Claims
- 1. A method for brewing a coffee beverage such as coffee, latte or mocha in a container from a supply of flavor-containing materials comprising roasted coffee grounds comprising:
providing a brewing device comprising a porous filter having a first surface for contacting the flavor-containing materials and liquid in a container, a plurality of filtration openings for allowing liquid extraction to pass through as a beverage while blocking all or substantially all coffee grounds and a second surface for receiving the beverage from the plurality of filtration openings; a step of introducing liquid into the container to allow the formation of a dispersion containing the liquid and flavor-containing materials and the formation of a layer of floated flavor-containing materials on top of the dispersion; a step of tilting the container to generate a liquid head to act on the first surface of the porous filter to drive the liquid extraction through the plurality of filtration openings to the second surface of porous filter as a coffee beverage; and a step of breaking the layer of floated flavor-containing materials on top of the dispersion in the container, thereby preventing the clogging of the porous filter by the layer of floated flavor-containing materials and increasing the beverage flow through the filtration openings during said step of tilting.
- 2. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein said step of breaking comprises one of a step of swirling the container, a step of shaking the container and a step of repetitively tilting the container back and forth.
- 3. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein said device further comprises a flow facilitator comprising at least one selective opening, said selective opening being adapted to be sufficiently small to restrict the flavor-containing materials from passing through during said steps of breaking and tilting and adapted to be or become sufficiently permeable to air to allow air to enter the container during said step of tilting.
- 4. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising a step of regenerating the porous filter by moving the container in such a way to cause the liquid therein to wash the flavor-containing materials accumulated on the first or lower surface of the porous filter off into the container.
- 5. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising a step of regenerating the porous filter by causing the flavor-containing materials accumulated on the first surface of the porous filter to fall off or be washed off into the container, said step of regenerating comprising at least one of a step of swirling the container, a step of shaking or vibrating the container and a step of tilting the container back and forth.
- 6. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising a step of resting the container in a substantially still position for a period of time after said step of breaking, said step of resting causing further increase of the filtration flow through the filtration openings.
- 7. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising a step of adding flavor-containing materials into a transient storage chamber and a step of delivering the flavor-containing materials therein into the container after the transient storage chamber or container has been heated to a certain temperature.
- 8. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein said step of breaking comprises a step of moving one of a plate, a rod and spoon in a repetitive, substantially circular or linear motion within the container.
- 9. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein said porous filter is irremovably or permanently connected to the container to form a closed chamber for enclosing a supply of roasted coffee grounds in the closed chamber, wherein said step of introducing liquid comprises a step of pouring liquid onto the second surface of the porous filter, and a step of filtering the liquid into the closed chamber and to the supply of roasted coffee grounds therein.
- 10. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising providing a supply of roasted coffee grounds to be extracted by the liquid and a supply of milk or the like solids to be dissolved by the liquid introduced into the container during the step of introducing, thereby producing a freshly brewed latte or the like milk-based coffee drink during said step of tilting.
- 11. A method for making beverage from flavor-containing materials with a device having a container, a porous filter and a blade comprising a step of introducing flavor-containing materials comprising roasted coffee beans into the container; a step of grinding the flavor-containing materials in the container to produce ground flavor-containing materials therein by the blade; a step of introducing liquid into the container; a step of extracting the aroma and/or flavor compounds out of the ground flavor-containing materials with the liquid in the container to produce a beverage; and a step of tilting the container to generate a liquid head to drive the beverage out of the container through the porous filter.
- 12. Method for making beverage as defined in claim 1 I further comprising a step of turning the blade to stir the flavor-containing materials and liquid to form a dispersion in the container or to produce a visually appealing crema layer on the beverage.
- 13. Method for making beverage as defined in claim 11 further comprising a step of heating the liquid in the container.
- 14. A method for brewing milk-based coffee drinks such latte, cappuccino and mocha in a container from a supply of roasted coffee grounds comprising:
providing a device comprising a porous filter having a first surface adapted to contact roasted coffee grounds, a plurality of filtration openings adapted to allow liquid extraction to pass through while block substantially all roasted coffee grounds and a second surface for receiving the liquid extraction from the filtration openings; a step of introducing a first amount of hot water into a container to produce a dispersion comprising the hot water and roasted coffee grounds; a step of allowing the hot water to extract the roasted coffee grounds for a certain amount of time in the dispersion to produce a strong dose of coffee extraction; a step of introducing a second amount of hot or frothed milk into the container to produce a dispersion of the roasted coffee grounds and the milk-containing coffee drink; and a step of tilting the container to generate a liquid head to act on the first surface of the porous filter to drive the milk-containing coffee drink through the filtration openings to the second surface of the porous filter and out of the container as a freshly brewed milk-based coffee drink.
- 15. A method for brewing milk-based coffee drinks such latte, cappuccino and mocha as defined in claim 14 wherein the first amount of hot water in said step of introducing a first amount is about ⅓ cup of hot water and the second amount of hot or frothed milk in said step of introducing a second amount is about ⅔ cup of hot or frothed milk.
- 16. A method for brewing a beverage such as coffee, latte or mocha from a supply of flavor-containing materials comprising:
providing a disposable brewing device comprising a disposable container including one of a disposable cup, can and bottle, a disposable porous filter permanently or irremovably connected to the disposable container by one of a direct connection in which the porous filter is directly attached to the disposable container and an indirect connection in which the porous filter is attached to a body and the body is attached to the disposable container, a supply of flavor-containing materials in the disposable container and a cover for sealing the device to maintain the freshness of the flavor-containing materials therein, the porous filter having a first surface adapted to contact the flavor-containing materials, a plurality of filtration openings for allowing liquid extraction to pass through as a beverage while blocking all or substantially all solids and a second surface for receiving the beverage from the plurality of filtration openings; a step of removing at least part of the cover to make at least part of the second surface of the porous filter accessible; a step of pouring hot liquid including at least one of hot water and hot milk onto the second surface of the porous filter to cause the liquid to filter through the filtration openings to the flavor-containing materials in the disposable container, wherein the hot liquid forms a dispersion with the flavor-containing materials and extracts the flavor-containing materials to form a liquid extraction; and a step of tilting the device to generate a liquid head to act on the first surface of the porous filter to drive the liquid extraction in the disposable container through the plurality of filtration openings as to the second surface of porous filter as a freshly brewed beverage.
- 17. A method for brewing a beverage such as coffee, latte or mocha as defined in claim 16 further comprising a step of disposing the brewing device after the beverage flow to the second surface of porous filter and out of the disposable container becomes a thin stream or drip-wise, thereby saving consumers from the traditional time-consuming cleaning job after brewing a coffee beverage.
- 18. A method for brewing a beverage such as coffee, latte or mocha as defined in claim 16 wherein the disposable brewing device further comprises a chamber above the second surface of the porous filter and the method further comprising a step of introducing an amount of additive or additives into the chamber, wherein said step of pouring hot liquid comprises a step pouring hot liquid onto the additive in the chamber to dissolve and carry the additive through the filtration openings into the disposable container.
- 19. A method for brewing an iced or cold coffee beverage such as iced coffee, iced latte and iced mocha in a container from flavor-containing materials comprising roasted coffee grounds comprising:
providing a device comprising a porous filter having a first surface adapted to contact roasted coffee grounds, a plurality of filtration openings adapted to allow liquid extraction to pass through while block substantially all roasted coffee grounds and a second surface for receiving the liquid extraction from the filtration openings; a step of introducing liquid into a container to produce a dispersion comprising the liquid and roasted coffee grounds; a step of allowing hot liquid to extract the roasted coffee grounds for a certain amount of time in the dispersion to produce a liquid extraction; a step of adding an amount of ice into the container to substantially quench or stop the extraction of the roasted coffee grounds, thereby preventing over-extraction of the roasted coffee grounds by the liquid and improving the taste of the resulting coffee beverage; and a step of tilting the container to generate a liquid head to act on the first surface of the porous filter to drive the liquid extraction through the filtration openings to the second surface of the porous filter and subsequently out of the container as the iced coffee beverage.
- 20. A method for brewing an iced or cold beverage as defined in claim 19 wherein said step of introducing liquid comprises a step of introducing a first amount of hot liquid including one of hot water and hot milk into the container before said step of allowing hot liquid to extract and a step of introducing a second amount of cold liquid including one of cold milk and cold water after said step of allowing hot liquid to extract.
- 21. A method for brewing an iced or cold beverage as defined in claim 19 further comprising a step of moving the container according to at least one of a swirling, shaking, repetitive tilting and vibrating motions to cause the liquid extraction in an extraction chamber to interchange with the liquid in an exchange chamber through the filtration openings of the porous filter, wherein during said step of adding ice the ice is added into the exchange chamber of the container.
- 22. A method for brewing an iced or cold beverage as defined in claim 19 further comprising a step of connecting the device to the container prior to said step of tilting, wherein during said step of adding ice the ice is added directly into the dispersion, thereby allowing intimate contact between the ice and the roasted coffee grounds in the dispersion to achieve a fast quenching of the extraction.
- 23. A method for brewing an iced or cold beverage as defined in claim 19 further comprising providing a disposable cup as the container, wherein the device is a disposable device connected or adapted to connect to the disposable cup, thereby allowing a user to simply discard the disposable cup and device when iced coffee beverage stops or substantially stops flowing out of the disposable cup during a step of tilting.
- 24. A method for brewing a beverage such as coffee, espresso, cappuccino, latte or mocha from flavor-containing materials comprising:
providing a device comprising a porous filter having a first surface adapted to contact flavor-containing materials and liquid, a filtration opening adapted to allow liquid extraction to pass through and a second surface for receiving the liquid extraction from the filtration opening; a step of introducing liquid into an extraction chamber containing a supply of flavor-containing materials and into an exchange chamber, the liquid in said extraction chamber forming a dispersion with and interacting with the flavor-containing materials therein to produce a liquid extraction; and a step of causing the liquid in the exchange chamber to interchange with the liquid extraction in the extraction chamber through the filtration opening of the porous filter to cause the concentration of the flavor components in the liquid in the exchange chamber to increase, thereby producing in the exchange chamber a reservoir of liquid extraction or beverage.
- 25. A method as defined in claim 24 wherein said step of causing comprises at least one of a step of swirling the container, a step of shaking the container, a step of vibrating the container, and a step of repetitively tilting the container back and forth.
- 26. A method as defined in claim 24 further comprising a step of tilting the container to pour the beverage out of the exchange chamber and to generate a liquid head to act on the first surface to drive the liquid extraction in the extraction chamber through the filtration openings to the second surface of the porous filter.
- 27. A method as defined in claim 24 further comprising a step of heating the liquid in the extraction chamber.
- 28. A method as defined in claim 24 further comprising a step of adding an amount of soluble additive into the exchange chamber, wherein the additive is dissolved by the liquid and distributed into the extraction chamber substantially uniformly during said step of moving.
- 29. A method for brewing a coffee beverage such as coffee, espresso, latte or mocha from a supply of flavor-containing materials comprising roasted coffee grounds comprising:
providing a brewing device comprising a porous filter and a flow facilitator having at least one selective opening for increasing the beverage flow through the porous filter, the porous filter having a first surface adapted to contact roasted coffee grounds, a plurality of filtration openings to filter a liquid extraction to produce a coffee beverage and a second surface for receiving the beverage from the filtration openings; a step of introducing liquid to a supply of flavor-containing materials comprising roasted coffee grounds in a container, which container is adapted to be sufficiently large to allow a dispersion of the liquid and the flavor-containing materials therein; a step of tilting the container to generate a liquid head to act on the first surface of the porous filter, the liquid head causing the dispersion to be filtered through the filtration openings to the second surface of the porous filter as a beverage; and wherein the at least one selective opening is sufficiently small to restrict the roasted coffee grounds from passing through during said step of tilting, thereby ensuring that the coffee beverage on the second surface of the porous filter is substantially free of the roasted coffee grounds, and is or becomes sufficiently permeable to air to allow air to enter the container during said step of tilting, thereby preventing vacuum formation in the container and increasing the beverage flow from the first surface to the second surface of the porous filter.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This is a continuation in part application of the application Ser. No. 09/944,998 filed Sep. 1, 2001 and International application number PCT/US02/36899 filed Nov. 16, 2002.
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09944998 |
Sep 2001 |
US |
Child |
10631266 |
Jul 2003 |
US |