What this calculator does
Drink chilling time works out time for a drink to cool to a target temperature, using Newtons law of cooling. Enter your own figures above and the answer updates as you type: nothing is fixed in the code, so the result reflects exactly the numbers you supply.
The formula this calculator evaluates is printed under the tool and explained below, so you can check the working by hand or reuse it in a spreadsheet.
The formula
Formulatime = ln[(start temp − ambient temp) / (target temp − ambient temp)] / cooling rate constant k
The inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Starting drink temperature (°C) | A number, measured in °C. Starts at 22. |
| Target temperature (°C) | A number, measured in °C. Starts at 5. |
| Cooling environment temperature (°C) | A number, measured in °C. Starts at -1. |
| Cooling rate constant (k) (1/min) | A number, measured in 1/min. Starts at 0.045. |
Worked examples
Every figure in the tables below is produced by this page’s own calculator at build time, so the numbers and the tool always agree. Select any row to load that scenario.
How the answer changes with starting drink temperature
Every other input is held at the calculator’s starting values while starting drink temperature varies. Select any row to load that scenario into the calculator.