Cappio vs Stok
Why They Make The Cut?
Review Summary
Flavor Profile
Alright, so this is probably the only redeeming part of drinking Capio Coffee. The flavor isn’t too horrible, however, it does have a very slight sour taste to it. I think that’s a byproduct of their unique extraction process…
And if I had to compare it to the other cold brew concentrates I’ve tried, it probably fits right in the middle. However, some of the other coffee drinkers I’ve talked to have different opinions. A few of them say it’s the best coffee they’ve ever tasted.
And the other coffee aficionados, well… let’s put it in their own words:
“It tastes very bitter, like old sludge from the coffee pot at Grandma’s house.”
Now, I think that’s the problem with having this patented and trademarked process. Because it locks you into following the same exact process for DECADES, even when better-tasting brewing, roasting, and mixing methods come out.
Okay, so here’s the most redeeming part about Stok. It’s the fact that they have a wide variety of delicious flavors for you to choose from.
Un-Sweet.
Extra Bold.
Un-Sweet Bright Mellow.
Not Too Sweet.
Protein.
Pumpkin.
Mocha.
Vanilla.
Now, I haven’t tried all of their flavors yet, but the Mocha, Un-Sweet, and the Extra Bold flavors are delicious! It’s nice that they have different flavors for different types of coffee drinkers. However, just keep in mind, Stok does have a few reviews of people claiming that their coffee tasted expired, so maybe try a single bottle before buying a bigger package.
Flavor Notes
Caffeine Content
Here’s another place where Capio dropped the ball. Because in my opinion, it should be illegal for a company that sells a stimulant (yes, coffee is a stimulant) to NOT publish how much caffeine is in the product.
I’ve tried to email and call Capio’s customer service time to find this information (as we’ll talk about in the customer service review section)... but they haven’t given me a straight answer.
The fact that I can’t know how much caffeine is in their cold brew concentrate is straight up RIDICULOUS! Other people have complained about this problem online too, and I can’t believe that they still haven’t published this crucial information.
Okay, I’ll be honest here, Stok comes LOADED with caffeine. Each bottle comes with 145 mg of pure energy-kicking caffeine...
And that can be a good thing, or a bad thing. If you’re used to drinking normal black coffee, it’s going to feel like a bit much for you. So the first time you drink it, you might get an EXTRA BIG kick, and that might be what you want.
However, the problem is, if you go back to drinking normal coffee, it’s not going to feel exactly the same. And that’s because you’re going to get used to having 145 mg of caffeine in each serving, so the next time you drink regular coffee, you might not feel quite as energized.
Now, what I do is if I’m ever feeling extra tired, or if I'm in a pinch. I’ll grab one of the cold brews, because I know that it will give me an extra big boost. However, I try not to drink them on a regular basis, so that I can still drink regular coffee while getting the energy boost I need.
Convenience Factor
Alrighty then, let’s move onto the next point. When you think of a coffee concentrate, you think of a really powerful form of coffee, where you just have to add a small amount of it to water in order to make your cup of goodness. (Like Javy or Jot where you just need 1tsp - 1tbsp)...
However, with Capio’s cold brew concentrate, that’s NOT what you get. If you follow their directions, using 1 part concentrate to 2 parts water… yeah you’ll get coffee. But from my taste test, it was WEAK, so I had to add in a lot more concentrate to my coffee…
Basically, I had to use almost half a bottle to make a 12oz cup of coffee. And considering the fact that each bottle runs about $10, that’s a rip off! So if you want to regularly make your coffee with Capio, you better stock up on A LOT of bottles. And you better be ready to give them hundreds of dollars every month.
Ughhhhhh…
This is where I have a problem with Stok, and other cold brew coffees who make similar products. You see, each serving of coffee that you want comes packaged in it’s own bottle. So every time that you want to drink a new serving of Stok…
You have to open up a new bottle, which means you either have to drive to WalMart to pick one up, or you have to order a bulk package on Amazon. And I don’t know about you, but that’s SUPER annoying to me! Plus, can you imagine how much plastic you would waste in a single year if you drank Stok consistently?
And while this isn’t an environmentally-themed review, I just want to point that out. So let’s move onto something more positive for Stok, and talk about how easy it is to use.
Ease of Use
I’ve mentioned this in a few of my other reviews, but I can’t stand it when concentrates use the “1 part concentrate 2 parts water” stuff. When I’m making my coffee in the morning, I’m already DEAD tired, and I don’t want to be doing math at 6:30 in the morning…
So, what I started doing after a few days, was just eyeballing how much concentrate I poured into my mug. Is that scientifically accurate? NO! But it’s a heck of a lot easier than grabbing a bunch of measuring cups and trying to get the perfect ratio of concentrate to water.
This is probably the biggest selling point for Stok as well as other products like it. Because when you want to drink coffee, you don’t have to worry about mixing, heating up water, or doing any work at all…
All you have to do is tear the plastic seal at the top of the bottle, twist the lid off, and your coffee is ready to drink! It really doesn’t get easier than that, and you can see why so many people like drinking cold brew from a bottle.
However, for me, it doesn’t make sense for me to stock up on 20-30 bottles of Stock in my pantry. I just don’t have the room. So unless you’ve got room to spare, I recommend that you find a more space efficient way to drink coffee.
Scoring Breakdown
Coffee
Cappio Cold Brew
Stok Cold Brew
Attribute Ratings
Origin
Cappio Cold Brew
Stok Cold Brew
Quick Facts
Recommended Preparations
1 part concentrate to 2 parts water (though reviewer suggests using more concentrate for better taste)
Ready to drink straight from the bottle, best served cold. No preparation needed.
Ideal For
Pros and Cons
Cappio Cold Brew
- Convenient to use
- Available in grocery stores
- Only a few servings per bottle
- Bitter tasting
- Bulky in a fridge
Stok Cold Brew
- Smooth flavor
- Available in grocery stores
- Convenient for cold brew coffee
- Only a few servings per bottle
- Limited flavors