Flash Brewed Coffee Concentrate Mixing Hot and Frozen Extracts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional cold brew coffee methods are time-consuming and labor-intensive, and the Japanese Pour Over method, while quicker, is not suitable for commercial-scale production due to its inability to produce a stable, transportable coffee concentrate with extended shelf-life.
Innovation Solution
A method of flash brewing coffee to create a concentrate by mixing hot coffee extract with a frozen concentrated coffee extract, increasing the concentration to over 15° Brix, and then chilling and packaging it for extended shelf-life, allowing for commercial use and transportation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional cold brew coffee methods are used, then a full range of flavors can be achieved, but the brewing process takes between six and twenty-four hours and is time-consuming and labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-freezing concentrated coffee extract in advance. This frozen concentrate is then used during the flash brewing process to rapidly chill the hot coffee extract, achieving both full flavor extraction and quick preparation time without requiring hours of traditional cold brewing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the temperature parameter dramatically by mixing hot coffee extract with frozen concentrated coffee extract. This creates a rapid temperature change that enables quick brewing while maintaining full flavor extraction, resolving the contradiction between brewing time and flavor quality
2Productivity
If Japanese Pour Over brewing method is used, then quick extraction of flavor and rapid cooling can be achieved in less time, but the produced coffee cannot be packed, stored, and transported for commercial use with extended shelf-life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-freezing concentrated coffee extract before use. This allows the final coffee product to be rapidly chilled and concentrated, creating a stable concentrate that can be packaged and stored commercially while maintaining the quick brewing advantage
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes phase transitions by freezing concentrated coffee extract and then thawing it during mixing. This phase change enables rapid chilling of the final product, creating a stable concentrate suitable for commercial storage and transport while maintaining brewing speed
3Reliability
If hot coffee extract is mixed with frozen concentrated coffee extract to increase concentration to over 15° Brix, then extended shelf-life and commercial packaging become possible, but additional processing steps are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into one step: mixing hot coffee extract with frozen concentrated coffee extract simultaneously achieves concentration increase, rapid chilling, and flavor integration. This combines what would otherwise be separate processing steps into a single operation, reducing overall process complexity while achieving the desired concentration and shelf-life
Data Source
AI summary
A method of brewing a flash brewed coffee concentrate includes flash brewing ground coffee to brew a hot coffee extract and mixing the hot coffee extract with a frozen concentrated coffee extract to chill the hot coffee extract to a temperature less than 130° F. while increasing the concentration of the hot coffee extract to form the flash brewed coffee concentrate.