WO2001072186A1

WO2001072186A1 - Process and apparatus for fast preparation of infusions and/or tisanes

Info

Publication number: WO2001072186A1
Application number: PCT/EP2001/003598
Authority: WO
Inventors: Giampiero Rossi
Original assignee: Brasilia SpA
Current assignee: Brasilia SpA
Priority date: 2000-03-30
Filing date: 2001-03-29
Publication date: 2001-10-04
Anticipated expiration: 2002-09-30
Also published as: ITMI20000661A1; IT1316857B1; AU4836001A; ITMI20000661A0

Abstract

By using an infusion assembly (28), of the kind suitable for preparing espresso coffee, in which the filter support (34) is loaded by a dose (32) of vegetal matter in the form of leaflets, flowers or dry or roasted powder, and by providing the infusion assembly (28) with hot pressurised water at a temperature corresponding to that of the usual hand preparation of the infusions or beverages, are obtained in times comparable with those for the preparation of espresso coffee the above mentioned infusions or tisanes. The invention is preferably used for preparing espresso tea.

Description

"PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR FAST PREPARATION OF INFUSIONS AND/OR TISANES"

The present invention refers to fast preparation of infusions or tisanes of vegetal matters in the form of leaves or flowers, in particular espresso tea, and more specifically a process and an apparatus for such a preparation.

The beverages usually obtained from infusion with hot water comprise coffee, tea, camomile and various other kinds usually called "tisanes".

A substantial difference among the many kinds of the above mentioned beverages stands in the vegetal starting matter, which, in the case of the coffee consists of either fruits or seeds of a specific plant submitted to complex roasting and grinding operations, under conditions determined by the organoleptic features of the intended beverage.

In the case of beverages such as tea, camomile, or generic tisanes, the starting vegetal matter consists of leaves (in particular leaflets, as in the case of tea) or by the flower, generally submitted to drying or roasting and is possibly submitted to grinding in a more or less coarse powder, even if the grinding is mainly adopted for making pre-manufactured doses in filter-paper bags (as, for example tea or camomile bags).

In the following description clear reference to espresso tea will be made, without intending that in limiting sense, as it is to be meant as extended to any kind of the here above mentioned infusions and tisanes.

Tea is a beverage of very large consumption in the whole word and consists of an infusion in hot water of dried leaflets of a plant mainly farmed in the Far East. These leaflets are submitted to drying and roasting treatments changing according to the quality and in many cases, as already mentioned, ground in form of rather coarse powder.

Till now, the preparation of the infusion, even for a fast consumption, provides to boil water (for example in a boiler) to fill with hot water a vessel (teapot) usually containing the specified dose of tea leaves or powder in dried form. According to the specific tea quality, the leaves are left in infusion for a time, which mainly is of a few minutes, after that the beverage is ready for the consumption. It is obvious that the times required for this kind of preparation are in contrast with the very limited times of the usual hot beverage consumers prepared instantaneously, of which a typical example is espresso coffee (whose name comes just from the fact that the beverage is instantaneously prepared from a dose of ground coffee powder and can be immediately consumed). A dose of espresso coffee with the presently used apparatus and processes is prepared in a few seconds, so that is compatible with the requirements of the consumer having at disposal a very short time for the consumption and is further compatible with consumption situations excluding the possibility of sitting down around a table and proceed to the above mentioned operations for preparing the infusion in the usual conditions.

In the alternative, especially in the case of tea infusion, resort has been made to lyophilised matters, in which case the already prepared infusion is lyophilised and subsequently restored by addition of hot water.

However, the so prepared beverage does not have the desired organoleptic features, especially as regards the smell.

It is thus apparent that it is greatly desirable the preparation of infusions and tisanes in which the preparation times are strongly reduced with respect to the times usually necessary, however maintaining unchanged taste and smell of the beverage.

It is the main object of the present invention to allow an instantaneous preparation of infusions and tisanes, particularly espresso tea.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a process and an apparatus for preparing infusions and tisanes, particularly espresso tea.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic apparatus for preparing infusions and tisanes, in terms of preparation procedures and times comparable with those for the preparation of espresso coffee.

The main object of the present invention is met by a procedure for preparing infusions and tisanes, of the kind in which hot water is got in touch with a dose of dried or roasted vegetal matter, in the form of leaflets, flowers or powder, characterized in that said dose is subjected to hot water at a temperature not higher to that of the water poured in the usual vessel for preparing the infusion or tisane, preferably at a temperature comprised between 75 and 98 °C, and a pressure comprised between 3 and 9 bars.

In this way, as demonstrated by the experimental tests, in a few seconds a dose of infusion or tisane, particularly tea, is obtained, having smell and taste qualitatively similar to that of the infusion prepared in the usual way.

In turn, the apparatus for preparing espresso infusion or tisane is characterized by comprising a hot water supply, having controlled temperature, an infusion assembly comprising an infusing filter connected to said hot water supply and suited to distribute the hot water on the upper surface of a filter support expected to receive a dose of dried vegetal material, in form of leaflets, flowers or in powder having pre-set grain size, being said filter support provided with spout means for dispensing the beverage to a suitable vessel or cup, and means for supplying said hot water to said infusion assembly under a pre-set pressure.

According to a first preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention said infusion assembly is mounted on a traditional machine at one or more infusion assemblies suited for preparing espresso coffee, apart the provision of means for controlling the temperature of the water supplied to the infusion assembly for preparing espresso infusion or tisane at a temperature lower than that suited for preparing espresso coffee.

According to a second embodiment of the apparatus for preparing espresso infusion or tisane of the present invention is used a usual automatic machine, of the kind comprising an infusion assembly, supplied by a dosing grinder for coffee, apart that the last article is omitted and instead is mounted a usual powder material supplier, such as that used in the traditional automatic machine for supplying the infusion assembly with a different coffee powder, as for example decaffeinated coffee. In other words in a traditional automatic machine instead of the traditional dosing grinder is mounted a supply of dosed quantities of vegetal matter in the form of dried powder having suitable grain size.

In conformity with a further embodiment of apparatus according to the present invention, is used a machine of the kind used for preparing espresso coffee from pre-pressed coffee powder bags, unless instead of the above mentioned bags, are used bags, containing a powder of dried vegetal matter of the kind previously indicated, prepared through the same technique.

In both the last defined embodiments are clearly provided means for controlling the temperature of the water supplied to the infusion assembly to the previously defined value, which, for example, can be obtained, by regulating the heating temperature of the water in the boiler to a properly lower value, or by extending the water route between boiler and infusion assembly in such a measure to provide such an heat loss corresponding to the desired temperature decrease.

In this last case it is also possible, in alternative, to provide for hot water, whose temperature has to be reduced, being in condition of heat exchange with the supply water of the boiler, in order to pre-heat it, by providing power saving.

As a further alternative, such a heat recover can be addressed to pre-heat the water assigned to produce steam, which is always provided in any apparatus for preparing hot beverages by infusion.

In relation to the present invention and thus, as regards both the process and the related apparatus, for preparing infusion or tisane and particularly espresso tea, it is to observe that even if the apparatus and the processes for preparing espresso coffee, to which, as established in the preceding definitions, relates the present invention, were already commonly known from some decades, the traditional technique for preparing infusion or tisane, particularly tea, made deem that it was impossible to obtain an infusion having the traditional features of smell and taste, so that the only till now studied and used alternative was the lyophilization, which, as will promptly appreciated, is radically different from the principle of the present invention.

In other words, any time it was attempted to apply as in the case of tea, as well as other infusions and tisanes, the technique used for preparing espresso coffee were obtained disappointing results as regards the taste and the smell.

As it will be easily appreciated in the case of the coffee, both the taste and the smell are sharply more defined and marked, while in the case of tea, camomile and other infusions, the taste and smell are well more delicate and thus of more difficult repetition. On the other hand, as also in the case of tea an essential component is caffeine (in the past erroneously called theine), to which are associated smell and taste components not even completely identified, it was obvious that the prevalence of caffeine would persuade any average person skilled in the art to identically use the technique used for espresso coffee.

Therefore, it is very surprising that, through the here above indicated changes, it is possible to obtain an espresso tea in times comparable with those for preparing espresso coffee and with organoleptic features comparable to those of the tea prepared in accordance with the traditional way.

In fact, in the case of espresso coffee, the beverage prepared with hot and pressurised water has specific organoleptic features which are different and are not comparable with those of then coffee prepared in traditional way (either moka or through percolator); on the contrary, in case of espresso tea according to the present invention the organoleptic features of tea infusion are those of the beverage prepared in traditional way and that is strongly surprising.

The invention is now described in relation to the enclosed drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the components of an apparatus for preparing espresso infusions or tisanes according to the present invention and Figure 2 is a view of a variation in a component of the apparatus of Figure 1.

The apparatus depicted in Figure 1 comprises a water supply consisting of a tank 10. In the alternative, instead of the tank 10 is possible a connection to the usual water main.

The water of the tank 10 is taken through a pipe 14 by means of a pump 12 and sent to a flow-meter 16, while the numeral 18 indicates a usual check valve.

From the flow-meter 16 the water enters the boiler 20 provided with a heating clad resistor 22. It is obvious that instead of the resistor 22 could be provided a usual gas heated boiler.

The boiler 20 is provided with a thermostat 24 for controlling the temperature of the water, which through the pipe 26, goes to an infusion assembly 28 under control of an electric valve 30. It is to notice that all the till now described components are of the kind traditionally used in the machines for preparing espresso coffee.

The infusion assembly is in turn provided with a filter or spout for distributing pressurised hot water on the whole surface of the dose 32 of tea powder or leaflets contained in the filter support 34. The support 34 is provided with a dispensing spout 36 through which the espresso tea is downloaded in the cup 38.

As the pressure produced by the pump 12 is of the order of 3-9 bars, this is substantially the pressure of the water supplied to the infusion assembly (less the unavoidable losses of hydraulic load in the route from the pump to the infusion assembly).

As regards the temperature of the water, having in mind that in the traditional preparation of tea the water poured in the teapot from a normal boiler is at a temperature not higher than about 90°C, the thermostat 24 will have to be set in such a way that the hot water leaves the boiler 20 at such a temperature to reach the infusion assembly at this temperature, so that it will come out from the boiler at such a temperature for compensating the possible heat losses undergone in the way from the boiler to the infusion assembly.

While the Figure 1 shows the case of a hand operated apparatus for what regards loading of the tea dose and unloading of spent tea grounds, Figure 2 shows the case of an automatic apparatus in which the infusion chamber 34, containing the dose of tea powder or leaflets, supplied, for example, by a drawer supplier, receives the hot pressurised water from the boiler and the pressurised infusion occurs by actuation of a piston 36, being the actuation of electromechanical, hydraulic or steam kind.

In such a case, of course, the piston 36 makes alternating vertical strokes. The invention has been described in relation to the preferred embodiments, being intended that changes and variations conceptually and mechanically equivalent are possible and expected, remaining in the scope thereof.

Claims

1. Process for the preparation of infusions or tisanes, of the kind in which some hot water is got in touch with a dose (32) of dried or roasted vegetal matter, in the form of leaflets, flowers or powder, characterized in that said dose (32) is submitted to hot water at a temperature not higher than that of the water poured in a traditional preparation vessel for the infusion or tisane, and at a pressure comprised between 3 and 9 bars.

2. Process for the preparation of infusions or tisanes according to claim 1, characterized in that said hot water is supplied at a temperature comprised between 75 and 98°C.

3. Process for the preparation of infusions or tisanes according to claim 1, characterized in that said vegetal matter consists by tea in leaflets or powder in coarse grain size obtained by grinding dried or roasted leaflets.

4. Apparatus for the preparation of espresso infusion or tisane characterized by comprising a hot water supply (20) at controlled temperature, an infusion assembly (28) comprising in infusing filter connected to said hot water supply (20) and suited to distribute the hot water on the upper surface of a filter support (34) provided to receive a dose (32) of dried vegetal matter, in form of leaflets, flowers or in powder of pre-set grain size, being said filter support (34) provided with spout means (36) to supply the beverage to a suitable vessel or cup (38), and means (26) to supply said hot water to said infusion assembly (28) under a pre-set pressure of 3 to 9 bars.

5. Apparatus for the preparation of espresso infusion or tisane according to claim 4, characterized in that said infusion assembly (28) is mounted on a traditional machine to one or more infusion assemblies used for the preparation of espresso coffee and is supplied by the boiler (20) itself and under controlled pressure in which are further provided means (24) for controlling the temperature of the water supplied to the infusion assembly (28) for the preparation of infusion or tisane at a temperature from 75 to 98°C.

6. Apparatus for the preparation of espresso infusion or tisane according to claim 4, characterized in that a traditional machine is used, of the kind comprising an infusion assembly (28), supplied by a dosing grinder for coffee, apart that the last article is omitted and instead is mounted a traditional powder material supplier.

7. Apparatus for the preparation of espresso infusion or tisane according to claim 4, characterized in that is used a machine of the kind used for preparing espresso coffee starting from pre-pressed coffee powder bags, unless instead of the above mentioned bags are used bags containing a powder of dried vegetal matter of the kind previously indicated, prepared through the same technique.

8. Apparatus for the preparation of espresso infusion or tisane according to claim 4, characterized in that the hot water whose temperature has to be reduced, is in condition of heat exchange with the supply water of the boiler, in order to pre-heat it, by providing power saving.

9. Apparatus for the preparation of espresso infusion or tisane according to claim 4, characterized in that espresso tea is prepared starting from dried or roasted leaflets, as such, or ground in form of coarse powder.