Can Cold Brew Coffee: A Step-by-Step Café Guide

Cold brew in a can has become one of the easiest wins for South African cafés: it looks premium, travels without spilling, sells straight from the fridge as a grab-and-go, and opens up retail and event sales. The good news is you're able to do it yourself, on-site, without an industrial setup. Here's how.

What you'll need

• A can sealing machine (seamer)
• Clear PET cans and foil lids — 330ml or 500ml
• Your cold brew, brewed and chilled
• A jug, tap or small filler for filling

That's the whole kit. If you're still deciding which machine you need, our guide to seamers vs filling machines breaks it down.

Step by step

1. Brew and chill. Make your cold brew as usual and get it properly cold before canning — filling cold helps quality and keeps your product fresh.
2. Fill the can. Fill each of the cans leaving a small headspace at the top (don't fill to the brim). Consistent fill levels look professional and seal cleanly.
3. Place the lid. Sit a foil lid flat on top of the filled cans.
4. Seal. Place the cans in the machine and seal — it takes a few seconds to roll a tight, leak-proof seam.
5. Label and date. Add your branding and a “keep refrigerated / best before” date.
6. Refrigerate. Store and sell cold.

Shelf life and food safety

Cold brew canned this way is a fresh, refrigerated product — not shelf-stable, heat-treated . Keep it refrigerated from sealing to sale, give it a realistic best-before window, and follow standard food-safety practice for fresh beverages. Longer shelf life means looking into pasteurisation or preservatives, which is a bigger step.

A note on nitro and carbonation

Still cold brew is the simplest to can. Nitro or carbonated cold brew involves gas and pressure, which adds complexity to filling and sealing — start with still cold brew to get your process dialled in before experimenting with carbonation.

Tips for clean, consistent cans

• Keep fill levels consistent — it looks professional and seals better.
• Wipe any spills off the rim before sealing.
• Run a test can first whenever you change the size or start a batch.
• Keep your seamer's chuck and rollers clean for reliable seals.

Why cafés love it

On-site canning lets you make small batches, test flavours, sell immediately and supply nearby stockists — all without committing to huge minimum orders. Want the numbers? See our breakdown of what it costs to can your own drinks.

Ready to start? Browse our can sealing machine and PET cans — Cape Town based, shipped nationwide, lids included.