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★★★★☆
Coffee Alternative
I recently decided to give up coffee, including decaf, for health reasons. I drank coffee all day long, sometimes making a second pot in the early afternoon. I enjoy drinking a warm beverage throughout the day and wanted to find something to replace coffee. I buy a lot of things from Amazon.com and decided to start my search there. I found a number of products to choose from, and after reading the reviews, I decided on these three: Cafix, Caf-Lib, and Dandy Blend.
The first thing you must do when trying any coffee substitute is to set your expectations. The reviews I read said these products tasted like coffee. They do not taste like any coffee I have ever had. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but if you are expecting a coffee-like taste when you try one of these, you will be disappointed. That was my experience. I drank my coffee black, and so that is how I prepared these. Perhaps with sweetener and/or creamer these do taste more like coffee.
I ordered all three products from Amazon.com, and the first to arrive was Cafix. Thinking it was like coffee, I used a level teaspoon just like I would with instant coffee. It tasted like really weak coffee. I tried adding more to make it stronger, but it still did not taste like coffee, and I was disappointed. I finished the drink and put my cup in the
dishwasher.
After I thought about it for a while, I realized what I really wanted was a beverage I could drink throughout the day like I did coffee. Whether or not it tasted like coffee was not important. It's not that Cafix tasted bad, it wasn't what I was expecting. So I made myself another cup, and when I finished that one I made a third. By the end of the day I decided that Cafix wasn't so bad after all, I actually enjoyed it.
A couple days later I received Caf-Lib and eagerly fixed myself a cup. First impression was good. Caf-Lib tastes similar to Cafix to me, but has more flavor. Caf-Lib is also stronger, so I use less to achieve the same strength. After comparing Cafix and Caf-Lib I decided that I prefer Caf-Lib.
The next day Dandy Blend arrived, and I fixed myself a cup right away. The directions say to use a slightly rounded teaspoon for a strong coffee like drink, so that's what I did. Dandy Blend was a little slower to dissolve, requiring that I stir it longer. Not important really, just observation. Finally I took my first sip. To my amazement I found the taste
reminded me of Caf-Lib and Cafix. I think the reason is because none of them have the bitter taste of coffee. They are all very mild. Dandy Blend's has slightly more flavor Cafix, but not as much as Caf-Lib.
#1: Caf-Lib
The most flavorful of these three and my favorite. I used one rounded teaspoon per cup. Has somewhat of a nut flavor.
#2: Dandy Blend
I used a slightly rounded (almost level) teaspoon per cup. It has somewhat of a smokey smell while stirring. More flavor than Cafix, but not as much as Caf-Lib.
#3: Cafix
I used one heaping teaspoon of per coffee cup. The taste is very mild.
There are many factors to consider when choosing a beverage. I prefer to drink them black, while you may prefer to use creamer and/or sweetener. Only you can determine which one would you prefer with your favorite snack. The reviews are good as a starting point, but I suggest you try all three to discover which one you will enjoy the most.
November 2009 · Grocery and Gourmet Food · verified purchase