ColdSnap

Coldsnap ice cream from aluminium cans / Source: Coldsnap

AluminiumFood & BeverageNorth AmericaPackaging

3 MINUTE READ

Kaltrina Bylykbashi

WHAT WE SAY:

This is an innovation where you have to look past what it is today and focus on what it could become in the future. Today, Coldsnap offers cans of instant, frozen, on-demand ice cream, delivered by a relatively expensive machine and packaged in infinitely recyclable aluminium cans.

But imagine how this could evolve into new products and verticals, from food to pharma. Breaking the need to maintain the end-to-end cold chain could radically reshape global supply chains, saving huge amounts of energy and emissions. It will not happen overnight, but the underlying technology is definitely one to watch.

KEY FACTS:

Coldsnap has developed a machine that creates ice cream and other frozen treats in approximately 90 seconds, from Aluminium cans.
The aluminium cans can be stored at ambient temperatures, so there is no need for cold chain transportation systems and refrigeration.
The cans are 100% aluminium, meaning they are infinitely recyclable.
In January 2022, the company raised a further USD 27 million in order to launch its product for commercial use.

Coldsnap kitchen display / Source: Coldsnap

Coldsnap touchscreen / Source: Coldsnap

DIVE DEEPER:

Coldsnap is looking to disrupt cold chain transportation of goods, such as ice cream and frozen yoghurt by building a machine that freezes confections on the spot. While not much data is available, it is estimated that today’s global food cold chain infrastructure alone is responsible for around 1% of global CO2 emissions.
The company claims that Coldsnap pods, which look like aluminium Red Bull cans, result in a 35-50% reduction in carbon emissions associated with the traditional approach to making and distributing ice cream.
Contents are frozen with what company founder Matthew Fonte calls, “a compressor-condenser-evaporator technology,” with all the freezing and mixing happening inside the can, to eliminate the need to clean the machine between servings.
Sales of the machine will start this year, with 100 machines for commercial clients in the Boston, Massachusetts area in the US. Full pricing details are unavailable, but the company is considering leasing the machines to businesses for use in corporate cafeterias or similar.
The cans can carry ice cream, frozen smoothies, frozen cocktails, coffees and more.
The Coldsnap pods are estimated to cost between USD 3-4 per serving.
Coldsnap was named a CES 2021 Innovation Award Honouree and was selected as a finalist in the 2022 SXSW’s 'Speculative Design' awards category.

"By eliminating all the freezing, we save tons of money, tons of energy and we are able to reduce the carbon emissions associated with making ice cream by 35-75%."

Matthew Fonte - Founder and President, Coldsnap - as quoted in The Boston Globe

Key Design Considerations:

What are Coldsnap’s sustainability metrics?

Coldsnap claims its technology saves up to 50% of the emissions produced by the traditional ice cream process. But to sell this successfully to the wider market, it will need to provide more robust and detailed data around the energy and CO2 savings it generates.

Is the instant freezing process clean?

Similarly, we would also be interested to learn about whether the instant freezing process contains any nasty chemicals that would undermine Coldsnap’s premium positioning.

As always, does the finished product live up to expectations?

New technologies always live or die by one key metric: product quality. If Coldsnap’s ice cream does not compare favourably with normal ice creams, then people will continue heading to the freezer.

What (niche) markets might embrace this technology?

Coldsnap’s founder might want to see his machine in every home, but for us this would be a disaster – representing a huge waste of resources to satisfy our momentary indulgence. However, we love the idea of this technology being used in other settings beyond ice cream. If you are working with anything that relies on cold chain storage (from food to pharma), could this technology offer an entirely new way of producing, distributing and consuming your product?

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ColdSnap

WHAT WE SAY:

This is an innovation where you have to look past what it is today and focus on what it could become in the future. Today, Coldsnap offers cans of instant, frozen, on-demand ice cream, delivered by a relatively expensive machine and packaged in infinitely recyclable aluminium cans.

KEY FACTS:

DIVE DEEPER:

The company claims that Coldsnap pods, which look like aluminium Red Bull cans, result in a 35-50% reduction in carbon emissions associated with the traditional approach to making and distributing ice cream.

Contents are frozen with what company founder Matthew Fonte calls, “a compressor-condenser-evaporator technology,” with all the freezing and mixing happening inside the can, to eliminate the need to clean the machine between servings.

Sales of the machine will start this year, with 100 machines for commercial clients in the Boston, Massachusetts area in the US. Full pricing details are unavailable, but the company is considering leasing the machines to businesses for use in corporate cafeterias or similar.

The cans can carry ice cream, frozen smoothies, frozen cocktails, coffees and more.

The Coldsnap pods are estimated to cost between USD 3-4 per serving.