The present disclosure is related to systems and methods for brewing coffee.
At present, cold coffee brewing, also known as cold brewing, immersion brewing, cold water extraction or cold pressing, is the process of steeping coffee grounds in water at cool or ambient/room temperatures for an extended period. Ground coffee beans are soaked in water for a prolonged period of time. After soaking, the coffee grounds are filtered out of the water after they have been steeped using, for example, a paper filter, a fine metal sieve, a French press, or felt, in the case of the brewing system. The result is a coffee concentrate that is diluted prior to consumption with water or milk, and is served hot, over ice, or blended with ice and other ingredients such as, for example, chocolate. Unfortunately, known techniques for cold brewing coffee do not usually translate to a different scale. Coffee brewed in small batch brewers does not taste the same as the same coffee brewed in larger batch brewers, since the brewer designs result in different extractions.
Coffee cupping is a technique used for analyzing the sensory characteristics of hot brewed coffee. It is a professional practice performed by coffee buyers, judges, enthusiasts, and professionals alike. Coffee cupping is frequently used by producers and buyers around the world to check the quality or flavor profile of a particular batch of coffee. In cupping, coffees are scored for aspects such as fragrance, aroma, flavor, acidity, body, mouthfeel, uniformity, balance, cleanness, sweetness, and aftertaste. Cupping is also used to identify defects present in coffee and to assess coffee blends. Furthermore, cupping is also used a method to determine preferences between different coffees and brewing parameters.
A standard coffee cupping procedure generally involves deeply sniffing the coffee, then quickly slurping the coffee so it spreads to the back of the tongue and across the palette. The coffee taster attempts to assess aspects of the coffee's taste, body (the texture or mouthfeel, such as oiliness), sweetness, acidity (a sharp and tangy feeling, like when biting into an orange), flavor, and aftertaste.
Because the ground coffee beans in cold brewed coffee never come into contact with heated water, the process of extracting flavor from the beans produces a chemical profile different from conventional brewing methods. Coffee beans contain a number of constituent parts that are more soluble at higher temperatures, such as caffeine, oils and fatty acids. Brewing at a lower temperature results in lower acidity and lower caffeine content when brewed in equal volume. It is around 65 to 70 percent less acidic than hot drip coffee or espresso, per part. Unfortunately, while coffee cupping is well known in relation to hot brewed coffee, at present there is no equivalent procedure or supporting product for cold brewed coffee.
As such, there is a need for an immersion coffee brewing system that addresses these issues.
Disclosed is an immersion coffee or tea brewing (ICB) system. The ICB system comprises a brewing vessel having a top and a filter basket. The brewing vessel is configured to receive a closeable filter having coffee or tea within the brewing vessel and water. The filter basket is configured to be removably attached to the top of the brewing vessel, hold the closeable filter, and drain the closeable filter into the brewing vessel.
The ICB system may also include a lid configured to be removably attached to the top of the brewing vessel prior to removably attaching the filter basket and seal the brewing vessel to prevent off-gassing from the immersion of the coffee or tea in the water. The lid may include an off-gassing opening and may be configured to be rotated along the top of the brewing vessel from a sealed position that prevents off-gassing to an open position that allows off-gassing through the off-gassing opening. The brewing vessel may include a spout at the top of the brewing vessel where the spout is configured to allow off-gassing when the lid is rotated to the open position and the off-gassing opening of the lid is positioned adjacent the spout of the brewing vessel.
The ICB system may also include the closeable filter, where the closeable filter is a filter bag having an open top configured to receive the coffee or tea and the water. The closeable filter may be further configured to be partially sealed by twisting the open top to a closed position after receiving the coffee or tea and water. Moreover, the closeable filter may be constructed from a material that allows the closeable filter to be steeped in a coffee solution or tea solution for an extended period of time, lifted from the brewing vessel after being filled with coffee or tea and immersed in the coffee solution or tea solution, respectively, for the extended period of time, and placed on the filter basket to drain the coffee solution or tea solution from the closeable filter to the brewing vessel. In this example, the coffee solution is created by the coffee and the water and the filter basket may include draining holes at a bottom of the filter basket. The tea solution is created by the tea and water.
In an example, of operation, the ICB may perform a method that includes inserting the closeable filter into the brewing vessel, inserting coffee or tea into the closeable filter, and pouring water into the closeable filter. The method may also include partially sealing the closeable filter, steeping the closeable filter within the water in the brewing vessel for the extended period of time, and removing the closeable filter from the brewing vessel; and draining the closeable filter into the brewing vessel.
Other devices, apparatuses, systems, methods, features, and advantages of the invention will be or will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional devices, apparatuses, systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims.
The invention may be better understood by referring to the following figures. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. In the figures, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views.
An immersion coffee or tea brewing (ICB) system is disclosed. The ICB system comprises a brewing vessel having a top and a filter basket. The brewing vessel is configured to receive a closeable filter having coffee or tea within the brewing vessel and water. The filter basket is configured to be removably attached to the top of the brewing vessel, hold the closeable filter, and drain the closeable filter into the brewing vessel.
The ICB system may also include a lid configured to be removably attached to the top of the brewing vessel prior to removably attaching the filter basket and seal the brewing vessel to prevent off-gassing from the immersion of the coffee or tea in the water. The lid may include an off-gassing opening and may be configured to be rotated along the top of the brewing vessel from a sealed position that prevents off-gassing to an open position that allows off-gassing through the off-gassing opening. The brewing vessel may include a spout at the top of the brewing vessel where the spout is configured to allow off-gassing when the lid is rotated to the open position and the off-gassing opening of the lid is positioned adjacent the spout of the brewing vessel.
The ICB system may also include the closeable filter, where the closeable filter is a filter bag having an open top configured to receive the coffee or tea and the water. The closeable filter may be further configured to be partially sealed by twisting the open top to a closed position after receiving the coffee or tea and water. Moreover, the closeable filter may be constructed from a material that allows the closeable filter to be steeped in a coffee solution or tea solution for an extended period of time, lifted from the brewing vessel after being filled with coffee or tea and immersed in the coffee solution or tea solution for the extended period of time, and placed on the filter basket to drain the coffee solution or tea solution from the closeable filter to the brewing vessel. In this example, the coffee solution is created by the coffee and the water and the filter basket may include draining holes at a bottom of the filter basket. The tea solution is created by the tea and the water.
In an example of operation, the ICB may perform a method that includes inserting the closeable filter into the brewing vessel, inserting coffee or tea into the closeable filter, and pouring water into the closeable filter. The method may also include partially sealing the closeable filter, steeping the closeable filter within the water in the brewing vessel for the extended period of time, and removing the closeable filter from the brewing vessel; and draining the closeable filter into the brewing vessel.
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In this example, the ICB system 100 may also include a lid 116 configured to be removably attached to the top 104 of the brewing vessel 102 prior to removably attaching the filter basket 106. The lid 116 is configured to cap the top of the brewing vessel 102 for storage after brewing and to seal the brewing vessel 102 to prevent outside elements, flavors, etc. for entering and impacting the taste of brewed coffee or tea concentrate in brewing vessel 102. The lid 116 also prevents off-gassing from the immersion of the coffee or tea in the water. The lid 116 may include an off-gassing opening (i.e., a vent) and may be configured to rotate along the top 104 of the brewing vessel 102 from a sealed position for storage or that prevents off-gassing to an open position that allows serving via the vent and spout 118 or off-gassing through the off-gassing opening. The brewing vessel 102 may include a spout 118 at the top 104 of the brewing vessel 102 where the spout 118 is configured to allow off-gassing when the lid 116 is rotated to the open position and the off-gassing opening of the lid 116 is positioned adjacent the spout 118 of the brewing vessel 102. The spout 118 may also be a graduated spout that is designed for accurate and easily controllable pouring of the resulting brewed coffee or tea from the brewing vessel 102.
In this example, the closeable filter 108 is shown as being an empty porous filter bag having an open top 120 configured to receive the coffee or tea and the water once the closeable filter 108 is inserted into the cavity of the brewing vessel 102. In this example, the closeable filter 108 is configured to be partially sealed by twisting the open top 120 to a closed position after receiving the coffee or tea and water (within the brewing vessel 102). The open top 120 may also be optionally tied with a string or a silicone clamp or the closeable filter 108 may also include an optional drawstring. The closeable filter 108 is constructed from a porous material that allows the closeable filter to be steeped in the coffee solution or tea solution for an extended period of time, lifted from the brewing vessel 102 after being filled with coffee or tea and immersed in the coffee solution or tea solution for the extended period of time, and placed on and within the top portion 110 of the filter basket 106 to drain the coffee solution or tea solution from the closeable filter 108 to the brewing vessel 102.
The ICB system 100 may also include a pair of tongs 122. The tongs 122 are utilized to place and remove the closeable filter 108 from the cavity inside of the brewing vessel 102 and the basket guard 114 is configured to hold the filter basket 106 on top 104 of the brewing vessel 102.
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Alternatively, the brewing vessel 102 may be made, for example, from a ceramic material, stainless steel, or other suitable material.
In this example, the brewing vessel 102 includes volume markings 204 which in combination with the overall volume of the brewing vessel 102 is designed to support several brewing ratios for the brewed coffee or tea. In this example, the volume markings 204 may be baked on to the brewing vessel 102 (that may be made of glass) for extreme scratch resistance and durability.
In these examples, all the parts of the ICB system 100 may be constructed from durable, food safe, and dishwasher safe materials. For example, the filter basket 106 and tongs 122 may be constructed from food grade 304 stainless steel. The lid 116 and basket guard 114 may be constructed from soft silicone for optimal fit, feel and durability. All the parts may be sized and shaped for single hand operation to aid fluid and efficient movement throughout brewing and/or cupping process and may have compact footprints and stackable parts for space-efficient storage.
Furthermore, in these examples, the lid 116 can be rotated along the top 104 of the brewing vessel 102 to either a sealed position that prevents off-gassing to an open position that allows off-gassing through the off-gassing opening. The lid 116 may also be configured to be drip catcher for the filter basket 106 when the wet closeable filter 108 is placed within the filter basket 106. The tongs 122 may include reinforced arms and gently angled ends with rounded teeth for easily gripping the closeable filter 108 while minimizing the puncture potential of puncturing the closeable filter 108.
The ICB system 100 may be designed with high resolution branding, neutral colors, ergonomic curves, clean edges, and form-fit components. The filter basket 106 and tongs 122 may be made from matching stainless steel and the lid 116 and basket guard 114 may be made from matching silicone. The closeable filter 108 that may be filled with ground coffee beans through the open top 120.
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The lid 116 may include an off-gassing opening 700 (i.e., vent) and a gripping section 702. The gripping section 702 is configured to allow for the lid 116 to be rotated from a sealed position that prevents off-gassing to an open position that allows off-gassing along the rim of the top 104 of the brewing vessel 102. The off-gassing is through the off-gassing opening 700. The lid 116 may also include a bottom portion 704 that is configured to allow the filter basket 106 to rest on the inside of the of the bottom portion 704 of the lid 116 to prevent spillage of the brewed coffee or tea. The lid 116 may also be constructed of rubber or silicone to fit tightly into the opening at the top 104 of the brewing vessel 102. The lid 116 may include a top-side portion 706 and a bottom-side portion 708 where the off-gassing opening 700 is within both the top-side portion 706 and a bottom-side portion 708 and the bottom-side portion 708 may include a soft gripping texture configured to grip the inner surface 202 of the cavity 200 of the brewing vessel 102.
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In this example, the closeable filter 108 is first inserted into cavity 200 of the brewing vessel 102 through the top 104 of the brewing vessel 102 in
The closeable filter 108 is then filled with water 902 through the open top 120 of the closeable filter 108. The water 902 may be at ambient or colder than ambient temperature for cold brewing the ground coffee 900. However, the water 902 may also be optionally hot for slow brewing hot coffee. The water 902 may be poured on to the ground coffee 900 in the closeable filter 108 in a somewhat circular motion to help immerse the ground coffee 900. As the water 902 is poured in, the water will start to spread into the cavity 200 of the brewing vessel 102 through the pores of the closeable filter 108 so as to create a solution line 904 within the cavity 200 of the brewing vessel 102. Once the desired amount of water 902 has been added to the ground coffee 900, the open top 120 of the closeable filter 108 may be shut (i.e., somewhat sealed) by twisting 906 the open top 120 closed to form a neck 908 of the closeable filter 108. In
In this example, the predetermined time may be between approximately one to 24 hours or more. In this example, instead of twisting, the closeable filter 108 may also be closed by an optional built in drawstring or by tying closed with a string or clamping with a silicone clamp. Also, optionally, instead of closing, the closeable filter 108 may be left mostly open. In all of these examples, the closeable filter 108 is defined as partially sealed. Furthermore, while this example describes brewing coffee to produce a brewed coffee concentrate 912, the method 1000 may also be utilized to brew tea to produce a brewed tea concentrate.
After the predetermined time, the method 1100 then includes removing 1116 the lid 116 from the brewing vessel 102 and removing 1118 the filled closeable filter 108 from the brewing vessel 102. The filled closeable filter 108 may be removed 1118 from the brewing vessel 102 with the tongs 122. The filled closeable filter 108 is then placed 1120 on top of the filter basket 106 where the filter basket 106 has been placed 1121 on top of the brewing vessel 102. In these example steps, it is appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the filter basket 106 may be placed on the top of the brewing vessel 102 before the filled closeable filter 108 is placed on top of the filter basket 106. The method 1100 then includes draining 1122 the filled closeable filter 108 into the brewing vessel 102, removing 1124 the filter basket 106 from the brewing vessel 102 and disposing the filled closeable filter 108, and pouring 1126 the resulting cold brew coffee concentrate 912 liquid out of the brewing vessel 102 and into a bowl for sensory analysis. The method 1100 then ends. Again, while this example describes brewing coffee to produce the brewed coffee concentrate 912, the method 1100 may also be utilized to brew tea to produce a brewed tea concentrate.
It will be understood that various aspects or details of the disclosure may be changed without departing from the scope of the disclosure. It is not exhaustive and does not limit the claimed disclosures to the precise form disclosed. Furthermore, the foregoing description is for the purpose of illustration only, and not for the purpose of limitation. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above description or may be acquired from practicing the disclosure. The claims and their equivalents define the scope of the disclosure. Moreover, although the techniques have been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the appended claims are not necessarily limited to the features or acts described. Rather, the features and acts are described as example implementations of such techniques.
Furthermore, the description of the different examples of implementations has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, and is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the examples in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Further, different examples of implementations may provide different features as compared to other desirable examples. The example, or examples, selected are chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the examples, the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the disclosure for various examples with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
It will also be understood that various aspects or details of the invention may be changed without departing from the scope of the invention. It is not exhaustive and does not limit the claimed inventions to the precise form disclosed. Furthermore, the foregoing description is for the purpose of illustration only, and not for the purpose of limitation. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above description or may be acquired from practicing the invention. The claims and their equivalents define the scope of the invention.
In some alternative examples of implementations, the function or functions noted in the blocks may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, in some cases, two blocks shown in succession may be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be performed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. Also, other blocks may be added in addition to the illustrated blocks in a flowchart or block diagram.
The description of the different examples of implementations has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, and is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the examples in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Further, different examples of implementations may provide different features as compared to other desirable examples. The example, or examples, selected are chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the examples, the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the disclosure for various examples with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/857,246, titled “System and Method For Cupping Cold Brew Coffee,” filed on Jun. 4, 2019 under 35 U.S.C. 119(e), which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62857246 | Jun 2019 | US |