Beverage forming apparatus, method, and cartridge

A method for forming a beverage comprising a tea material contained within a tea packet/cartridge, the method comprising:

• providing a beverage forming machine comprising:
• a tea packet/cartridge chamber comprising an input port to receive the tea packet/cartridge and an output port to eject the tea material;
• a vessel juxtaposed to the output port, the vessel configured to hold a liquid and receive the ejected tea material;
• and
• a double-walled steam nozzle configured to inject steam into the vessel to heat the liquid while maintaining an exterior surface of the steam nozzle below the temperature of the steam;
• associating the beverage cartridge with the tea packet/cartridge chamber;
• ejecting the portion of the beverage cartridge containing the tea material via the output port into the vessel;
• and
• heating the liquid with the steam injected into the vessel via the double-walled steam nozzle, wherein the tea material stews with the liquid to infuse the liquid with the tea material to form the beverage.

An apparatus for forming a beverage in a vessel holding a liquid using a tea material contained within a portion of a beverage cartridge, the apparatus comprising:

• a cartridge chamber arranged to receive the beverage cartridge and to deposit the portion of the beverage cartridge containing the tea material into the vessel;
• a reservoir for holding a supply of water;
• a boiler supported by the frame in fluid communication with the reservoir, the boiler configured to generate steam from the water supplied from the reservoir;
• and
• a double-walled steam nozzle supported by the frame in fluid communication with the boiler, the double-walled steam nozzle configured to inject the steam into the vessel to heat the liquid while maintaining an exterior surface of the steam nozzle below the temperature of the steam, and causing the deposited tea material to infuse the liquid and form the beverage within the vessel.