Method for making frozen drinks
First Claim
1. A method of making a milkshake or smoothie, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a cup containing a block of milkshake or smoothie ingredients frozen to substantially conform to the interior of the cup;
(b) grinding the block in the cup to form a ground frozen substance; and
(c) adding a liquid heated to at least approximately 100°
F. to the ground frozen substance in the cup.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The disclosed method for making a milkshake or smoothie includes the steps of providing a cup containing a block of ingredients, grinding the block, and adding a liquid heated to at least approximately 100° F. The ingredients in the cup are provided in the form of a block frozen to substantially conform to the interior of the cup. In one embodiment, the method includes the step of whipping to incorporate air into a mixture of the heated liquid and the ground frozen substance in the cup. In that case, the incorporated air, heated liquid, and ground frozen substance form a milkshake or smoothie which has a total volume that exceeds the volume of the mixture of the heated liquid and block of frozen ingredients alone.
84 Citations
60 Claims
-
1. A method of making a milkshake or smoothie, comprising the steps of:
-
(a) providing a cup containing a block of milkshake or smoothie ingredients frozen to substantially conform to the interior of the cup;
(b) grinding the block in the cup to form a ground frozen substance; and
(c) adding a liquid heated to at least approximately 100°
F. to the ground frozen substance in the cup.- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
(d) whipping to incorporate air into a mixture of the heated liquid and the ground frozen substance in the cup, so that the incorporated air, heated liquid, and ground frozen substance form a milkshake or smoothie which has a total volume that exceeds the volume of the mixture of the heated liquid and block of frozen ingredients alone.
-
-
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the ratio between the volume of incorporated air and the total volume of the milkshake or smoothie is about 3:
- 16.
-
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the block of frozen ingredients in the cup is not pre-aerated.
-
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the block of frozen ingredients provided in step (a) includes a top surface, and wherein step (b) includes engaging the top surface with a rotating blade and moving the blade downwardly through the block.
-
6. The method of claim 5 wherein step (b) includes moving the blade, while rotating, upwardly through the ground frozen substance.
-
7. The method of claim 6 wherein step (b) includes moving the blade, while rotating, down and up through the ground frozen substance a plurality of times.
-
8. The method of claim 1 wherein steps (b) and (c) are completed in about 30 seconds or less.
-
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the added volume of heated liquid is about 3 ounces.
-
11. The method of claim 1 wherein the liquid is heated to approximately 170°
- F..
-
12. The method of claim 1 wherein the heated liquid is added to the cup for a period of approximately three to five seconds.
-
13. The method of claim 1 wherein the heated liquid is added to the cup at the beginning of the grinding step.
-
14. The method of claim 1 wherein the added heated liquid is water.
-
15. The method of claim 1 wherein at least portions of steps (b) and (c) are performed simultaneously.
-
9. The method of claim I wherein the volume of the block of frozen ingredients in the cup is approximately 60% of the total volume of the cup.
-
16. A method of making a milkshake or smoothie, comprising the steps of:
-
(a) providing a cup containing a plurality of milkshake or smoothie ingredients mixed together and frozen into a block which substantially conforms to the interior of the cup and has a top surface;
(b) providing a rotatable blade;
(c) lowering the blade into the cup and onto the top surface of the block;
(d) rotating the blade to grind through the block to form a ground frozen substance; and
(e) during at least a portion of step (d), adding a hot liquid having a temperature of at least approximately 100°
F. to the ground frozen substance in the cup.- View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
(f) whipping to incorporate air into a mixture of the hot liquid and the ground frozen substance in the cup, so that the incorporated air, hot liquid, and ground frozen substance form a milkshake or smoothie having a total volume that exceeds the volume of the mixture of the hot liquid and frozen ingredients alone;
wherein the ratio between the volume of incorporated air, the volume of hot liquid, and the volume of frozen ingredients in the milkshake or smoothie is about 3;
3;
10.
-
-
18. The method of claim 16 wherein step (d) includes moving the blade, while rotating, upwardly through the ground frozen substance.
-
19. The method of claim 18 wherein step (d) includes moving the blade, while rotating, down and up through the ground frozen substance a plurality of times.
-
20. The method of claim 16 wherein steps (c), (d), and (e) are completed in about 30 seconds or less.
-
21. A method of making a milkshake or smoothie, comprising the steps of:
-
(a) combining milkshake or smoothie ingredients to form a mixture;
(b) freezing the mixture in a cup to form a block of frozen substance substantially conforming to the interior of the cup;
(c) storing the cup;
(d) removing the cup from storage;
(e) grinding the block in the cup to form a ground frozen substance; and
(f) adding a liquid heated to at least approximately 100°
F. to the ground frozen substance in the cup during the grinding step.- View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
(g) whipping to incorporate air into a mixture of the heated liquid and the ground frozen substance in the cup, so that the incorporated air, heated liquid, and ground frozen substance form a milkshake or smoothie having a total volume that exceeds the volume of the mixture of the heated liquid and block of frozen substance alone.
-
-
23. The method of claim 22 wherein the ratio between the volume of incorporated air and the total volume of the milkshake or smoothie is about 3:
- 16.
-
24. The method of claim 21, and further comprising:
(h) serving the milkshake or smoothie in the cup.
-
25. The method of claim 21 wherein steps (e) and (f) are completed in about 30 seconds or less.
-
26. The method of claim 21 wherein the added volume of heated liquid is about 3 ounces.
-
27. The method of claim 21 wherein the liquid is heated to approximately 170°
- F..
-
28. The method of claim 21 wherein the block of frozen substance in the cup is not pre-aerated.
-
29. The method of claim 21 wherein the heated liquid is added to the cup for a period of approximately three to five seconds.
-
30. The method of claim 21 wherein the heated liquid is added to the cup at the beginning of the grinding step.
-
31. A method of making a milkshake or smoothie, comprising the steps of:
-
(a) freezing a plurality of milkshake or smoothie ingredients together in a cup to form a frozen block which substantially conforms to the interior of the cup (b) grinding the frozen block in the cup to form a ground frozen substance; and
(c) adding a liquid heated to at least approximately 100°
F. to the ground frozen substance in the cup.- View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
(d) whipping to incorporate air into a mixture of the heated liquid and the ground frozen substance in the cup, so that the incorporated air, heated liquid, and ground frozen substance form a milkshake or smoothie having a total volume that exceeds the volume of the mixture of the heated liquid and frozen block alone.
-
-
33. The method of claim 32 wherein the ratio between the volume of incorporated air and the total volume of the milkshake or smoothie is about 3:
- 16.
-
34. The method of claim 31 wherein steps (b) and (c) are completed in about 30 seconds or less.
-
35. The method of claim 31 wherein the added volume of heated liquid is about 3 ounces.
-
36. The method of claim 31 wherein the heated liquid is heated to approximately 170°
- F..
-
37. The method of claim 31 wherein the frozen block in the cup is not pre-aerated.
-
38. The method of claim 31 wherein the heated liquid is added to the cup for a period of approximately three to five seconds.
-
39. The method of claim 31 wherein the heated liquid is added to the cup at the beginning of the grinding step.
-
40. The method of claim 31 wherein at least portions of steps (b) and (c) are performed simultaneously.
-
41. A method of making a milkshake or smoothie, comprising the steps of:
-
(a) providing a cup containing a plurality of milkshake or smoothie ingredients mixed together and frozen into a block which substantially conforms to the interior of the cup and has a top surface;
(b) positioning the cup to prevent rotation thereof;
(c) providing a rotatable blade;
(d) lowering the blade into the cup and onto the top surface of the block;
(e) rotating the blade to grind through the block to form a ground frozen substance; and
(f) during at least a portion of step (e), adding a hot liquid having a temperature of at least approximately 170°
F. to the ground frozen substance in the cup for a period of three to five seconds.- View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
(g) whipping to incorporate air into a mixture of the hot liquid and the ground frozen substance in the cup so that the incorporated air, hot liquid, and ground frozen substance form a milkshake or smoothie having a total volume that exceeds the volume of the mixture of the hot liquid and frozen ingredients alone.
-
-
43. The method of claim 42 wherein the ratio between the volume of incorporated air and the total volume of the milkshake or smoothie is about 3:
- 16.
-
44. The method of claim 41 wherein step (e) includes raising the blade, while rotating, within the ground frozen substance.
-
45. The method of claim 44 wherein the rotating blade is moved down and up through the ground frozen substance a plurality of times.
-
46. The method of claim 44 wherein the cup has an upper lip, and further comprising:
-
(h) raising the blade to a level above the total volume of the milkshake or smoothie but below the upper lip of the cup; and
(i) rotating the blade.
-
-
47. The method of claim 41 wherein steps (d) and (e) are completed in about 30 seconds or less.
-
48. The method of claim 41 wherein the added volume of hot liquid is about 3 ounces.
-
49. The method of claim 41 wherein the hot liquid has a temperature of approximately 170°
- F..
-
50. The method of claim 41 wherein the block of frozen ingredients is not pre-aerated.
-
51. The method of claim 41 wherein the hot liquid is added to the cup for a period of approximately three to five seconds.
-
52. The method of claim 41 wherein the hot liquid is added to the cup at the beginning of the grinding step.
-
53. The method of claim 41 wherein the step of providing the cup includes positioning the cup so that the cup is not accessible during steps (d) and (e).
-
54. A method of making a milkshake or smoothie, comprising the steps of:
-
(a) providing a cup containing a block of milkshake or smoothie ingredients frozen to substantially conform to an interior of the cup, the frozen ingredients being formed from a liquid containing flavoring and sugars;
(b) grinding the block of frozen ingredients in the cup to form a ground substance having a frozen phase and a liquid phase; and
(c) adding water heated to approximately 100°
F. or higher to the ground substance in the cup so that the concentration of sugars in the liquid phase reaches a level adequate to depress the freezing point of the liquid phase to a level where any appreciable freezing of the water from the liquid phase into ice crystals is eliminated.- View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
-
Specification