Subcooled flow boiling heat transfer is one of the most preferred heat removal methods, especially in areas where high heat fluxes are encountered. The design of heat sinks employing subcooled flow boiling involves prediction of pressure drop, in addition to heat transfer coefficient, as it exerts a huge influence on the local heat transfer, stability of the system and the critical heat flux. This paper provides a systematic review of the performance of the prior correlations and their applicability for different conditions based on a large experimental database compiled from 12 sources containing 1365 data points in total, focussing on water as the working fluid. The results of the assessment are used to identify the right correlation applicable for a specific operating range. New correlations are proposed for the cases and ranges for which the predictability of the prior correlations is unsatisfactory. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd