Making beverages and food in a microwave oven

A disposable device for use in a microwave oven for making a coffee-based espresso-like product comprising:

• multiple fluid containing compartments, the compartments being formed of a material having a substantially non-deleterious microwave action;
• a consumable coffee beverage product including at least two components which are separated in the compartments prior to being subjected to microwave action;
• a divider for keeping the components separate prior to microwave action the divider is an element for location between compartments, and the compartments are cylindrical elements located with open ends in an end to end relationship with a divider element between them and a dry component being contained in the divider element;
• wherein the effect of microwave action on the water component acts to break the divider separating the components and causes the water component to be forced through the coffee granules under pressure caused by the effect of the microwaves on the water and to extract, under pressure caused by the microwaves, essence and flavor from the coffee granules to a desired degree, and thereby provide a desired consumable espresso-like based coffee beverage in a second compartment normally empty prior to microwave action;
• wherein one of the compartments is for containing water prior to microwaving, another compartment is for containing a dry coffee product contained in a filtering medium, and a third compartment is for receiving a coffee liquid product after microwaving, the liquid having passed from the first compartment, through the filtering medium and into the third compartment;
• wherein another compartment is for containing a dairy product to be added to the coffee product under steam pressure caused by microwaves thereby to provide a coffee-based espresso-like beverage containing steamed milk;
• wherein the material forming one or more compartments shrinks or increases in size under heat caused by the microwave relative to an adjacent compartment, thereby causing a relative increase in pressure in one compartment related to that material, thereby to increase the pressure by which water is forced under microwave action through the granules into the compartment to contain the beverage after microwave action, and
• a substantially non-shrinkable and selectively at least partly opaque member about at least the one component.

A device for use in a microwave oven for making an essence or flavored beverage comprising:

• a water containing compartment, the compartment being formed of a material having a substantially non-deleterious reaction to microwave action, one component, being water, contained in the water containing compartment, and a second component, being a powder or granules;
• a consumable beverage product including at least two components which are separated prior to being subjected to microwave action;
• a divider for the compartment for keeping the components separate prior to microwave action;
• wherein the effect of microwave action on the water component acts to break the divider separating the components and causes the components to mix to a desired degree, and thereby provide a desired consumable beverage, the water being treated under microwaves, thereby causing an increased pressure to break the divider of the compartment and the heated water to be urged under pressure through the powder or granules, and thereby making the consumable beverage;
• wherein the material forming one or more compartments shrinks or increases in size under heat caused by the microwave relative to an adjacent compartment, thereby causing a relative increase in pressure in one compartment related to that material, thereby to increase the pressure by which water is forced under microwave action through the granules into the compartment to contain the beverage after microwave action;
• and
• a substantially non-shrinkable and selectively at least partly opaque member about at least the one component.

A device for use in a microwave oven comprising:

• multiple fluid containing compartments, the compartments being formed of a material having a substantially non-deleterious reaction to microwave action, and wherein one of the components is water;
• a consumable beverage product including at least two components which are separated in the compartments prior to being subjected to microwave action;
• a divider for keeping the components separate prior to microwave action;
• and
• wherein the effect of microwave action on water the component acts to break the divider separating the components and causes the components to mix to a desired degree, and thereby provides a desired consumable beverage, the water being treated under microwaves, thereby causing an increased pressure to break the divider of the compartment and the heated water to be urged under pressure through the powder or granules, and thereby making the consumable beverage;
• wherein the material forming one or more compartments shrinks or increases in size under heat caused by the microwave relative to an adjacent compartment, thereby causing a relative increase in pressure in one compartment related to that material, thereby to increase the pressure by which water is forced under microwave action through the granules into the compartment to contain the beverage after microwave action;
• and
• a substantially non-shrinkable and selectively at least partly opaque member about at least the one component.

A device for use in a microwave oven for making a food product comprising:

• multiple fluid containing compartments, the compartments being formed of a material having a substantially non-deleterious reaction to microwave action;
• a consumable food product including at least two components which are separated in the compartments prior to being subjected to microwave action, one component, being water, in a first compartment, and the second component being food product;
• a divider for keeping the components separate prior to microwave action, wherein the divider is a filter, and wherein the filter has a predetermined series of apertures;
• wherein the effect of microwave action on the water component acts to break the divider separating the components and causes the water component to be forced through the food product under pressure caused by the effect of the microwaves on the water and to extract, under pressure caused by the microwaves, essence and flavor from the food product to a desired degree, and thereby provide a desired consumable food;
• wherein the material forming one or more compartments shrinks or increases in size under heat caused by the microwave relative to an adjacent compartment, thereby causing a relative increase in pressure in one compartment related to that material, thereby to increase the pressure by which water is forced under microwave action through the food product;
• and
• a substantially non-shrinkable and selectively at least partly opaque member about at least the one component.