Method for producing coffee extracts
OwnerRalph L. Coltoninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for producing a coffee extract which comprises: (1) contacting an aqueous mixture of ground roast coffee with steam under pressure at elevated temperatures followed by rapid decompression at atmospheric levels; and (2) treatment of the resulting mixture with a hydrolytic enzyme or with a mixture of hydrolytic enzymes. The coffee extract thus obtained is a concentrated liquid which can be made into a beverage by the addition of water or it may be dried to a soluble solid and reconstituted with water to provide instant coffee.
Claims17
A method for producing an improved yield of coffee extract which comprises:
- (1) pre-treating an aqueous mixture of ground roast coffee with steam in a closed vessel under pressure at a temperature in excess of 200.degree. C.;
- (2) maintaining said temperature and pressure for a period of from about 1-10 minutes;
- (3) instantaneously exposing the contents of said vessel to the atmosphere without cooling so as to bring said contents to atmospheric levels;
- and
- (4) treating the slurry thus obtained with a member selected from the group consisting of a hydrolytic enzyme and a mixture of hydrolytic enzymes.
In the method for producing coffee extracts by treating an aqueous mixture of ground roast coffee with a member selected from the group consisting of a hydrolytic enzyme and a mixture of hydrolytic enzymes, the improvement which comprises:
- (1) pre-treating an aqueous mixture of said coffee grounds with saturated steam in a closed vessel under pressure at a temperature in excess of 200.degree. C.;
- (2) maintaining said temperature and pressure for a period of from about 1-10 minutes;
- (3) instantaneously exposing the contents of said vessel to the atmosphere without cooling so as to bring said contents to atmospheric levels;
- and (4) treating the slurry thus obtained with a member selected from the group consisting of a hydrolytic enzyme and a mixture of hydrolytic enzymes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.