- The best wort chiller depends on your kettle and whether you have a pump: immersion chillers need only a hose; counterflow and plate chillers need gravity drain or a pump.
- JaDeD's Hydra is the fastest immersion chiller by maker claim (5 gallons from boiling to 68°F in 3 minutes with 58°F water).
- Counterflow chillers like KegLand's Red Reaper and Grainfather's CFC chill in one pass and are easier to clean than plate chillers.
- Plate chillers (FERRODAY, KegLand Chillout) are compact and fast but can't be opened; they need a hop filter and thorough flushing.
The best wort chiller takes boiling wort down to yeast-pitching temperature quickly, so you can pitch the same day and limit the time wort sits warm. We compared nine chillers from eight brands across the three types: immersion (a coil you drop into the kettle), counterflow (wort through an inner tube, water around it) and brazed plate (wort and water through stacked plates). Figures come from maker specs and listings, and chill-time claims are marked as claims.
If you already know which type you want, go straight to our immersion chiller or plate chiller rankings.
Our picks
JaDeD Brewing Hydra Triple-Coil Copper Immersion Chiller
JaDeD Brewing
- Volume
- 3 × 25 ft × 3/8 in. OD coils; 12 × 20 in.
- Material
- Copper, made in USA
- Type
- Immersion chiller
JaDeD's Hydra runs three 25-foot coils of 3/8-inch OD copper in parallel. JaDeD claims it cools 5 gallons from boiling to 68°F (20°C) in 3 minutes using 18 gallons of 58°F (14°C) tap water, and to 140°F (60°C) in 45 seconds. It is made in the USA with lead-free solder and solid brass 3/4-inch garden hose fittings.
Best for: Brewers who want plate-chiller speed with immersion-chiller cleaning
Skip if: Your kettle is narrower than about 12 inches
- Three parallel coils (75 ft total)
- Made in USA, lead-free solder
- Nothing to flush inside
- Listing dimensions disagree (12 × 20 in. vs a 4.5 in. tall coil)
- Wide coil needs a wide kettle
NY Brew Supply Copper Immersion Wort Chiller, 3/8 in. x 25 ft
NY Brew Supply
- Volume
- 3/8 in. × 25 ft, 9 1/4 in. coil, 16 in. tall
- Material
- Copper
- Type
- Immersion chiller
NY Brew Supply's 25-foot, 3/8-inch copper immersion chiller has a 9 1/4-inch coil, a 16-inch overall height, 12 feet of vinyl tubing and a brass hose adapter. It drops into most 5–8 gallon kettles.
Best for: 5-gallon batches in a 5–8 gallon kettle
Skip if: Your groundwater is warm and you want fast chilling in summer
- Simple, no pump
- Fits most 5-gallon kettles
- Tubing and adapter included
- 25 ft is slower than longer coils
- Copper needs cleaning to stay bright
Anvil Stainless Immersion Chiller with Hose and Fittings
Anvil Brewing Equipment
- Volume
- 3/8 in. × 28 ft coil
- Material
- Stainless steel
- Type
- Immersion chiller
Anvil's stainless chiller is a 3/8-inch × 28-foot coil with 10 feet of tubing, fittings and clamps. It fits Anvil Foundry systems and standard kettles, and stainless shrugs off acidic cleaners.
Best for: All-in-one brewers and anyone who prefers stainless
Skip if: You want the fastest heat transfer per foot (copper conducts better)
- Stainless
- 28 ft coil
- Tubing and clamps included
- Stainless transfers heat more slowly than copper
- Coil dimensions not listed
Craft A Brew Clover Copper Immersion Chiller, 5 Gal
Craft A Brew
- Volume
- 12.5 ft coil
- Batch size
- 5 gal
- Material
- Copper, made in USA
Craft A Brew's Clover chiller is a made-in-USA copper coil with 12.5 feet of tubing in a clover shape, two vinyl leads, a hose adapter and stainless worm clamps. It arrives pre-assembled and is sized for 5-gallon batches per the maker.
Best for: Stovetop kettles and smaller batches
Skip if: You brew full 5-gallon boils in hot weather
- Compact clover shape
- Made in USA
- Pre-assembled
- Only 12.5 ft of tubing
- Coil dimensions not listed
Grainfather Counterflow Copper Wort Chiller
Grainfather
- Volume
- Water 3 L/min; 16 min for 23 L (6 gal) per maker
- Material
- Copper counterflow
- Type
- Counterflow chiller
Grainfather's copper counterflow chiller connects to G30 and G40 systems with included connectors (other systems need adapters). The maker gives water flow up to 3 L/min (0.8 gal/min) and a minimum cool-and-transfer time of 16 minutes for a 23 L (6 gal) batch. The title gives a 1.5 L/min wort flow and the bullets 5 L/min; the listing disagrees.
Best for: Grainfather G30/G40 setups and closed transfers
Skip if: You don't have a pump or gravity drain
- Low water use per the maker
- Limits wort contact with air
- Fits G30/G40 directly
- Wort flow figure differs between title and bullets
- Needs flushing after use
KegLand Red Reaper Counterflow Wort Chiller, 18 ft
KegLand
- Volume
- 18 ft
- Material
- Copper wort pipe, PEX jacket
- Type
- Counterflow chiller
KegLand's Red Reaper has an 18-foot copper wort pipe inside a PEX jacket; the jacket is swaged and soldered to the copper instead of clamped. KegLand says the larger flow area resists hop clogs better than plate chillers and that it chills to pitching temperature in a single pass. It works with 9.5 mm Duotight fittings.
Best for: Hoppy beers through a pump or valve
Skip if: You want garden-hose fittings out of the box
- Soldered, clamp-free joints
- Clog-resistant per the maker
- Single pass
- Duotight-style connections
- Copper interior can't be inspected
Northern Brewer Stainless Counterflow Wort Chiller, 18 ft
Northern Brewer
- Volume
- 18 ft contact length
- Material
- 304 stainless steel
- Type
- Counterflow chiller
Northern Brewer's tube-in-tube counterflow chiller has 18 feet of contact length in 304 stainless, threaded stainless fittings on every connection (no brass, no hose clamps), 1/2-inch NPT wort fittings and male garden hose water fittings. NB says flow restriction is low enough for gravity feed or a pump.
Best for: Brewers who want stainless and no clamps
Skip if: You want the fastest chill per foot
- All threaded stainless fittings
- Gravity or pump
- Garden hose water fittings
- Stainless conducts more slowly than copper
- Chill-time figure not listed
FERRODAY 30-Plate Brazed Plate Wort Chiller, 1/2 in.
FERRODAY
- Volume
- 30 plates, 7.3 × 2.8 in.
- Material
- 304 stainless plates, copper brazed
- Type
- Brazed plate chiller
FERRODAY's 30-plate chiller is 304 stainless plates brazed with 99.9% copper, 7.3 × 2.8 inches, with 1/2-inch threads. It can't be disassembled; the maker says to run 5 gallons of cleaning solution through it, then clean water, then dry it.
Best for: Compact, fast chilling with a pump
Skip if: You don't filter hops before the chiller
- Very compact
- 30 plates
- 1/2 in. threads
- Can't be opened to clean
- Needs a pump for best flow
KegLand Chillout MKIV 30-Plate Wort Chiller
KegLand
- Volume
- 30 plates, 1/2 in. BSP posts, 12.4 × 2.9 × 2 in.
- Material
- Copper and stainless
- Type
- Brazed plate chiller
KegLand's Chillout MKIV is a 30-plate copper-and-stainless chiller, 12.4 × 2.9 × 2 inches, with male 1/2-inch BSP threaded posts. KegLand says it cools wort to pitching temperature on the first pass.
Best for: BrewZilla or other KegLand systems with a pump
Skip if: Your fittings are NPT and you don't want adapters
- Single pass per the maker
- Compact
- Copper and stainless
- BSP threads, not NPT
- Can't be opened
Immersion, counterflow or plate: which wort chiller type?
Each chiller type trades speed for convenience in a different way. The table compares the picks by type and setup needs.
Chiller types and listed specs
| Chiller | Type | Material | Length or plates | Needs pump? | Cleaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JaDeD Hydra | Immersion | Copper | 3 × 25 ft, 3/8 in. OD | ✗ (hose) | ✓ rinse outside |
| NY Brew Supply 25 ft | Immersion | Copper | 25 ft, 3/8 in. | ✗ (hose) | ✓ rinse outside |
| Anvil stainless | Immersion | Stainless | 28 ft, 3/8 in. | ✗ (hose) | ✓ rinse outside |
| Craft A Brew Clover | Immersion | Copper | 12.5 ft | ✗ (hose) | ✓ rinse outside |
| Grainfather CFC | Counterflow | Copper | Not listed | ~ G30 pump or gravity | ~ flush |
| KegLand Red Reaper | Counterflow | Copper, PEX jacket | 18 ft | ~ pump or gravity | ~ flush |
| Northern Brewer stainless CFC | Counterflow | 304 stainless | 18 ft | ~ pump or gravity | ~ flush |
| FERRODAY 30-plate | Brazed plate | 304 + copper braze | 30 plates | ✓ recommended | ✗ flush only |
| KegLand Chillout MKIV | Brazed plate | Copper and stainless | 30 plates | ✓ recommended | ✗ flush only |
Source: Product listings, November 2026
Immersion chillers are the simplest: no pump, nothing hidden inside to clean. Counterflow and plate chillers chill in one pass on the way to the fermenter, use less water in many setups and keep the kettle covered, but you must flush them right after use.
Chiller numbers: length, plates and maker chill times
Listed tubing length (feet)
Immersion and counterflow chillers with a listed length
These claims come from different test conditions, so don't compare them directly. Your tap or well water temperature matters most: in summer, warm groundwater can stall any chiller in the 80s °F (high 20s °C). A pre-chiller in an ice bath or recirculated ice water helps.
How to choose a wort chiller
- Measure the kettle
An immersion coil has to fit inside with the lid nearly closed and stay below the wort surface. Check coil diameter and height against your kettle.
- Decide on a pump
Counterflow and plate chillers work best with a pump or a tall gravity drain. If you don't own one, start with immersion.
- Check your fittings
Garden hose, 1/2-inch NPT, BSP and Duotight don't mix without adapters. Match the chiller to your kettle valve and hoses.
- Plan hop filtration
Plate chillers clog with hop debris. Use a hop spider or valve filter; see our BIAB bags and hop spiders.
- Think about water
Immersion chillers can run many gallons through a hose; collect the warm outflow for cleaning instead of pouring it away.
Wort chiller mistakes to avoid
- Adding the immersion chiller cold at the end. Drop it in for the last 10–15 minutes of the boil so the boil sanitizes it.
- Running water before the hose is clamped. A loose fitting can spray cold water into the wort.
- Sending hop sludge into a plate chiller. Filter first; a clogged plate chiller is hard to clear.
- Skipping the flush. Run hot water and a brewing cleaner per the label through counterflow and plate chillers right after use.
- Pitching too warm. Chill to the yeast maker's range before pitching.
Which wort chiller should you buy?
- First chiller, 5-gallon kettle: NY Brew Supply 25 ft copper.
- Fastest without a pump: JaDeD Hydra.
- Stainless for an all-in-one: Anvil stainless immersion chiller.
- Small kettle on a stove: Craft A Brew Clover.
- Brewing on a Grainfather: Grainfather counterflow.
- Hoppy beers with a pump: KegLand Red Reaper.
- Stainless counterflow, no clamps: Northern Brewer CFC.
- Compact, fast, with a pump and hop filter: FERRODAY 30-plate or KegLand Chillout MKIV.
A faster chiller pairs well with the right kettle; see our brew kettle picks for notched lids and valve options.
For most home brewers an immersion chiller is the best wort chiller to start with: the NY Brew Supply 25 ft for simplicity, or the JaDeD Hydra if speed matters most. If you have a pump, a counterflow like the KegLand Red Reaper chills in one pass and clogs less than a plate chiller. Plate chillers such as the FERRODAY 30-plate are compact and fast, provided you filter hops and flush them every time.
Before you buy, read how to brew beer at home (extract, step by step) and brew-day safety: propane, CO2, glass and chemicals. For a closer look, see Immersion vs plate vs counterflow chillers.
We compared chiller type, material, tubing length or plate count, fittings and cleaning requirements from current listings, recorded maker chill-time and flow claims as claims, and noted where listings disagree (Hydra dimensions, Grainfather wort flow). Process guidance follows Palmer's How to Brew and the AHA. We did not brew with these chillers, and we don't show scores, star ratings or prices.