Patent ID: 7419692
Filing Date: 2008-09-02
Classification: A23F

Abstract:
1. A method for forming a concentrated coffee extract from a quantity of solid raw material consisting essentially of unground roasted coffee, said concentrated coffee extract having a flavor and fragrance of roasted coffee and suitable for reconstitution with water to form a coffee beverage, the method comprising acts of: providing a quantity of a solid raw material consisting essentially of unground roasted coffee in a first state of fragmentation; supplying a volume of a consumable liquid solvent to the quantity of solid raw material consisting essentially of unground roasted coffee; extracting coffee solids from the solid raw material consisting essentially of unground roasted coffee by exposing the quantity of solid raw material consisting essentially of unground roasted coffee in said first state of fragmentation to the consumable liquid solvent at a temperature not exceeding the boiling point of water at atmospheric pressure, thereby forming a consumable coffee extract having the flavor and fragrance of roasted coffee comprising the consumable liquid solvent and dissolved coffee solids, wherein the dissolved coffee solids component of the coffee extract has been extracted from the quantity of solid raw material consisting essentially of unground roasted coffee while in said first state of fragmentation; supplying a feed liquid consisting essentially of the coffee extract produced in the extracting act to a retentate side of a filter; passing at least a portion of a consumable liquid solvent component of the coffee extract through a filtration medium to form a permeate comprising the portion of the consumable liquid solvent component on a permeate side of the filter while retaining at least a portion of the coffee solids on the retentate side of the filter, thereby forming on the retentate side of the filter said concentrated coffee extract having the flavor and fragrance of roasted coffee, said concentrated coffee extract being more concentrated in the coffee solids than said feed liquid, on the retentate side of the filter; and collecting said concentrated coffee extract having the flavor and fragrance of roasted coffee wherein said concentrated coffee extract having a flavor and fragrance of roasted coffee is suitable for reconstitution with water to form a coffee beverage.