Device and method for making hot water or the like

A beverage maker for making hot water or the like comprising:

• a first chamber for receiving water, said first chamber having a chamber outlet;
• a check valve for said chamber outlet to allow water to flow out of said chamber but prevent the return flow;
• a heater for heating and pumping water, said heater having a heater inlet for receiving water from said chamber outlet, a heating element, a water heating section for conducting heat from said heating element to the water therein, and a heater outlet, said heater being configured to work with said check valve to allow the steam generated in said heating section to force the heated water out of said heater outlet;
• a hot water temperature optimizer located downstream said heater outlet for achieving an optimized temperature for the hot water, said optimizer comprising a second chamber for containing an amount of hot water, an optimizer inlet for the hot water to enter said second chamber from said heater outlet, and an optimizer outlet;
• a brew station having a filter or basket for a supply of flavor-containing materials such as coffee and a water distributor in communication with said second chamber for introducing the hot water therein to the flavor-containing materials;
• and
• a dispensing station such as a spigot or faucet connected to said optimizer outlet for dispensing the hot water directly into a receptacle such as a cup.

A method for making hot water and brewing coffee substantially simultaneously comprising:

• a step of filling a heater with water from a first chamber;
• a step of heating and delivering the heated water to a second chamber;
• a step of introducing the hot water from the second chamber said to a filter or basket to extract the flavor-containing materials;
• a step for the hot water to seep through the flavor-containing materials and drip into a carafe;
• a step of opening a dispensing station such as a spigot or faucet connected to the second chamber to dispense the hot water into a cup without substantially interrupting said step for the hot water to seep through the flavor-containing materials and drip into a carafe since there is normally sufficient amount of hot water accumulated in the filter or basket due to the slow nature of the seeping process;
• and
• a step of closing the dispensing station such as a spigot or faucet when the cup is full, which causes to all the hot water in the second chamber to be introduced to the filter or basket.

A beverage maker for making hot water or the like comprising:

• a chamber for receiving water, said first chamber having a chamber outlet;
• a check valve for said chamber outlet to allow water to flow out of said chamber but prevent the return flow;
• a heater for heating and pumping water, said beater having a heater inlet for receiving water from said chamber outlet, a heating element, a water heating section for conducting heat from said heating element to the water therein, and a heater outlet, said heater being configured to work with said check valve to allow the steam generated in said heating section to force the heated water out of said heater outlet;
• a hot water temperature optimizer located downstream said heater outlet for achieving an optimized temperature for the hot water, said optimizer comprising an optimizer inlet for the hot water to enter said second chamber from said heater outlet, an optimizer outlet and a thermal mechanical device for controlling the size of said optimizer inlet, said thermal mechanical device being adapted to fully or substantially fully open said optimizer inlet when the hot water is above a predetermined temperature and to at least partially close said optimizer inlet when is above said predetermined temperature;
• and
• a dispensing station such as a spout connected to said optimizer outlet for dispensing the hot water directly into a receptacle such as a cup.