Patent ID: 8418601

Claim:
A coffee machine for preparing coffee using coffee pads, the coffee machine comprising: a brewing chamber; a continuous flow heater having an adjustable heating power; a pump for conveying water along a conveying section through the continuous flow heater to the brewing chamber; a plurality of temperature sensor sensors including a first temperature sensor disposed between the continuous flow heater and the brewing chamber, and a second temperature sensor disposed between the pump and the continuous flow heater; and an electronic control device including means for controlling production of steam in the continuous flow heater by influencing an amount of water conveyed by the pump in response to temperatures measured by the first and second temperature sensors, the electronic control device programmed to: switch the pump ON continuously such that the water is conveyed through the continuous flow heater to the brewing chamber; switch the continuous flow heater ON after switching the pump ON; measure a first temperature between the continuous flow heater and a brewing chamber with the first temperature sensor; after the switching the pump ON and the switching the continuous flow heater ON, control the production of the steam and the pressure in the continuous flow heater by: performing a pulsed operation of the pump, which includes switching the pump ON and OFF in an ON/OFF cycle ratio between switch-on time and switch-off time, when the first temperature of the water between the continuous flow heater and the brewing chamber is less than a predefined temperature threshold for optimum brewing; and repeating the pulsed operation of the pump when the first temperature of the water between the continuous flow heater and the brewing chamber is less than the predefined temperature threshold; and after performing the pulsed operation of the pump and repeating the pulsed operation of the pump, switch the pump ON continuously such that the water is conveyed through the continuous flow heater to the brewing chamber when the first temperature of the water between the continuous flow heater and the brewing chamber is greater than the predefined temperature threshold.