I’ve traveled extensively to Guatemala and am familiar with cacao. So I thought I’d try this, figured not much to lose, at least I’ll get a French press out of the deal.
1. Cacao product - the sourness / bitterness is overwhelming. Adding any kind of sweetener kind of defeats the idea of it being a better alternative to chocolate. I tried it with steamed milk from my espresso maker; a little better, at least tolerable.
2. French Press - As noted above I typically use an espresso maker to brew cappuccinos or lattes. My friend has a small French press I’ve thought about getting. It’s about a pint size, all metal. The seal around the press is tight, so there is a reassuring resistance when pressed. It’s small and all metal so retains the heat long enough to brew a cup - 8-10 minutes.
The press supplied with the Crio is larger, a mix of metal and glass (or heavy plastic - not sure which). Much larger than needed unless brewing by the pot. When brewing Crio by the cup/mug, the liquid is just barely lukewarm after 10 minutes. The pressure of the press is non- existent, nearly falls of its own weight. And this is not a beverage you want to even think about drinking luke warm, just amplifies the sourness / bitterness. So at best, even when mixed into steamed milk, the cacao needs to be reheated.
Overall a disappointment on both points. Won’t be reordering.
Sorry, but you asked.