Crio Bru – Take a coffee break
Welcome to my review on Crio Bru Brewed Cacao!
In my own efforts to take a month long break from coffee for my various gut issues, I stumbled upon Crio Bru Brewed Cacao. Crio Bru is 100% pure ground cacao. It is different than hot cocoa, which is a powdered and processed component of cacao. However, it tastes like unsweetened pure dark chocolate. Sounds pretty good to me!
Coffee is delicious. It’s magical, it’s inviting. It helps us start our day. This is all my opinion of course, but I have company. According to the National Coffee Association, coffee consumption is at a two decade high with 66% of Americans having coffee in the past day.
However, there is some debate on whether coffee consumption is beneficial (general consensus seems to lean towards yes, in moderation), but there can be various reasons people want to cut it or limit it. Whether it be related to molds, adrenal fatigue, or just simply wanting to curb the addiction, it never hurts to rotate things out sometimes (but it might hurt your head for a few days!).
Here’s my full review on Crio Bru Brewed Cacao.
What benefits are there to Crio Bru Brewed Cacao?
The Crio Bru website makes this impressive list of claims for the benefits of cacao (with sources on the site):
- Contains beneficial antioxidants
- Packed with magnesium
- Low in carbs
- Low in calories
- Natural mood enhancers
- Boosts immunity
- Increases focus
- Reduces stress
- Improves sleep
- Curbs appetite
- Lower acidity
As for any type of special diet, Crio Bru also checks off most lists!
- Keto
- Paleo
- Non-GMO
- Kosher
- Sugar-free
- Dairy-free
- Gluten-free
- Non – GMO and Organic (certain varieties)
- Safe for kids
But will I wake up?
Crio Bru is 99.99% caffeine free, about 1mg per 8oz cup. This is similar to what you would find in a cup of decaf. The sleeper (pun intended) is Theobromine – a longer lasting and more mild stimulant. So you still get that boost, but in a less aggressive fashion.
How do you make it?
The Crio Bru site has a pretty thorough section on all the possible preparation options, including pictures and links to YouTube videos. They say to brew in a French Press or coffee maker, but to only use gold tone or mesh filters – no paper. I had a pour over, which they say works, and they show with a paper filter and a Chemex on the video. When I tried this personally, it never went through the paper. I waited a half hour and the water was all still sitting in there, so my assessment is the paper filter won’t work. Which again, is what they said, but not what they show in the video. I ended up having to go by a French Press, which works much better. I have not tried a coffee maker or percolator. They suggest using a 1/4 cup per 16oz of water, which is pretty comparable to what you would measure out making coffee.
Once you get your cacao brewed, you can flavor it just like you would coffee! You can add creamers or sweeteners to your liking.
Pricing
Crio Bru is not cheap. The prices vary a bit by flavor and variety, but the typical 10oz bag is around $12-$15 a bag. I buy strictly organic coffee at the store, and whatever brand is on sale I’ll buy a few of. I frequently find bags around $6-$8 that are 10.5oz. So depending on where you live and shop, this price might seem close to what you spend normally or outrageous. There was a discount code for the initial order I used at the time, however that will obviously only work once. There are some smaller bags if you want to give it a try first, but you will have to pay shipping if you don’t hit the $50 mark.
Crio Bru does offer “Love it or it’s free”, so if you aren’t happy you can return it for a full refund.
How does it taste?
So the big question! How does Crio Bru actually taste? Well first, I’ll say it smells delicious! (Assuming you are chocolate fan, but I’m assuming you wouldn’t have made it this far if you weren’t). Like warm, delicious cocoa. However, once putting it up to my mouth there is a slight disappointment. It is not as tasty as cocoa. Could it be with some sugar and creamer? Probably. But I am a black coffee drinker, so I didn’t exactly want to use my cleanse to start dumping sugar and cream into my morning routine.
I can tell you, it will not taste like coffee. It isn’t intended to, but if you are looking for a coffee replacement that more closely resembles actual coffee there are probably better alternatives. For me, I love a delicious hot cocoa, but it will never replace the distinct love I also have for the taste and feel of coffee. Much like whiskey replacements, there is no real substitute. These drinks are so special for a reason and have their own indescribable aspects that cannot be replicated. Still, it is quite good, and I find it a better replacement than some other things I’ve tried in the past.
There are many flavors to choose from, and buying one of the sample packs is a great way to start. For me personally, I bought around January when they still had holiday flavors. I’ve had the following:
- Caramel
- Peppermint
- Mocha
- Pumpkin
- Cinnamon
- Hazelnut
The hazelnut was probably my favorite so far. I enjoyed almost all of them though except for the pumpkin. I don’t think pumpkin and chocolate really go together so I wasn’t expecting this to be very good, but I guess the pumpkin craze just can’t leave anything alone…
Final Verdict
So that’s my review on Crio Bru. Overall, I really like brewed cacao! I don’t see me ever giving up coffee entirely, but this is satisfying enough to get me through some breaks. The real deal breaker for me is the price. I simply cannot afford to pay that much with how much I drink, but for a month or so at a time it’s definitely doable. I do recommend giving it a try!
Have you tried Crio Bru or similar coffee replacements? Share your thoughts in the comments!