What Is Snapchilled Coffee?
In the sweltering summer months, cold coffee can be the preferred way to enjoy your brew. On the other hand, more and more people are drinking it any time of the year, as noted by Smithsonian Magazine.
This newer method is not only swearing that it delivers the freshest cold coffee experience, there's some science behind the process to back up those claims. The new method? Snapchilled. And this type of cold coffee is made through technology that cools drinks from 140 degrees Fahrenheit down to a mere 40 degrees Fahrenheit in 60 seconds, thanks to a collaboration between an innovative engineer and a Massachusetts-based beverage company.
The snapchilled machine
Imagine coffee or tea that is chilled nearly instantly without adding ice that can water down the drink, or without letting a hot beverage sit out and cool down to room temperature on its own, which takes time. And, in some cases, letting a beverage cool can change the flavor, rendering it bitter, too strong, or just tasting flat. The snapchilled method promises to cool down a beverage without compromising flavor or freshness.
As reported by Beverage Daily the process was developed by Dave Dussault, who has a background as a mechanical engineer in thermodynamics. The article further explained that Dussault developed several prototypes for what is now the Snapchiller machine, which is a countertop appliance weighing 50 pounds. The machine can handle 16 ounces of liquid at a time and is able to rapidly chill a beverage through precise temperature control as low as -10 degrees Fahrenheit, per the Beverage Daily article.
Cold coffee vs. cold brew coffee
Although both cold coffee and cold brew are meant to be served chilled, traditionally cold coffee can be made cold or it can be made through heat and allowed to cool by serving it over ice or by letting it stand. According to Greatist cold brew coffee is made by steeping the grounds in water at room temperature for 12 hours or longer. Since no heat is involved in brewing it, cold brew has to be made ahead, meaning if you want a quick caffeine fix and you haven't got a batch started with at least a 12-hour head start, you'll need to head to your local coffee shop to get a cold brew.
Knowing that this process can be lengthy at best or rushed resulting in an ice-weakened coffee drink is where snapchill technology aims to sweep in and make great improvements. And, going back to the Beverage Daily article, the outlet states that cold water can steep beans, but it can't extract as much flavor without heat. Additionally, when coffee is in the cold brew process, it's often in a state of oxidation which can change and even mask nuances in the beans' flavor.
Where to find snapchilled coffee
Dussault's technology has partnered with Elemental Beverage, a Massachusetts-based bev-tech company. According to its website, the snapchilled products leverage "the fundamental laws of physics" and their process involves brewing coffee hot, then instantly chilling it to 34 degrees Fahrenheit in order to prevent oxidation and to provide the best flavor. Additionally, the company immediately cans the coffee once it's been cooled using the snapchilled process.
If you're looking for where to buy snapchilled coffee, a quick internet search turns up results on the Elemental Beverage website, where there are several types of snapchilled canned coffees available from roasters throughout the country available to purchase on the bev-tech company's website. Additionally, there are several coffee roasting companies that sell the canned coffee on their own websites, such as Opus Coffee, Hikers Brew, and Peaks Coffee Co., to name a few. Now that you understand a little about the process behind this newer cold coffee method and where to find it, give it a try to experience it for yourself.
