# Snap-chilled Coffee Source: https://dailyextraction.com/methods/snap-chilled/ Last updated: 2026-10-19 > Snap-chilled coffee is coffee brewed hot, the usual way, then chilled very quickly by a refrigeration machine rather than by ice. The aim is to keep the flavour of fresh hot coffee without the dilution of iced coffee or the long steep of cold brew. The process was developed by Snapchill, a Massachusetts company, which chills it to about 38°F. ## At a glance - Category: Cold & Iced (Percolation) - Difficulty: Advanced - Origin: United States - Also known as: Snapchill coffee, flash chilled coffee, snapchilled coffee ## Steps 1. **Brew hot**: Brew the coffee hot, as you would for a pour-over or batch brew. 2. **Chill straight away**: Run the fresh hot coffee through a refrigerated chiller, which pulls the heat out in seconds to minutes, without ice. 3. **Seal**: Seal the chilled coffee in cans or bottles so oxygen can't stale it. 4. **Serve cold**: Keep it cold and serve it as it is, over ice if you like. **Snap-chilled coffee** is brewed **hot**, the usual way, then chilled **in seconds to minutes** by a refrigeration machine instead of ice. The idea is simple: fresh hot coffee tastes brighter and more aromatic than [cold brew](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/cold-brew/), but ice dilutes it and slow cooling lets it go stale. Chilling it fast, without ice, aims to **capture the flavour of fresh hot coffee, cold**. The process was developed by **Snapchill**, a company in **Massachusetts**. Here's how it works. ## The short version - **Brewed hot, chilled fast**: in seconds to minutes, by refrigeration. - **No ice**, so no dilution. - **Tastes like the hot coffee**, bright and aromatic, rather than like cold brew. - **Chilled to about 38°F** (about 3°C), according to the company. - **A commercial process**, sold in cans and bottles. ## How does snap-chilling work? The process works like a **refrigerator or air conditioner**. Freshly brewed hot coffee passes through a machine where a **refrigerant** in a **stainless steel coil**, with a mixer, pulls the heat out of the coffee, and a **compressor and condenser** carry it away. Barista Magazine reports that the founder's first prototype used parts of a window air-conditioning unit. The company says the coffee drops to about **38°F** (3°C). How fast depends on who's quoting: FoodBev reported "a few minutes" in 2019, while BeverageDaily reported the machine could cool drinks from **140°F to 40°F in 60 seconds**. That countertop Snapchiller handled **16 oz** at a time and weighed about 50 lb. The chilled coffee is then sealed in cans or bottles. ## Why chill coffee quickly? Once coffee is brewed, it starts to change: **oxygen** and time dull its aroma. The usual ways of making cold coffee each have a trade-off: - **Ice** cools it quickly but **dilutes** it as it melts. - **Cold brew** avoids dilution but takes **12 hours or more**, and tastes different: smoother and less bright. - **Letting hot coffee cool** slowly lets it go **stale**. Snap-chilling aims to avoid all three: the coffee is brewed hot for flavour, and chilled before it has time to fade, without being watered down. ## Snap-chilled vs other cold coffee | | Snap-chilled | [Cold brew](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/cold-brew/) | [Japanese iced coffee](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/japanese-iced-coffee/) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Brewed | Hot | Cold | Hot | | Cooled by | Refrigeration, in seconds to minutes | Never heated | Ice, as it brews | | Dilution | None | None (you dilute later) | Planned, from the ice | | Taste | Bright, like hot coffee | Smooth, lower acidity | Bright, aromatic | | At home? | No, commercial | Yes | Yes | ## Who makes snap-chilled coffee? **Snapchill** was founded by **David Dussault**, an MIT-trained thermal engineer, and **Michael Corrado** in Massachusetts, originally as **Elemental Beverage Co.** Sources disagree on the year: Boston.com says 2017, NBC Boston says 2019. In 2019, FoodBev described the technology as patent-pending. Boston.com reports that the company first set out to sell its technology, but from 2020, partly because of COVID, it began working with **cafés and roasters** to can cold versions of their own coffees. One is the roaster **George Howell**, whose snap-chilled Monte Carlos is sold at regional Whole Foods stores. In November 2023, NBC Boston reported a deal with **Walmart** for an exclusive brand, **In a Snap!**, to be sold in 2,200 stores. ## Can you snap-chill coffee at home? Not in the same way: the process uses commercial refrigeration. At home, the closest equivalents are: - **[Japanese iced coffee](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/japanese-iced-coffee/):** brew hot, stronger than usual, straight onto ice. Fast and bright. - **An ice bath:** pour fresh hot coffee into a sealed metal container sitting in iced water, so it cools quickly without being diluted. *General guidance only. Take care with hot coffee and sealed containers, and keep chilled coffee in the fridge.* ## Snap-chilled vs other methods - **[Japanese iced coffee](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/japanese-iced-coffee/):** the home way to make bright, cold coffee fast. - **[Cold brew](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/cold-brew/):** brewed cold, for a smoother cup. - **[Nitro cold brew](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/nitro-cold-brew/):** cold brew on tap with nitrogen. - **[Kyoto drip](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/kyoto-drip/):** cold water dripped through coffee. Explore every cold method in the [cold chapter](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/cold/). ## Words used in this guide - [Acidity](https://dailyextraction.com/glossary/acidity/): Acidity in coffee is the bright, lively, juicy quality you taste on the tongue, like the tang of fruit. ## FAQs ### How is snap-chilled coffee made? It's brewed hot, then passed through a refrigeration unit, with a stainless steel coil and a compressor, that pulls the heat out fast: the company has quoted 140°F to 40°F in 60 seconds. No ice is used, so the coffee isn't diluted. ### Snap-chilled vs cold brew? Cold brew is brewed cold over many hours, which gives a smooth, lower-acidity taste. Snap-chilled coffee is brewed hot, so it keeps the brighter, more aromatic flavour of hot coffee, then chilled fast. ### Snap-chilled vs iced coffee? Iced coffee is cooled with ice, which dilutes it as it melts. Snap-chilling cools it without ice. Japanese iced coffee gets round dilution by brewing stronger straight onto ice. ### Who makes snap-chilled coffee? Snapchill, a Massachusetts company founded by David Dussault and Michael Corrado and formerly called Elemental Beverage Co., developed the process. It has worked with cafés and roasters to produce their coffee, such as George Howell, and made an exclusive brand, In a Snap!, for Walmart. ### Can I snap-chill coffee at home? Not with the commercial process, but you can chill coffee quickly without ice, for example in a sealed metal container in an ice bath. Japanese iced coffee is the easiest home way to get a bright, cold cup. ## Sources - [Snapchill technology cools coffee in a flash](https://www.baristamagazine.com/snapchill-technology-cools-coffee-in-a-flash/) - [Meet the MIT grad behind a new chilled coffee brand at Walmart](https://www.nbcboston.com/boston-business-journal/meet-the-mit-grad-behind-a-new-chilled-coffee-brand-at-walmart/3201686/?amp=1) - [Snapchill cools coffee in seconds, maintains freshness](https://beveragedaily.com/Article/2019/08/19/Snapchill-cools-coffee-in-seconds-maintains-freshness) - [Mass.-based company teams up with local cafés to sell cold coffee](https://boston.com/food/food-news/2023/12/27/mass-based-company-teams-up-local-cafes-sell-cold-coffee) - [Snapchilling: Elemental develops new way to create cold brew coffee](https://archive.foodbev.com/news/snapchilling-elemental-develops-new-way-to-create-cold-brew-coffee/)