GoKawiilWhen the warm weather hits, I turn into a full-blown iced coffee addict, making daily pilgrimages to my local cafe or drive-thru like it's a religious obligation. Then I actually looked at my monthly spending, and let's just say the numbers were humbling. I still don't understand the economics of iced coffee costing three times as much as hot, but that's a story for another day.
Making good iced coffee at home, without turning it into a watery disaster, takes planning -- unless that is, you have my favorite summer caffeine gadget. The Hyperchiller is a little device that takes your freshly brewed, steaming-hot coffee and chills it to iced perfection in under 60 seconds -- no dilution. Just fast, no-nonsense cooling that your caffeine-dependent self will absolutely love.
For those who've calculated exactly how much you're hemorrhaging on daily iced coffee and then immediately tried to forget that number, this thing is basically a financial life raft disguised as a kitchen gadget.
The Hyperchiller in its natural habitat. David Watsky/CNET
How the Hyperchiller works
The Hyperchiller is about the size of a large jar of pasta sauce. It has an inner cooling chamber with two layers of ice on either side. The ice layers are contained by internal stainless vessels so it chills the liquid when poured in without melting into it and diluting it. The hot liquid chamber is also thin so it spreads the hot beverage out, chilling it faster than a corksicle or a frozen whiskey sphere.
Birds-eye view of the Hyperchiller chambers. David Watsky/CNET
One thing to note is that you have to refreeze the device after each use (as you would with almost any other device in this category). After using the Hyperchiller for hot beverages, you'll need to refreeze it for a few hours -- ideally eight or more. For room-temperature tipples, including wine and whiskey, it won't thaw as much and thus needs less time to refreeze.
What's nice is you don't ever have to change or refill the water since the only chamber that gets dirty is the one in between. And even that only requires a quick rinse and then you can pop it back in.
Read more: Here's How Much You'll Save Making Coffee at Home
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