Granted Patent B2

US 12,672,660 · App. 18/303,840 · Granted Jul 7, 2026

Inventors: Kieran Murphy (Seattle, WA); Elizabeth Guilherme (Seattle, WA); Jeffrey J. Chapman (Seattle, WA)

Assignee: Starbucks Corporation

A23F5/26

Abstract

Claims (38)

1 . A method of preparing a white coffee extract, the method comprising:

loading an extraction material into an extraction cell having a first portion and a second portion, wherein the extraction material comprises ground coffee with a density between 0.2 g/ml-0.4 g/ml and a mean particle diameter between 700 μm to 900 μm;

introducing a flow of extraction medium through the first portion of the extraction cell;

within less than 60 seconds of introducing a portion of the flow of extraction medium into the extraction cell, withdrawing from a filter at the second portion of the extraction cell, the white coffee extract that has been extracted from the extraction material by the portion of the flow of extraction medium introduced into the extraction cell,

wherein the extraction material comprises ground white coffee;

flowing the white coffee extract from the extraction cell to a first chiller without diluting the white coffee extract;

chilling the white coffee extract with the first chiller;

flowing the chilled white coffee extract from the first chiller and into a reservoir;

flowing the chilled white coffee extract out of the reservoir with an extract pump;

diluting the chilled white coffee extract; and

chilling the diluted and chilled white coffee extract with a second chiller prior to dispensing for consumption.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a yield of the white coffee extract is between 8% and 12%.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the white coffee extract has a concentration between 5.5 and 8.5 Brix.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the extraction medium is not heated before being introduced into the extraction cell.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the extraction medium is water having a temperature between 10° C. and 30° C.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the white coffee extract that has been extracted from the extraction material by the portion of the flow of extraction medium introduced into the extraction cell is retrieved between 40 and 60 seconds after introduction of the portion of the flow of extraction medium is introduced into the extraction cell.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein introducing the extraction medium through the first portion of the extraction cell comprises introducing the extraction medium at a flow rate that achieves plug flow.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the extraction material has not been subjected to prior extractions.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein an internal chamber of the extraction cell has a length and an average width along the length, and wherein a ratio of the length to the average width of the extraction cell is between 0.5:1 and 1:1.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein loading the extraction material into the extraction cell comprises loading between 15 to 30 grams of ground white coffee into the extraction cell.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the density of the extraction material is between 0.3 g/ml to 0.35 g/ml.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein introducing the flow of extraction medium through the first portion of the extraction cell comprises introducing the extraction medium at a flow rate of between 50 ml/min to 90 ml/min.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first portion is a bottom portion of the extraction cell and the second portion is a top portion of the extraction cell.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the extraction medium flows upwardly through the extraction cell from the first portion to the second portion.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the filter at the second portion has a mean aperture diameter of 80 μm to 175 μm.

16 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising starting a grinder before loading whole bean white coffee to the grinder to produce the ground white coffee.

17 . The method of claim 1 , comprising, after chilling the diluted and chilled white coffee extract with the second chiller but before dispensing for consumption, infusing the diluted and chilled white coffee extract with nitrogen.

18 . A method of preparing an extract, the method comprising:

loading an extraction material into an extraction cell having a first portion and a second portion, wherein the extraction material comprises ground coffee with a density between 0.2 g/ml-0.4 g/ml and a mean particle diameter between 700 μm to 900 μm;

introducing a flow of extraction medium through the first portion of the extraction cell;

within less than 60 seconds of introducing a portion of the flow of extraction medium into the extraction cell, withdrawing from a filter at the second portion of the extraction cell, the extract that has been extracted from the extraction material by the portion of the flow of extraction medium introduced into the extraction cell;

flowing the extract from the extraction cell to a first chiller without diluting the extract;

chilling the extract with the first chiller;

flowing the chilled extract from the first chiller and into a reservoir;

flowing the chilled extract out of the reservoir with an extract pump;

diluting the chilled extract; and

chilling the diluted and chilled extract with a second chiller prior to dispensing for consumption.

19 . The method of claim 18 , comprising, after chilling the diluted and chilled extract with the second chiller but before dispensing for consumption, infusing the diluted and chilled extract with nitrogen.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (145)