**REVIEW** Jot Dark Concentrated Coffee

 So I was finally able to try Jot coffee concentrate. 

I have mixed feelings about the product.

Pros:

• The taste is not bad. 
• It's convenient. I can program my coffeemaker so I get that first cup in the morning when I want it. However, if I have to run out for appointments or errands, it was nice to have Jot. I could put the dose of Jot in my travel mug and hit it with the hot water when I got where I was going.
• It makes a good cold brew coffee. I liked it chilled for a while with milk or vanilla soy.

Cons:

• For the price, I expected the taste to be amazing - not just good or decent or "okay" but awesome. Alas, it really is just "not bad".
• At $24 per 6.8 ounces, it costs over $1.71 per cup. And that is only if you stick to the weak (for me) tablespoon per cup. By "cup", they must seriously mean 8 ounces of water. No one I know of drinks just 8 ounces of coffee for pleasure.
• It has to be refrigerated. 
• Because of the seller's suggestion of "Once opened, we recommend consuming within 2-3 weeks for maximum quality and freshness. We also recommend storing both unopened and opened bottles in the fridge to help preserve freshness" this means I can't just hold onto it for use only on special occasions outside those parameters.
• It doesn't produce a strong enough hot brew unless I increase the dose of concentrate. There goes the original price-per-cup. 
• It's no better, in my opinion than homemade concentrate.
• There are other, cheaper brands that some customers review as being as good or better than Jot.

By the way, the sellers recommend that:

"Jot should be consumed within 90-days of when the coffee was brewed (each bottle is stamped with a "best by" date on the shoulder). Once opened, we recommend consuming within 2-3 weeks for maximum quality and freshness. We also recommend storing both unopened and opened bottles in the fridge to help preserve freshness." (my emphasis)

 So, would I actually buy a bottle? Nope. It's just not for me however, n my opinion, you might want to use Jot if:

• You value (and can afford) convenience over budget.
• You like a mild-to-medium brew of coffee, or
• Really like a decent (and convenient) cold brew coffee drink.
• You want the better-known brand of concentrate.
• You don't have the time or patience for making a homemade cold brew or concentrate.
• You only want the occasional cold-brew or concentrate - not often enough to go broke buying ready-made - and don't want the bother of making it.

As for me and my house, I find Jot to be a bit pretentious and budget-foolish. But maybe that's just me and my broke behind.

I do like using coffee concentrate but I have made mine in the past. I use my homemade stuff when I know that I am going to be down sick for a while and don't want to bother with trekking back and forth to the kitchen for coffee.

As mentioned, Jot is not the only player out there. I have heard both positive and negative reviews for Jot and its competitors. There are many that come in on Amazon alone with reviews at 4-star and up. By product description, price per ounce, and price per cup : 

• "Javy Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate, Iced Coffee, Arabica Coffee Beverages, 30X Liquid Coffee Concentrate "
• (6oz $19.49 or $3.24 per oz) As for the price per cup, this is from the seller's product details: "BEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK: Want the same great cafe taste right at home without the expensive price tag? Each bottle contains up to 30 servings of coffee concentrate which is 3x more servings than our competitors. With Javy Coffee, you're only spending around 60 cents/cup meaning you get to enjoy premium specialty coffee every day without breaking the bank!"
• "OneBy Coffee Make Cold Brew, Hot or Iced Coffee in Seconds  17 Cups per Bottle with 24x Liquid Coffee Concentrate"
• (8.5oz $19.97 or $2.35 per oz  or $1.17 per cup)
• "JAVA HOUSE Cold Brew Coffee, Colombian 4:1 Liquid Concentrate"
• (32 Ounce $21.99 or $0.69 per oz)
• "Q: how many servings in a 32 oz bottle? A: There are approximately 20 servings in one 32 oz bottle. In other words, you can make approximately 20 8 ounce cups of cold brew coffee with one 32 ounce bottle of 4:1 concentrate." By Amazon Customer on January 7, 2020
• "Wandering Bear Extra Strong Organic Cold Brew Coffee On Tap, Straight Black,  - Smooth, Unsweetened, Shelf-Stable, and Ready to Drink"
• (96 fl oz $33.94 or $0.35 per oz) 
• There is some dispute among customers about the 16 cups. But at 16 cups, that would be $2.12 per cup.
• One customer in Q&A claimed they only got 6 coffees from one box.  " No way you get 16 cups." By Olivia Hammond on November 15, 2021
• This stuff is great, and keeps me out of the Starbucks drive thru, but no way does it contain 16 cups. I got six coffees out of one box." (That would come to $5.66 per cup)
• "Cappio Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate"
• 16oz ($9.30 or $0.58 per oz)
• Indicates o use 1 part Cappio to 2 parts water or milk "depending on tastes". Since there is no definite measurement given, I will assume that 2 tablespoons - or 1 ounce- to be used per cup (as with Jot) and that would be the same as the bottles per ounce price of $0.58 per cup then.
• "Top Roast Colombian Coffee | Ultimate 64:1 Coffee Concentrate | Makes 100 Cups | Includes Pre-Measured Pump | 15.2 Fl Oz | Just add 1 pump to water or milk"
• Shown as being to "Add 1 pump TO 8-10oz. hot or cold water"
• ($34.95 or $2.30 per oz & $0.35 per cup) 

I didn't bother with links. You can literally copy/paste the description in and bring up the items. But you see that there are options.

Everything as to price really depends on how strong (or not) you prefer your coffee. Also, I notice that there is a lot of wiggling from sellers on shelf-life, You have to read their information carefully. They will say that the shelf life is a million years but that once opened, the product must be consumed in 5 seconds. You know what I mean. Pay close attention.

Again, I prefer to make my own brew. Stay tuned because I will be doing a post very soon on just how I make my homemade version.

Peace

--Free