Patent ID: 8075935

Claim:
A method for brewing variable quantities of coffee using an automatic coffee making appliance, said method comprising adding water to a water reservoir with a fixed capacity; adding coffee grounds to a brew basket filter assembly; selecting a desired amount of coffee to be brewed and providing an input to said appliance; detecting the amount of water in the reservoir and comparing said amount of water in the reservoir to the input amount of desired coffee to be brewed; generating a signal indicative of a discrepancy between the amount of water in the reservoir and the input amount of desired coffee to be brewed, if such a discrepancy exists; supplying water from said reservoir to a water tank having a heater to heat water contained therein to a predetermined temperature; sensing when the heated water reaches said predetermined temperature; sending a signal to a controller to activate a pump that is adapted to operate said pump to cause it to pump said heated water to said brew basket and filter assembly to cause it to flow therethrough and into a coffee container, said controller limiting the duration of pump operation to a time that will pump an amount of heated water corresponding to the input amount of coffee to be brewed; causing said water from said reservoir to flow into said water tank to occupy some or all of the volume of the heated water displaced to said brew basket and filter assembly; sensing the temperature of the water in said water tank and controlling the heater in response thereto to maintain a predetermined temperature; and shutting off operation of said pump and said heater when an amount of heated water has been pumped that corresponds to said input amount of coffee to be brewed.