# Coffee v.s. Cacao **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** coffee\ **Created:** [November 12, 2021, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-v-s-cacao/954253 "2021-11-12T20:03:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2021, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-v-s-cacao/954253/1 "2021-11-12T20:03:20Z")
Love cold brew. I do 50/50 caff and decaf. Keep reading about cacao as a good alternative. Less jitters, etc. Better for me. Thoughts? Anyone does the switch? How do you feel? Is it terribly pricey? All I see for sale is finely ground powder, not coffee grounds- level coarse. I don’t want to spend money on powder if I cannot make it into cold brew to experiment with. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2021, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-v-s-cacao/954253/2 "2021-11-12T21:21:57Z")
I have never liked coffee and never drunk it. My preferred caffeinated beverages are Coke Zero and Pepsi Max, depending if I’m in the mood for more cola-ness or more sweetness. I drink Dutch-processed cocoa powder with just enough (non-sugar) sweetener to make it palatable. It dissolves readily in hot water. I haven’t tried using cold water; I imagine it would take longer. While cocoa has some caffeine, it has a lot (ten times?) more theobromine. I find it increases my alertness without as much jitteriness compared to caffeine. More of a mellow mental focus that a sharp twitchiness. Obviously your experience may differ. I’ve tried different brands and processes of cocoa. The basic can of Kroger’s Baking Cocoa is cheap and good enough. Less than $3 for a half-pound. More expensive brands seem to be more expensive because they use an “incomplete” process that leaves more cocoa butter and/or more acidity. Maybe some people prefer that, but I don’t because it ruins the mouth-feel and/or flavor of the drink. I recommend buying the cheap stuff to start with to see if it can do about what you like. Then experiment with more expensive options. ---
**Author:** ![tofor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tofor/32/13727_2.png) [@tofor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tofor)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2021, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-v-s-cacao/954253/3 "2021-11-12T23:39:10Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > ll I see for sale is finely ground powder, not coffee grounds- level coarse. Cocoa powder is dissolved fully, unlike coffee where you’re trying to extract the good stuff and leave behind the nasty. There’s really no reason i can think of to steep it or cold brew or anything. Are you talking about a different product? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2021, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-v-s-cacao/954253/4 "2021-11-12T23:44:21Z")
Not a coffee drinker myself (I’m still twitching from the amount of coffee I drank in college!) but there are the refined cocoa drinkers, like above, and the rest of us slobs, who drink Swiss Miss. Or the way I do it, which is to double-load a mug with Swiss Miss and Land O’Lakes Hazelnut cocoa. Too much sugar to be healthy, but then I always loaded my coffee to the point of sludge, so I might just be ahead of the game here. Like **Pleonast** , I find cocoa gets me alert enough for government work. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2021, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-v-s-cacao/954253/5 "2021-11-13T01:52:52Z")
There’s something called choffee that is ground chocolate. You brew it up just like you brew your coffee. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2021, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-v-s-cacao/954253/6 "2021-11-13T01:57:12Z")
Crio Bru is coarser and unsweetened. I find it has a faint chocolatey taste but it’s quite different from a cup of hot chocolate. I make it in a 4-ounce Vietnamese coffee press and add it to coffee. I’m actually giving sampler packages of Crio Bru and a Vietnamese press to two friends for the upcoming holiday. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2021, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-v-s-cacao/954253/7 "2021-11-13T02:36:31Z")
Is it anything like [this?](https://www.amazon.com/Crio-Bru-Substitute-Caffeine-Whole-30/dp/B01796N5IG/ref=sr_1_10?keywords=cacao%2Bbeans&qid=1636770837&sr=8-10&th=1) ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2021, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-v-s-cacao/954253/8 "2021-11-13T02:43:54Z")
That’s the stuff. As I say, it’s not rich and creamy, but worth trying. My lovely wife likes a big cup of it with a little foamed oat milk. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2021, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-v-s-cacao/954253/9 "2021-11-13T02:52:30Z")
Pricey compared to coffee, but I’d spend fifteen big ones to see if I can cold brew it !! Because there’s a worldwide coffee shortage coming, I bought bulk of my current commercial blend: 50% Dunkin’ Donuts ground and 50% Folger’s Decaf ground. That’ll carry me through into next year, maybe till…July… but this flavor and loss of caffeine solution ( ha ! ) is very tempting. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2021, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-v-s-cacao/954253/10 "2021-11-13T03:00:33Z")
I’ll be curious to hear what you think. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2021, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-v-s-cacao/954253/11 "2021-11-13T04:10:04Z")
Gonna order this. Will check back in once I’ve tried it. Will use less than the scoops I’ve used for coffee…because, well, who knows? ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2021, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-v-s-cacao/954253/12 "2021-11-13T04:24:42Z")
It’s a beautiful mystery. Meanwhile. I just ordered several cans of Cafe Bustelo. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2021, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-v-s-cacao/954253/13 "2021-11-13T04:26:05Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > Pricey compared to coffee, but I’d spend fifteen big ones to see if I can cold brew it !! I would brew it with heat until you know what it’s supposed to taste like. Cacao and coffee are 2 different animals. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2021, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-v-s-cacao/954253/14 "2021-11-16T14:56:06Z")
Good idea, thanks. I cold brew to avoid the acid release and increase the caffeine release in coffee. I’ll boil then chill. …boy, if THAT isn’t a recipe for the next ten years of my life !.. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2021, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-v-s-cacao/954253/15 "2021-11-16T15:22:09Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > I cold brew to avoid the acid release You’ll find a lot of variability in acidity among the brands. Don’t give up on the first one you try if it’s not to your liking. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2021, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-v-s-cacao/954253/16 "2021-11-16T19:53:04Z")
Yeah, there’s a sort of cacao you brew. It’s basically the cocoa nibs ground a bit finer, and roasted in different “darknesses” much like coffee. It’s still got all the cocoa butter in it, unlike cocoa powder, which is what’s left over after removing the cocoa butter from chocolate liquor. Crio Bru is the brand others have pointed out in the thread already- I’ve tried it. [Crio Bru® Brewed Cacao: Brews Like Coffee, Benefits of Cacao](https://criobru.com/) Considering that I drink my coffee with cream and sugar, it was a lot like a weak cup of hot chocolate. While it wasn’t bad, it didn’t really scratch the coffee itch either. However, using a good dose of the Crio Bru in with regular coffee makes a delightful beverage- sort of a mocha type thing. ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2021, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-v-s-cacao/954253/17 "2021-11-27T17:59:23Z")
Inspired by your posting, I bought some Crio bru and a Vietnamese coffee maker and tried it out today first plain then with steamed milk. It was…interesting, and has real possibilities. But the crio folks say when making it in a French press it should “steep” for several minutes; aeropress fans say the same. It poured through the Vietnamese coffee maker in a few seconds. I poured it through again, which took maybe a minute. How do you make it? I put in 3 tablespoons for 4 ounces of water. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2021, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-v-s-cacao/954253/18 "2021-11-27T21:55:37Z")
I fill the chamber around 1/3+ with Crio Bru and pour on a little hot water and leave it 30-60 to steep. Then press the insert down, which compacts it. Then add the edt of the water and close the lid. I’ve also just steeped it in a cup, then poured it through the filter into the mug. You might need to play with quantities since it’s not like a hot chocolate. ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2021, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-v-s-cacao/954253/19 "2021-11-28T00:25:21Z")
Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2021, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-v-s-cacao/954253/20 "2021-11-29T03:39:26Z")
Loving this thread !!! 🙂