METHOD FOR DELIVERING A LONG COFFEE EXTRACT FROM A CAPSULE IN A REDUCED FLOW TIME

• US 20090186137A1
• Filed: 07/11/2007
• Published: 07/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Societe des Produits Nestle SA (Nestle SA)
• Original Assignee: Nestec SA (Nestle SA)
• Inventors: Eichler, Paul, Raetz, Ernest, Ohresser, Sylvia, Koch, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,088,423 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 426/433
• CPC Class Codes: A23F 5/08 Methods of grinding coffee coffee mills A47J42/00
• CPC Class Codes: A23F 5/10 Treating roasted coffee; Preparations produced thereby removing unwanted substances A23F5/16; reducing or removing alkaloid content A23F5/20; coffee extraction, making instant coffee A23F5/24
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/002 following a specific operational sequence, e.g. for improving the taste of the extraction product

Abstract

A method for delivering a long coffee extract from a capsule containing ground coffee within a flow time of 50 seconds or less by injection of water under pressure within the capsule. The capsule is filled with ground coffee and has a delivery membrane. The capsule is extracted in a coffee extraction device, and pressurized water is injected in the capsule under pressure. The coffee beverage is released through the beverage delivery membrane of the capsule with engaging means engaging in and/or against the membrane. The pressure loss is reduced in the coffee bed by providing in the capsule coffee ground having a controlled percentage of fines (F) depending on the average particle size (D4,3). The flow time can be lowered to 40 seconds or even less while maintaining a coffee extraction yield within a high range of 15 to 30%.

Claims

1-18. -18. (canceled)

19. A method for delivering a coffee extract from a capsule containing ground coffee within a flow time of 50 seconds or less by injection of water under pressure within the capsule, which comprises:

providing a ground coffee containing capsule for extraction in a coffee extraction device where water is injected into the capsule under pressure to deliver the coffee extract, the capsule having a delivery membrane and filled with a bed of ground coffee;

wherein the coffee beverage is released through the delivery membrane of the capsule with engaging means engaging in or against the membrane; and

reducing pressure loss in the capsule during the delivering by providing in the capsule ground coffee having a controlled percentage of fines (F) depending on the average particle size (D4,3) within the following limits;

F is lower than or equal to 14% when D4,3 is measured from 350 to 400 microns,

F is lower than or equal to 16% when D4,3 is measured from 300 to 349 microns, and

F is lower than or equal to 18% when D4,3 is measured from 250 to 299 microns.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the pressure loss in the coffee bed is further reduced by providing in the capsule ground coffee having a percentage of fines (F) depending on the particle size within the following limits:

F is between 10 and 14% when D4,3 is measured from 350 to 400 microns,

F is between 12 and 16% when D4,3 is measured from 300 to 349 microns, and

F is between 14 and 18% when D4,3 is measured from 250 to 299 microns.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the percentage of fines (F) of the capsule for delivering a long coffee extract is comprised between 12 and 14% when D4,3 is measured from 300 and 350 microns therefore allowing to deliver a long coffee extract in less than 35 to 45 seconds.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein the pressure loss at the interface of the membrane and engaging means is increased by selecting a membrane of a puncture resistance of at least 1.1 mJ.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the pressure loss at the interface of the membrane/engaging means is increased by selecting a membrane of a puncture resistance of between 1.1 and 3.5 mJ.

24. The method according to claim 19, wherein the pressure loss at the interface of the membrane and engaging means is increased by selecting a membrane made of aluminum having a thickness of between 26 and 40 microns.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the pressure loss at the interface of the membrane and engaging means is increased by selecting an aluminum membrane having a thickness of about 30 microns.

26. The method according to claim 19, wherein the level of fines is controlled by having coffee beans ground before the filling in the capsule, wherein the beans are ground using a grinder comprising a fine grinding section that includes at least one pair of radially corrugated rolls.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein coffee is ground using only radially corrugated rolls.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein coffee is ground using between 4 to 6 stages of radially corrugated rolls.

29. The method according to claim 26, wherein coffee is ground using radially and axially corrugated rolls.

30. The method according to claim 19, wherein the coffee extract is delivered in a flow time between 27 and 45 seconds.

31. The method according to claim 19, wherein the coffee extract is delivered in a flow time of less than 35 seconds.

32. The method according to claim 19, wherein the coffee extract is delivered at an extraction yield of between 15 and 30%.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein the extraction yield of the delivered coffee extract is between 20 and 26%.

34. The method according to claim 31, wherein the delivered coffee extract has a total solids of between 1 and 1.9% wt.

35. The method according to claim 31, wherein the delivered coffee extract has a total solids of between 1.1 and 1.7% wt.

36. The method according to claim 19, wherein the water pressure injected into the capsule reaches a value higher than 11 bar during extraction.