for at least six minutes. That makes a dark rich brew that looks exactly like black coffee but of course with a different taste. Not excessively chocolatey but just enough. I usually drink it just black but occasionally add a splash of heavy cream for a treat. Also occasionally a scoop of Vital Proteins chocolate collagen powder. Recently I’ve been experimenting with mixing in a tablespoon of Yupik ground cacao powder for a tiny bit more “oomph”. But I love it no matter which way I have it. I’ve actually bought a small French press too which I can pack in my suitcase also with a small bag of Crio Bru if I travel, since it’s not something easily available anywhere else, lol.

This is going to be quite long. I thought I already wrote a review, but I guess I didn't. I bought this back in late 2022, just after I decided which flavor I liked from the sample kit. I have really bad ADHD, and it was advertised as brain boosting. I was desperate, so I bought the sample. I did quite a bit of research before my purchase, so knew going in that it wasn't going to taste like hot chocolate and that most people find the flavor disappointing: like overly water chocolate. And they were right. I found a way to make it taste better (which I will get to), but it was so high effort, that I didn't have the mental energy for it. However, I recently picked it back up, and have been drinking it every day. How I made it taste great: 1. substitute all water for milk. I use whole milk, and if I'm feeling fancy, I'll do 75% whole milk/25% heavy cream. 2. I add in a small spoon full of sugar, because I like it a tad sweeter. 3. It says 2 Tbsp per what...8 oz? For a single cup I do 2.5 - 3 Tbsp. 4. I also add in a bit of cinnamon. I also ignore the instructions. I put everything into whatever container I'm using to heat, and heat it to the temp I want. I either use stove top or the instapot magic milk frother (without frothing on). Once it's done, I let it sit for a few minutes before straining it. Straining: I double strain because just using the french press is a pain, due to the grounds being so fine and clogging up the mesh. So I first strain it through either a separate mesh sieve or cheese cloth into the french press, THEN I filter it through the french press into my cup. Makes cleanup a lot easier too. I come out with a clean and easily poured cup of what now taste like dark chocolate hot chocolate. It's not completely low effort, but it takes me about 10 minutes including cleanup, and then I get to sit with my very flavorful drink. As far as brain benefits, I never drank coffee, so I cannot compare it, but I do feel my brain is a little more focused and calm on the days I drink it. I've also been adding in other brain foods and high cholesterol into my diet, so I cannot say that the drink works alone if you have wild ADHD, but it definitely has been helping, and I will be buying again once I run out.

As a coffee "addict," I thought this product was an intriguing concept and I succumbed to the hype and purchased one bag. First, I received two separate notifications that the shipment had been delayed (only item in the order). After the second delay, nearly one full month after placing the order, I attempted to cancel the order. Then, "miraculously," the item was "too close to shipping to be canceled." Okay. Once the package arrived, I was eager to try it. Remember how I said I was a coffee "addict"? Let's be clear. I own a Nespresso machine, a Keurig, an espresso maker, an iced coffee machine, a pour-over coffee device, a regular pot for brewed coffee, and a French press. I also own a milk frother and a coffee bean grinder, not to mention various syrups and such. So perhaps I am too ingrained in the world of coffee for my palate to accept this unusual substitute. If you love coffee and are used to strong coffee drinks, this will disappoint. I followed the directions exactly the first time I made it. It tasted like someone had served me hot water with some kind of weird cocoa dropped in. Very diluted and watery. The second time I made it, in an attempt to get a stronger flavor, I doubled the amount of grounds in the French press. Unfortunately, I got the same result. Watery, weak, warm beverage. It's quite gross, IMO. It's so disgusting to me that I won't even finish the rest of the bag. I'm not sure how this product managed to generate so much hype. While the coffee I drink might be eating away at the lining of my stomach, at least it is an enjoyable culinary experience. This product tastes like it would burn the stomach lining away (bitter), but has almost no flavor. There's nothing pleasant about this product. The entire thing has been a colossal waste of money. I'll never buy this again and I strongly advise you to avoid it.

Smells like chocolate. Tastes like coffee. Since I hate coffee, this is not for me. I don't think it's a bad product. Easy to make. Just not what I thought it might be. I thought it would be more chocolaty or creamier.

I love coffee. I drink it every day. But I need to cut back on it. So far this is an excellent coffee substitute. However, as others have commented it is not coffee. The taste and thickness do not match coffee. But I knew that going in. If for diet, health, or pregnancy reasons you want a coffee swap out, this is a good one as it is only 20 calories with 0g fat, 0g cholesterol, 0g sodium, and 3g carbs (but 2g are dietary fiber, and the other is <0), so basically just under 1g carb per 2 Tablespoons. Which makes it Keto and non-GMO friendly. It does have 2g of protein somehow in it too. It is expensive, so experiment with a smaller size first maybe (that’s what I did). When I opened the bag it smelled nice, like baked brownies because I picked the Double Chocolate version. So that’s a nice way to start with it. I steeped it in a French Press with 2-3 Tablespoons for every 8 oz of water (in my case 5 Tablespoons for 16 oz of hot water). I stir it once I pour in the hot water so that the water gets all around it. Put more than you need in to keep the flavor strong. Then I brew it for 10 minutes (2 minutes longer than the instructions) to help make it taste richer and less watery. I pour it into my mug and then add a bit of almond or oatmilk which I think helps make flavor and texture akin to hot chocolate (I’m currently into the low calorie creamer - Coffee Mate Natural Bliss Brown Sugar Oat milk that I buy from Target = 30 calories per tablespoon which goes with it very nicely). A great find.

This stuff is delicious but expensive so I limit to 1 brew per day, usually the late evening as it does not contain caffeine and does not keep me awake for hours. Do not make the mistake of thinking this is the equivalent of Cadburys Hot Chocolate powder which, whilst also delicious is a sugary and entirely unhealthy drink. Follow the instructions on the packet/website and you will be truly rewarded. It’s subtle but the aftertaste is undeniably delicious…