Crio Bru Brewed Cacao Double Chocolate Light Roast

I love the taste, it's like a salty, bitter hot chocolate. You can probably adjust the ratios and get a smoother taste. But I already like it more than the black coffee I was drinking. I think the negative reviews are from people expecting it to taste like hot chocolate - which I'm sure you can get close to that if you add milk and sugar. I love that it has almost no caffeine and no sugar, and some

This is everything I hoped it would be!!! I made one huge cup of it, dashed in italian sweet creamer and it was outstanding. The rest of the time i go 1 scoop to 3 coffee in my ninja drip and its a wonderful slight mocha touch. A bit pricey, but I will be purchasing more regardless.

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 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.

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.

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.

Sometimes I try unusual things and wish afterward that I'd saved my money instead. Not this time! The ground cacao in the bag smelled wonderful. I wanted to try my Aeropress so I followed the directions on the bag. Well, when it came time to press the brew, the grounds clogged my metal mesh filter. The grounds settle to the bottom quite fast. I got just enough in my tall mug to taste... it was nice, but unsweetened. So I heated 1/4 cup of half-and-half in the mug to about 150 degrees in the microwave (which sweetens the milk), then I simply inverted and unscrewed the filter retainer and poured the cacao (grounds and all) into my mug with the milk. Then I added 1/2 tsp of xylitol and stirred. Moments later nearly all of the grounds were at the bottom, where they stayed until I had enjoyed the entire mug of brew. The few 'floaters' at the top were like the fine bits one gets in chocolate chip ice cream, they were tasty contributors to the enjoyment. I thought hard about buying a french press, but I don't think I'll bother. Brewing in the mug produces just one mug and one spoon to wash afterward. The cacao "grounds" are really not objectionable like actual coffee grounds, anyway; they're just unsweetened cacao solids. Filters? We don' need no stinking filters! :D It's sort of like brewing "cowboy coffee," only this is cowboy cacao bru!

The Double Chocolate Crio Bru is a daily staple. It's a chocolatey flavored light roast. If you're not a coffee fan, which I'm not you will like this alot. The Double Chocolate flavor is very smooth and not bitter like coffee. Added bonus, no caffeine. No sugar or cream is needed for me with in the Crio Bru, it's fantastic as is! I look forward to it every morning. Enjoy!

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…