Patent ID: 7798055

Claim:
A beverage system for selectively delivering, in a same coffee extraction device, short coffee liquid extracts and long coffee liquid extracts comprising: cartridges containing ground coffee; a receiving device for receiving one cartridge at a time and pumping means for injecting water under pressure in the cartridge; means for opening the cartridge comprising retaining means to retain the liquid under pressure in the cartridge and engaging means which engage the retaining means to open the cartridge and deliver the coffee liquid extract; at least a first cartridge adapted to deliver a short coffee liquid extract, at least a second cartridge having substantially the same external configuration and shape as the first cartridge so as to be capable of being received in the same receiving device as the first cartridge and adapted to deliver a longer coffee liquid extract upon allowing a larger amount of water to flow there through, wherein the second cartridge has a greater amount of ground coffee than the first cartridge, the coffee in the second cartridge has a higher value of granulometry than the coffee in the first cartridge and a greater mass of coffee per unit volume than in the first cartridge so that water flows through the second cartridge at a greater rate than in the first cartridge during extraction.