Apparatus for brewing espresso and cappuccino

An apparatus for making beverages such as coffee, espresso, cappuccino, tea, cocoa, or the like comprising:

• means for generating pressurized water;
• a filter arranged to receive a supply of ground coffee beans, tea or the like, said filter allowing said pressurized water to pass while blocking passage of said ground coffee beans or the like;
• transforming means for transforming said pressurized water from said filter into at least one jet of brewed water;
• containing means comprising an inlet port for receiving said jet of brewed water and keeping means for maintaining an amount of brewed water in said containing means during the process of making said beverage;
• and
• an arrangement that allows said jet of brewed water to plunge into the brewed water maintained in said containing means thereby producing in said brewed water fine air bubbles, said fine air bubbles having a tendency to ascend and to form a foamy head.

A device for producing a visually appealing foamy head on top of a drink comprising:

• an inlet adapted to connect to a source of pressurized drink;
• transforming means for transforming said pressurized drink into at least one drink jet;
• containing means having an inlet port for receiving said drink jet and keeping means for maintaining an amount of drink in said containing means;
• a supply of air available to said drink jet;
• an arrangement for directing said drink jet into the drink maintained in said containing means thereby generating fine air bubbles in said drink;
• and
• dispensing means for dispensing said drink and said fine air bubbles from said containing means, said fine air bubbles tending to ascend to the surface of said drink thereby forming on top of said drink a visually appealing, long-lived foamy head.

An apparatus for making espresso, cappuccino, or the like comprising:

• a vessel for receiving a supply of water, said vessel having a removable lid;
• heating means for heating said supply of water and generating steam in said vessel;
• a container for receiving an amount of ground coffee beans or the like;
• storing means located upstream of said container for temporarily storing the heated water from said vessel, said storing means comprising an inlet for receiving said heated water, a chamber for holding said heated water, and an outlet in communication with said container for introducing said heated water temporarily stored in said chamber to said ground coffee beans;
• and
• transferring means for transferring said supply of water from said vessel to said storing means after said supply of water in said vessel has been heated up to a predetermined temperature by said heating means.

A device for utilizing the steam generated by apparatus such as an espresso/cappuccino machine and delivered to said device through a steam conduit to produce a visually appealing foamy head on milk or other liquid in a container in an essentially automatic, fashion comprising:

• a steam inlet for receiving said steam, said steam inlet being adapted to connect or attach to the steam conduit;
• regulating means comprising a fluid inlet for fluid such as air and foam, a fluid passage for providing communication between said fluid inlet and said steam inlet so that said steam from said steam inlet can draw said air from said fluid inlet by way of said fluid passage, and positioning means for the operators of said device to set said fluid inlet at a position a certain distance above the surface of said milk or other liquid, said regulating means introducing air into said fluid passage when the foamy head in the vicinity of said device in said container is below or away from said fluid inlet and introducing foam into said fluid passage when said foamy head reaches or covers said fluid inlet;
• and
• a chamber for mixing said steam from said steam inlet and said air and said foam from said fluid inlet, said steam carrying said air and injecting into said milk or other liquid thereby producing said foamy head on said milk or other liquid.

A method for automatically producing a foamy head on top of a liquid such as milk comprising:

• pouring an amount of said liquid such as milk into a container;
• adjusting the relative position of said container and a frothing device so that part of said device is below the surface of said liquid in said container, said device comprising a steam inlet for receiving steam, a fluid inlet for fluid such as air and foam, and a fluid passage for providing communication between said fluid inlet and said steam inlet, the position of said fluid inlet being adjustable;
• setting said fluid inlet at a position a certain distance above the surface of said liquid or the bottom of said container, said distance approximately determining the amount of foamy head to be produced on said liquid in said container;
• turning on said steam to said device, wherein said steam from said steam inlet carries said air from said fluid inlet and injects into said liquid thereby producing said foamy head and heating said liquid in said container, the amount of said foamy head continuing to increase rapidly until said foamy head reaches or covers said fluid inlet;
• and
• turning off said steam to said device after the amount of said foamy head in said container starts to increase rapidly again.

A method of using a device for the automatic production of foam on the top of a liquid such as milk comprising an inlet for receiving steam, a fluid inlet for fluid such as air and said foam, and a fluid passage for providing communication between said fluid inlet and steam inlet, the position of said fluid inlet being adjustable, said method comprising:

• pouring an amount of said liquid such as milk into a container;
• adjusting the position of said device or said container so that said device is partially immersed in said liquid;
• setting said fluid inlet at a position a certain distance above the upper surface of said liquid, said distance approximately defining the amount of foam to be produced on the top of said liquid;
• turning on said steam to said device, wherein said steam from said steam inlet carries said air from said fluid inlet and injects into said liquid such as milk thereby producing said foam on top of said liquid in said container;
• and
• turning off said steam after the upper surface of said foam in the vicinity of said device said container goes above said fluid inlet.