Dual-purpose brewer and brew basket and method of brewing

A dual-purpose brewer assembly, comprising:

• a brewing assembly including, within a housing, operator inputs, a hot water dispenser system for dispensing hot water from a source of hot water to a dispense outlet located above a brew basket mounting location, and a controller responsive to the operator inputs indicating which of two different brew cycles has been selected;
• a brew basket assembly having a brew basket body with
• means for removably mounting the brew basket to the housing at the brew basket mounting location in position to receive hot water from the dispense outlet and to dispense beverage to a beverage container at a beverage container location beneath the brew basket mounting location,
• an open top for receipt of hot water and a bottom, and
• an electromagnetically controlled outlet drain valve for selectively passing beverage out of the bottom of the brew basket through a drain passageway to a beverage container;
• and
• means including the controller for selectively controlling the electromagnetically controlled drain valve assembly to operate differently depending upon which of the two different brew cycles has been selected, said electromagnetically controlled drain valve assembly including
• an electromagnetic coil carried by the brew basket on one side of the drain passageway, and
• an actuation arm movably mounted between an inoperable position spaced from the brew basket body and an operable position in which electrical contact is made with the electromagnetic coil to enable energization of the electromagnetic coil.

A dual-purpose brew basket assembly removably mounted to a brewer, comprising:

• a brew basket body with
• an open top,
• means adjacent the open top for removably mounting the brew basket body to the brewer, and
• a bottom with a drain passage;
• an electromagnetically controllable drain valve with an electromagnetically energizable element automatically, selectively movable when connected with the brewer and having means for selectively generating an electromagnetic field between
• an open position in which beverage in the brew basket body is enabled to flow out of the drain passageway, and
• a closed position in which the drain passageway is blocked by the drain plug to prevent flow of beverage from the brew basket body through the drain passageway;
• and
• a semicircular, semi-annular collar partly surrounding and partly defining the drain passageway and extending downwardly from the bottom of the brew basket protectively enclosing the electromagnetically energizable element.

A dual-purpose brew basket assembly, comprising:

• a brew basket body with
• an open top, and
• a bottom with a drain passageway;
• a downwardly extending semicircular, semi-annular collar partly surrounding and partly defining a drain passageway and extending downwardly from the bottom of the brew basket and protectively enclosing an electromagnetically energizable element, the electromagnetically energizable element being half of a electromagnetic coil and the collar including a body that protectively surrounds the electromagnetically energizable element and carries electrical contacts for mating connection with mating contacts of an associated other half or the electromagnetic coil carried by a brewer to which the brew basket body is removably mounted;
• and
• said electromagnetically energizable element controlling a controllable drain plug movable within the drain passageway between
• an open position in which beverage in the brew basket body is enabled to flow out of the drain passageway, and
• a closed position in which the drain passageway is blocked by the drain plug to prevent flow of beverage from the brew basket body through the drain passageway.