Blue Bottle vs Chameleon
Why They Make The Cut?
Review Summary
Flavor Profile
The flavor profile of the Three Africas blend is truly exceptional. It offers a complex mix of jammy notes from the natural Ethiopian coffee, pleasant acidity from the washed Ethiopian, and body and sweetness from the washed Central African. When cold brewed, it produces a drink with impressive depth and luminosity that spans the coffee spectrum.
I found the cold brew to be smooth and well-balanced, with a nice interplay of fruit notes and deep sweetness. It's refreshing and easy to drink, yet still complex enough to satisfy more discerning palates.
So, let’s start with the positives of Chameleon. What I like about it, is that it tastes clean and gentle. The flavor isn’t too harsh, and it feels smooth when drinking it. The only downside, is that some coffee drinkers report Chameleon having an unpleasant sour taste. Now, I didn’t experience that myself, but a few of the people I’ve talked to, as well as people online have reported that sour taste.
And compared to many of the other cold brews on the market, I’ll say that Chameleon ranks pretty close to the top. I don’t have a lot to complain about here, and I had a pleasant time drinking it during the last week. However, I will also say that it’s not the BEST coffee I’ve tasted. In my opinion, pure coffee concentrates usually taste a lot better, as long as they aren’t freeze dried, and the company doesn’t add in a lot of chemicals. (For example, Javy is a good alternative).
Flavor Notes
Caffeine Content
Blue Bottle doesn't provide specific caffeine content for their cold brew set. However, cold brew generally contains more caffeine than regular coffee due to its concentrated nature. Based on my experience, it provided a good energy boost without feeling jittery.
It's worth noting that you can adjust the strength (and thus caffeine content) by changing the coffee-to-water ratio or diluting the final product to your liking.
I’m going to be honest here, and this is something that really irked me. The Chameleon packaging doesn’t tell you how much caffeine is in the cold brew, and their website doesn’t say anything either.\
I don’t know how a company can get away without providing that information, it just doesn’t make sense to me. However, what I can say is that after drinking their concentrate, I got a pretty strong buzz after drinking it. So there’s definitely caffeine in the brew, but I’m not quite sure how much. (And it also makes you wonder, if they’re leaving out crucial information like that, what else are they leaving out?)
Convenience Factor
The Blue Bottle Cold Brew Set is quite convenient, especially for those who enjoy making cold brew at home. The set comes with everything you need to get started, including the coffee and brewing instructions.
One minor inconvenience is that you need to plan ahead, as cold brew typically needs to steep for 12-24 hours. However, once brewed, you can store it in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, which is great for having coffee ready to go.
Now, while I was pretty disappointed that I didn’t find the caffeine information I was looking for.I was even more disappointed with their concentrate. And here’s why:
To make normal hot coffee with Chameleon, it takes 2 parts concentrate, and 1 part water. (For example, that would be 2 cups of concentrate, and 1 cup of water). And that’s super annoying, because what’s the point of using a concentrate if it takes SO MUCH of it to make your coffee with? I’ve used other concentrates that only take 1 tsp to make a full cup of coffee, and that makes the bottle last a lot longer.
And in other words, this means if you’re using Chameleon’s Concentrate to make your coffee every day. Well, you better stock up on bottles, because you’re going to need A LOT of them. (And you’ll have to spend a lot more money as well!)
Ease of Use
The cold brew set is straightforward to use, even for those new to making cold brew. Blue Bottle provides clear instructions on their website and with the product.
The process involves combining ground coffee with cold water, letting it steep in the refrigerator, and then filtering. While it's not as instant as some concentrate options, the process is simple and yields great results.
Ugh….
Honestly, I can’t stand the way that you have to measure their concentrate. I don’t have time to pull out a notepad and a pen just to calculate how much concentrate and how much water that I’ll need. PLUS- they also recommend that you use different ratios for different kinds of drinks!
WHAT!
We’re making coffee here, and it shouldn’t have to be like rocket science to make your favorite drinks. And I might be exaggerating a little bit here, but I just like the idea of being able to use 1 tsp of a concentrate for ANY drink that I want. This 1 part concentrate, 2 part water thing is just annoying…
Scoring Breakdown
Coffee
Blue Bottle Coffee Cold Brew Set
Chameleon Cold Brew
Attribute Ratings
Origin
Blue Bottle Coffee Cold Brew Set
Chameleon Cold Brew
Quick Facts
Recommended Preparations
Best prepared as a cold brew by combining ground coffee with cold water and steeping for 12-24 hours in the refrigerator. Can be diluted to taste and served over ice. The concentrate can be stored for up to two weeks when refrigerated.
Different ratios required for different drinks, with a basic ratio of 2 parts concentrate to 1 part water for hot coffee.
Ideal For
Pros and Cons
Blue Bottle Coffee Cold Brew Set
- Exceptional flavor profile
- High-quality, freshly roasted beans
- Versatile brewing options
- Requires advance preparation
- More expensive than some alternatives
- Lack of specific caffeine content information
Chameleon Coffee
- Convenient to use
- Available in grocery stores
- Only a few servings per bottle
- Bitter tasting
- Bulky in a fridge