Cometeer vs Stok
Why They Make The Cut?
Review Summary
Flavor Profile
So, let’s go ahead and start with the most important part, the taste.
You might have experienced “pod coffee” (like what you get in a K-cup) that tastes watered down, acidic, or like expired coffee. However, when I first tried Cometeer, I was pleasantly surprised. The second I peeled off the cap on the aluminum capsule, a fresh coffee aroma washed over me…
And considering the fact that Cometeer freeze dries their coffee, I was VERY surprised. (As a side note, I don’t like the freeze drying process, because some studies show that it can introduce harmful chemicals into the coffee. But I can’t make any specific claims on that here).
Cometeer also claim that their coffee is “hyper fresh” and “the world’s best coffee.” And while I can’t say if those claims are true, I can tell you that Cometeer smells like, and also tastes like fresh coffee.
Because the moment I tasted my first cup of Cometeer Coffee, I can tell you that it was one of the better instant/convenient coffees that I tried. It was WAY better than any type of instant coffee, or even K cups. And the only other coffee that I think might have an edge, is a coffee concentrate.
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
At least for their Apollo, Birch, and Mocha Java roasts, each of the Cometeer capsules have 180mg of caffeine. Now, in my personal opinion, I think that’s a little bit too much for you to have in a single cup of coffee…
And that’s because the average cup of coffee only has about 95mg of caffeine. So when you start making your coffee with Cometeer, you’re giving yourself A LOT more caffeine. And that means if you’re not used to taking that much caffeine, you could feel an extra strong buzz, get the jitters, or even desensitize yourself to normal coffee.
But for some of you guys who need an EXTRA big boost, you might like having that much caffeine. However, if you’re trying to limit your caffeine intake, or you don’t want to ruin regular coffee for yourself, maybe you’ll be better off opting for a solution with lower caffeine.
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
Okay, here’s what’s very unique about Cometeer…
They basically took K-cups to the next level. And that’s because when you order a case of Cometeer capsules, you’ll get something that looks like normal K cups. However, with these, you don’t need any sort of machine to turn them into coffee.
All you have to do is add the freeze-dried capsule into a cup of hot or cold water. And the coffee will immediately melt, mix with the water, and give you fresh-tasting coffee in seconds. Honestly, this is pretty darn cool to use, but there is a significant cost…
Just like with K-cups, making all of your coffee with Cometeer is pretty wasteful. And while the company does use recyclable aluminum to make the pods, there’s no telling what these recycling companies actually do with the aluminum. For all we know, they could be stockpiling them in landfills and not actually recycling them! That’s just my personal opinion, but if you’re environmentally conscious at all, just take that into consideration.
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
Using the Cometeer Pods is very simple, it only takes me a few minutes to make my coffee in the morning. And over the past few weeks, I realized how much time I was wasting in the morning on brewing coffee, or even driving to Starbucks.
And compared to regular Keurig machines, these pods are MUCH easier to use. And these are also perfect for making your coffee when camping (especially since you don’t need electricity or a big bulky machine).
Also, another great selling point for Cometeer Pods, is you can make any of your favorite hot or cold drinks. Compared to other types of cold brew or instant coffee- you can’t always say the same thing.
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
Cometeer
Stok Cold Brew
Attribute Ratings
Origin
Cometeer
Stok Cold Brew
Quick Facts
Recommended Preparations
Can be used for both hot and cold coffee preparations. Simply add the freeze-dried capsule to hot or cold water for instant preparation. Ideal for regular coffee drinks and suitable for camping or travel use.
Ready to drink straight from the bottle, best served cold. No preparation needed.
Ideal For
Pros and Cons
Cometeer Coffee
- Tasty flavor profile
- Variety of roasts to choose from
- Good customer service
- Bulky to store at home (stores in freezer)
- Expensive pricing $64/month
- Just as time consuming as making a normal cup of coffee
Stok Cold Brew
- Smooth flavor
- Available in grocery stores
- Convenient for cold brew coffee
- Only a few servings per bottle
- Limited flavors