IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,478,076
Granted Patent B2
US 12,478,076 · App. 18/438,126 · Granted Nov 25, 2025

Coffee composition and items made therefrom

Inventors: Steven G. Fishter (Wooster, OH); Stephen J. Westerkamp (Medina, OH); Jennifer Marie Sabo (Brecksville, OH); Tracy May Adair (Copley, OH); Jessalin Anise Howell (Mason, OH); Michael Joe Steven Vaughan (Wooster, OH)
Assignee: THE FOLGER COFFEE COMPANY
A23F5/125A23F5/385A23F5/405
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,478,076
App. No.
18/438,126
Granted
Nov 25, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A structured coffee composition and to various items made using such coffee composition are provided. The structured coffee composition is suitable for use in one or more of automatic drip coffee makers, single serving coffee makers, percolating coffee makers, moka pot coffee makers, French press coffee makers, vacuum coffee makers, expresso coffee makers, thermal coffee makers, or any combination of two or more thereof.

Claims (54)

1 . A structured coffee composition comprising:

a plurality of ground roast coffee particles that each include an outer surface;

a matrix of a first coffee extract that includes coffee solids from instant coffee and a second coffee extract that includes coffee solids, wherein the second coffee extract is extracted from the plurality of ground roast coffee particles; and wherein the matrix is on the outer surface of the ground roast coffee particles and binds the plurality of ground roast coffee particles together to form a compacted structure compacted to a compaction of 60% to 70%; and

a filter paper pod encasing the compacted structure;

wherein a weight percent of the plurality of ground roast coffee particles is in the range of 65 wt % to 90 wt % based on of the total weight of the ground roast coffee particles and the coffee solids of the first coffee extract, and

a weight percent of the first coffee extract is in the range of 10 wt % to 35 wt % based on the total weight of ground roast coffee particles and the coffee solids of the first coffee extract; and

wherein the structured coffee composition has a hardness of from 21.3 N to 61.7 N over an axial direction of the structured coffee composition, a friability of 50% to 100%, and a water activity of 0.35 to 0.42; and

wherein the structured coffee composition has a structural configuration like one of a cylinder, cube, cuboid, sphere, pellet, ellipsoid, triangular pyramid, hexagonal prism, truncated triangular pyramid, truncated square pyramid, hexagonal pyramid, truncated hexagonal pyramid, cone, truncated cone, diamond, a three dimensional shape with an oval-shaped face, a three dimensional shape with heart-shaped face, a three dimensional shape with triangle-shaped face, pillow shape, generally cylindrical shape, concave shape, convex shape, a shape with ridges, a shape with bumps, a shape with surface scoring, a shape with embossments, and a shape with a rounded face.

2 . The structured coffee composition of claim 1 , wherein the matrix is prepared by mixing instant coffee with water in a weight to weight ratio of instant coffee to solvent of 4:1 to 1:2 to form a solution of the first coffee extract;

mixing ground roast coffee particles and the solution of the first coffee extract until a sticky granulated composition is formed; thereby extracting the second coffee extract from the ground roast coffee particles forming a mixture of the first coffee extract and the second extract from the ground roast coffee particles in the granulated composition; and

drying the granulated composition to form the matrix on the outer surface of the plurality of ground roast coffee particles.

3 . The structured coffee composition of claim 1 , wherein the matrix is prepared by

mixing ground roast coffee particles and a liquid coffee concentrate comprising the first coffee extract until a sticky granulated composition is formed; thereby extracting the second extract from the ground roast coffee particles forming a mixture of the first coffee extract and the second coffee extract from the ground roast coffee particles in the granulated composition; and

drying the granulated composition to form the matrix on the outer surface of the plurality of ground roast coffee particles.

4 . The structured coffee composition of claim 1 , wherein the matrix is a coating on the outer surface of the ground roast coffee particles and the coating on the ground roast coffee particles has an average surface area coverage in the range of 50 percent to 100 percent.

5 . The structured coffee composition of claim 1 , wherein the matrix is a coating on the outer surface of the ground roast coffee particles and the coating has a mean thickness in the range of 5 microns to 1500 microns.

6 . The structured coffee composition of claim 1 , wherein the coffee composition is free of non-coffee binders.

7 . The structured coffee composition of claim 1 , wherein an 8.5 gram to a 12.5 gram structured coffee composition yields brew solids in the range of 0.90 weight percent to 3.00 weight percent in a standard serving of brewed coffee.

8 . The structured coffee composition of claim 1 , wherein the structured coffee composition readily disintegrates when contacted with brewing water for a brewing cycle.

9 . The structured coffee composition of claim 1 , wherein the structured coffee composition is spherical.

10 . The structured coffee composition of claim 1 , wherein the structured coffee composition is cylindrical.

11 . The structured coffee composition of claim 1 , wherein four 8.5 gram structured coffee compositions extract in 1700 milliliters of cold water at 38.7 to 42.3° F. in 2 to 4 hours for cold brew coffee with a percent brew solids of 1.0 to 1.5.

12 . The structured coffee composition of claim 3 :

wherein the matrix is a coating on the outer surface of the ground roast coffee particles and the coating on the ground roast coffee particles has an average surface area coverage in the range of 50 percent to 100 percent,

wherein the matrix is a coating on the outer surface of the ground roast coffee particles and the coating has a mean thickness in the range of 5 microns to 1500 microns,

wherein the coffee composition is free of non-coffee binders, and

wherein the structured coffee composition readily disintegrates when contacted with brewing water for a brewing cycle.

13 . The structured coffee composition of claim 12 , wherein four 8.5 gram structured coffee compositions extract in 1700 milliliters of cold water at 38.7 to 42.3° F. in 2 to 4 hours for cold brew coffee with a percent brew solids of 1.0 to 1.5.

14 . A structured coffee composition comprising:

a plurality of ground roast coffee particles that each include an outer surface;

a matrix of a first coffee extract that includes coffee solids from instant coffee and a second coffee extract that includes coffee solids, wherein the second coffee extract is extracted from the plurality of ground roast coffee particles; and wherein the matrix is on the outer surface of the ground roast coffee particles and binds the plurality of ground roast coffee particles together to form a compacted structure compacted to a compaction of 60% to 70%;

a filter paper pod encasing the compacted structure;

wherein a weight percent of the plurality of ground roast coffee particles is in the range of 65 wt % to 90 wt % based on the total weight of the ground roast coffee particles and the coffee solids of the first coffee extract, and

a weight percent of the first coffee extract is in the range of 17.5 wt % to 35 wt % based on the total weight of ground roast coffee particles and the coffee solids of the first coffee extract.

15 . The structured coffee composition of claim 14 , wherein the matrix is prepared by mixing instant coffee with water in a weight to weight ratio of instant coffee to solvent of 4:1 to 1:2 to form a solution of the first coffee extract;

mixing ground roast coffee particles and the solution of the first coffee extract until a sticky granulated composition is formed; thereby extracting the second coffee extract from the ground roast coffee particles forming a mixture of the first coffee extract and the second extract from the ground roast coffee particles in the granulated composition; and

drying the granulated composition to form the matrix on the outer surface of the plurality of ground roast coffee particles.

16 . The structured coffee composition of claim 14 , wherein the matrix is prepared by

mixing ground roast coffee particles and a liquid coffee concentrate comprising the first coffee extract until a sticky granulated composition is formed; thereby extracting the second extract from the ground roast coffee particles forming a mixture of the first coffee extract and the second coffee extract from the ground roast coffee particles in the granulated composition; and

drying the granulated composition to form the matrix on the outer surface of the plurality of ground roast coffee particles.

17 . The structured coffee composition of claim 14 , wherein the matrix is a coating on the outer surface of the ground roast coffee particles and the coating on the ground roast coffee particles has an average surface area coverage in the range of 50 percent to 100 percent.

18 . The structured coffee composition of claim 14 , wherein the matrix is a coating on the outer surface of the ground roast coffee particles and the coating has a mean thickness in the range of 5 microns to 1500 microns.

19 . The structured coffee composition of claim 14 , wherein the coffee composition is free of non-coffee binders.

20 . The structured coffee composition of claim 14 , wherein an 8.5 gram to a 12.5 gram structured coffee composition yields brew solids in the range of 0.90 weight percent to 3.00 weight percent in a standard serving of brewed coffee.

21 . The structured coffee composition of claim 14 , wherein the structured coffee composition exhibits a water activity of 0.35 to 0.42.

22 . The structured coffee composition of claim 14 , wherein the structured coffee composition readily disintegrates when contacted with brewing water for a brewing cycle.

23 . The structured coffee composition of claim 14 , wherein four 8.5 gram structured coffee compositions extract in 1700 milliliters of cold water at 38.7 to 42.3° F. in 2 to 4 hours for cold brew coffee with a percent brew solids of 1.0 to 1.5.

24 . The structured coffee composition of claim 14 :

wherein the matrix is a coating on the outer surface of the ground roast coffee particles and the coating on the ground roast coffee particles has an average surface area coverage in the range of 50 percent to 100 percent,

wherein the matrix is a coating on the outer surface of the ground roast coffee particles and the coating has a mean thickness in the range of 5 microns to 1500 microns,

wherein the coffee composition is free of non-coffee binders, and

wherein the structured coffee composition exhibits a water activity of 0.35 to 0.42, and

wherein the structured coffee composition readily disintegrates when contacted with brewing water for a brewing cycle.

25 . The structured coffee composition of claim 24 , wherein four 8.5 gram structured coffee compositions extract in 1700 milliliters of cold water at 38.7 to 42.3° F. in 2 to 4 hours for cold brew coffee with a percent brew solids of 1.0 to 1.5.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 12, 2024
From: FISHTER, STEVEN G.; WESTERKAMP, STEPHEN J.; SABO, JENNIFER MARIE; ADAIR, TRACY MAY; HOWELL, JESSALIN ANISE; VAUGHAN, MICHAEL JOE STEVEN
To: THE FOLGER COFFEE COMPANY
Reel/Frame 066435/0736 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 16541978 · Aug 15, 2019
Provisional Application 62752097 · Oct 29, 2018
Provisional Application 62739674 · Oct 1, 2018
Related Publication 20240180186A1 · Jun 6, 2024
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