Crio Bru Brewed Cacao Mocha Light Roast, 10 Ounce

I read others' negative reviews when I was re-ordering and was so surprised that I'm submitting a review--a rarity. This product is wonderful! Yes, the chocolate is bitter at first, but still rich and satisfying. It IS expensive, so I began drinking it only as a Sunday treat. After 6 weeks, I realized I was more engaged on Sundays. So I started drinking it 3 times a week. and my spirits improved. My cherished partner fought back courageously from a devastating stroke in 2016. Sadly, another stroke (in 2022) robbed him of his retrained speech ability. In 2025, he still cannot read, text, or converse, and it takes persistence from me just to convey news I know he'd like to know (the death of a longtime friend or that we'd have a new grandbaby soon). As caregiver, I constantly fought inertia. And so, finally, I began drinking a cup of Crio Bru every day. It may sound cheesy, but it's changed my life.

This stuff has really great flavor and can substitute for coffee or in addition to it. The chocolatey flavor is excellent.

Upon receipt, I cracked the nicely sealed and resealable package open. A strong chocolate aroma emenated and I thought to myself this is going to be terrific. After I brewed my first couple of batches in a French Press, I was disappointed in the flavor. I followed instructions to the tee and even added time and stirring trying to extract additional chocolate flavor from the granules. Alas, not to be. Note: I added no sweeteners. I began adding frothed milk and for me, the flavor improved. Not sure why but the fluffy whole milk on top of the brewed chocolate lifts the flavor a notch. Flavor with frothed milk took it from bland to not too bad. It's still not hot chocolate or hot cocoa. So be sure to set your expectations accordingly.

This cocoa-based coffee substitute delivers a mild, hot chocolate-like flavor that requires substantial quantities to achieve meaningful flavor. After testing both the moka pot and cowboy coffee brewing methods, the boiling method proved better, though I needed 5 tablespoons per 12 oz cup for adequate flavor. The product has a noticeably oily texture and taste, likely from cocoa bean oils, which unfortunately triggered my heartburn that regular coffee does not. At $2-4 per large cup compared to $1.40 for the premium flavored coffee beans I use, the cost per serving is significantly higher while requiring excessive amounts of product to achieve decent flavor strength. While functional as a coffee alternative, the combination of weak taste, high consumption requirements, potential digestive issues, and premium pricing makes this difficult to recommend over traditional coffee or other caffeine-free alternatives.

nice chocolate flavor, not as strong of taste as hoped for. add some milk and its better.

I bought this product in hopes that it would be good. I love cacao, I use as a staple in my house for smoothies, baking etc. I was very excited when it arrived and immediately made some. It was Awful. I didn't give up though I tried it a few different ways with Cream and half and half a little bit of maple syrup for sweetener little vanilla things like that. I even bought the Mesh gold filter that they said would be better when using this product. This product is bitter and has a very unpleasant taste, unfortunately it is not worth buying to me.

I put honey in it otherwise it is a little bitter. Still good and healthy.

Tastes great