Consumer Deep Dive

Independent consumer research

Doing the deep dives for you.

Small businesses run ads every day with no reviews and no track record. I buy their products, research who’s actually behind them, and tell you if they’re worth your money.

Is the company legit? Can they back their claims? Are they transparent? Is the quality real?

Latest Deep Dives

  • PERC Coffee: A Vibrant Atlanta Coffee Roaster

    PERC Coffee: A Vibrant Atlanta Coffee Roaster

    The Deep Dive Verdict Founder Led Company Owner actively involved Ethical Business Inclusive team and fair sourcing Transparent Sourcing is detailed Quality Solid for the price Perc Coffee is a colorful, small business coffee roasting company located in Atlanta, Georgia. Perc started as a grassroots company founded in 2010 by Phillip Brown. The owner started…

  • Mushroom Coffee: Benefits or a Fad?

    Mushroom Coffee: Benefits or a Fad?

    As a coffee enthusiast, I have avoided the mushroom coffee trend for a plethora of reasons. Questionable sourcing, fad companies cropping up, and misleading advertising were all reasons I did not partake in beverage. After a deep dive, I’ve changed my mind.

  • Health Benefits of Drinking Brewing Cacao

    Health Benefits of Drinking Brewing Cacao

    Health Benefits of Drinking Brewed Cacao Brewing cacao is blowing up in popularity and for good reason. It’s exceptionally healthy, it’s delicious, and it’s a great alternative to coffee. Let’s look into some reasons as why brewing cacao is making a lot of headway in the hot beverage drinking community. Brewing cacao is emerging as…

  • Best Quality Chocolate to Buy (Updated 2025)

    Best Quality Chocolate to Buy (Updated 2025)

    Read about companies I’ve spent countless hours researching so you don’t have to. Many of them will be family owned or small businesses that lack the resources to rapidly grow. If you want good quality, ethical chocolate, start here.

  • “Healthiest Chocolate” on Google is a Scam

    “Healthiest Chocolate” on Google is a Scam

    Trust Issues with Top Google Results One of the driving motivators for creating this blog was this very example I’m about to delve into. I did a simple Google search and typed in, “best healthy chocolate” and clicked the first result. I landed on a blog post for a website called Everyday Health that recommends…

  • Hydrangea Coffee Roasters

    Hydrangea Coffee Roasters

    Hydrangea Coffee Roasters Hydrangea Coffee Roasters is a specialty coffee roaster out of Berkeley, California. Their artwork is unique and memorable and their mission is to provide you with the highest quality, experimental coffee possible; all the while remaining ethically sourced and sustainable. Their slogan, “Light, Fruit-forward, Experimental Coffees” accurately encapsulates their brand. If you’re…

  • Buying High Quality Cocoa Powder is Challenging

    Buying High Quality Cocoa Powder is Challenging

    Looking at the top listings for “organic cacao powder” in Amazon, do you have any idea which are good? There’s lots of buzzwords and lots of healthy looking packaging. The results are going to surprise you. Click to find out which I have vetted to be a good purchase.

  • Best Cocoa Powders to Buy (2025)

    Best Cocoa Powders to Buy (2025)

    A highly curated and consistently updated list of recommended cocoa powders that I have personally researched and meet my rigorous standards.

  • How to buy a good cocoa powder.

    How to buy a good cocoa powder.

    Every cocoa powder company is going to tell you how organic they are and what sets them apart from the other hundreds of cocoa powders. Let’s see what DOES make them different.

  • Cocoa vs Cacao: Everyone Gets It WRONG!

    Cocoa vs Cacao: Everyone Gets It WRONG!

    Yup, I said it. Everyone gets this wrong ranging from dietitians, culinary experts, industry insiders, and consumers. I have seen a couple instances of articles getting it correctly, but it’s quite rare. There is no uniformity on what consists of cocoa and cacao, and you’ll hear so many different answers that you’ll walk away worse…