“QuickChill” Out with Keurig’s New K-Brew+Chill
Today, Keurig® unveiled its “coolest” innovation yet aimed at meeting the evolving needs of coffee lovers – the all-new K-Brew+Chill brewer featuring Quick Chill Technology™. The coffee maker delivers the coldest coffee from Keurig to date — 100 degrees cooler than current Brew Over Ice technology. In addition to the cold option, the brewer also delivers a hot cup of coffee using any K-Cup® pod.
Here are five “cool” facts about the development and functionality of the new brewer:
How Cold is Cold
Keurig engaged with thousands of people across the country and gathered their feedback through detailed surveys, conversations and trial. As part of our research, we visited many coffee shops nationwide and ordered iced coffee without the ice to find out the average temperature. We discovered that around 60 degrees was the perfect threshold to aim for.
The Right Size and Specs
Keurig also explored how long a consumer expected to wait for iced coffee on demand. Our development team ran consumers through experiments with brew times, before uncovering that the sweet spot was three minutes or less. In addition, testers indicated that they wanted the flexibility to brew both hot and cold and they didn’t want multiple products on their countertop – so we needed to deliver a multi-function brewer that could fit into an attractive space footprint while remaining affordable.
Breaking the Ice on a New Project
In early 2023, an internal ‘hackathon’ was conducted in Keurig’s co-headquarters in Burlington, Mass. to solve for a more optimized iced coffee experience from a Keurig brewer that delivered on the insights around temperature, time, and space. A group of Keurig engineers were divided into three teams to brainstorm proposed solutions. Each team created a team name and the winning team’s name was the codename for the internal project – “Cool Beans” – that took the concept to reality.
The Chill Zone
Keurig unlocked a breakthrough innovation with a patent-pending cooling system that uses aluminum coils to transfer fresh brewed hot coffee through a water-based thermoelectric cooled ‘chamber.’ If a user selects the option for a cold coffee, K-Brew+Chill first brews hot through a K-Cup pod. Then the hot coffee travels to the cooler chamber, which flash chills the coffee to a sub-60-degree temperature before dispensing it to the cup.
Cold at Home is Currency…and More
Recent data indicates that 70% of coffee shop purchases are cold and 73% of Gen Z consumers bought cold coffee away from home recently. By brewing at home, consumers can make up to five iced coffees for the price of one at the coffee shop. Brewing cold at home also isn’t just limited to coffee. Keurig offers a wide range of K-Cup pods that deliver on trends at the coffee shop, including the recently launched The Original Donut Shop ICED Refreshers, a fruit-forward, café-quality blend of refreshing flavors including Pineapple Passionfruit and Strawberry Acai.
The K-Brew+Chill represents a significant leap forward for Keurig, merging innovation with consumer preferences to deliver an unparalleled iced coffee experience. By addressing the demand for a colder beverage and faster brew time while maintaining affordability and versatility, Keurig not only enhances at-home coffee enjoyment but also aligns with evolving trends in the coffee market.