Patent ID: 6713109
Filing Date: 2004-03-30
Classification: A47J

Abstract:
A method of brewing tea in an automatic tea maker having a supply of hot brew water, a controlled valve for passing the hot brew water into a brew basket, a supply of mixing water, and a dispensing urn for receipt of tea extract from a drain hole in the brew basket and receipt of mixing water from the mixing water supply, comprising the steps of:establishing with a timer of a controller a brew cycle, said brew cycle being composed of a plural succession of extraction cycles, each extraction cycle alternating between an intermittent add period of preselected duration and an intermittent pause period of preselected duration; placing dry tea ingredient at the bottom of the brew basket; opening the controlled valve during each add period to add hot water from the hot brew water supply to the tea at the bottom of the brew basket, and closing the controlled valve during each of the intermittent pause periods to allow the hot brew later added during the add period to drain sufficiently through the tea and out of the drain hole as tea extract to expose to atmospheric air the tea within the brew basket before the commencement of the next add period; and draining from the brew basket through a drain hole of sufficient size substantially all of the tea extract during each pause period.