Computer controlled brewing apparatus

Apparatus for brewing a beverage and, when the beverage to be brewed is to be a warm beverage, for keeping a brewed beverage warm, wherein a beverage is brewed by heating water and delivering heated brew water to a product to be brewed by passing said heated brew water through said product to extract flavor therefrom, and dispensing a brewed product into a brewed beverage container therefor;

• wherein said apparatus comprises a microprocessor, a water heater tank having a controllable heating element therein, delivery means operatively coupled to said water heater tank to initiate a brewing cycle and to deliver a predetermined volume of heated brew water which is heated at least to a first predetermined temperature below boiling to said product during each selected brewing cycle, temperature detection means for determining the temperature of said heated water at any time under the control of said microprocessor and for initiating a heating cycle for said heated water whenever its temperature drops below a second predetermined temperature which is lower than said first predetermined temperature, and actuator means to preclude delivery of said heated water to said product when the temperature thereof is below said second predetermined temperature, said apparatus further comprising:
• a brew chamber for retaining said product therein, wherein heated brew water will pass through said product in order to extract flavor therefrom, and wherein said heated brew water subsequently will pass from said brew chamber into said brewed beverage container;
• a controllable inlet valve for water entering said heater tank, said inlet valve being under the control of said microprocessor, whereby said controllable inlet valve can be opened or closed in keeping with signals sent thereto by said microprocessor;
• a controllable brew valve for delivery of said heated brew water to said product, said brew valve being under the control of said microprocessor, whereby said controllable brew valve can be opened or closed in keeping with signals sent thereto by said microprocessor;
• a control panel for said microprocessor, said control panel having a plurality of switches each having a designated primary program function for controlling a specific predesignated operating function of said brewing apparatus;
• and wherein, upon successful completion of a predetermined sequence of switch manipulations, each of said plurality of switches also has a designated secondary program function for controlling said microprocessor in setting further specific operating parameters for said brewing apparatus so as to enable respective specific predesignated operating features thereof;
• timer means associated with said microprocessor;
• and
• a real time clock associated with said microprocessor for permitting real time setting of any function requiring a real time setting control under the control of said microprocessor;
• wherein said microprocessor may be controlled so that the specific predesignated operating functions of said brewing apparatus, and specific predesignated operating features of said brewing apparatus, may be preset for a specific type of brewing apparatus.