FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to the field of preparation of beverages. More specifically, to an apparatus and a method for cold brewing beverages like coffee or tea in reduced time.

BACKGROUND

Cold brewing is a method for providing cooled or iced beverages. Typically, for preparing a cooled or iced brewed beverage a hot-brewed beverage is refrigerated or cooled by adding ice. However, when ice is added to a hot-brewed beverage, such as hot-brewed coffee, the ice slowly dilutes, resulting in a weaker-tasting beverage. On the other hand, known methods of cold brewing beverages generally start from a concentrate, which is meant to be watered down. For example, for preparing a concentrate for cold brewed coffee, water is added to a lot of ground coffee, more than would be typically used to brew drip coffee. The mixture is let to sit between eight and 24 hours, and then the mixture is filtered. The resulting concentrate has to be diluted with water or milk. Thus, the preparation of a cold brewed beverage in the known art is time consuming, making these known methods undesirable for day to day use.

SUMMARY

A cold brewing apparatus for cold brewing beverages is provided, comprising a container, at least one insert arranged in the container, a conduit for transporting a liquid, and a pump for pumping a liquid through the conduit, wherein the conduit is arranged between the container and the insert such that a liquid stored in the container can be pumped with the pump from the container to the insert, the liquid returning through the insert to the container.

Preferably, the at least insert is at least one of a filter for holding brewing material and a receptacle for holding cooling means. Preferably the cold brewing apparatus comprises two inserts, wherein a first insert is a filter for holding brewing material and wherein a second insert is a receptacle for holding cooling means, wherein the filter and the receptacle can be at least one of being replaced with each other or being arranged simultaneously in the container.

Expediently the at least one insert is mounted in an upper opening of the container. Further preferably the at least one insert comprises a passageway for receiving an upper end of the conduit. Still further preferably the passageway is disposed centrally in a bottom of the insert. Advantageously the cold brewing apparatus comprises a removable cover mounted on an upper opening of the at least one insert.

Preferably the container is a pitcher.

Particularly preferably the cold brewing apparatus comprises a removable lid arranged on an upper side of the container, wherein the at least one insert and the conduit are arranged in an interior space formed by the container and the lid.

Advantageously the container further comprises a bottom and a container inlet and a container outlet in said bottom.

Preferably the conduit is removable.

Further preferably the conduit is a liquid fountain arranged in the container and extending from a bottom of the container and with its upper end through the passageway of the at least one insert.

Advantageously the liquid fountain is disposed centrally in the container.

Expediently the conduit is connected with a lower end to the container inlet.

Preferably the cold brewing apparatus further comprises a base, wherein the pump is arranged in the base, and wherein the container is arranged on the base so that the container inlet is connected to an outlet of the pump and the container outlet is connected to an inlet of the pump.

The cold brewing apparatus may further comprise a controller for controlling a brewing process.

Preferably the controller is configured for controlling a time of a brewing process.

Further preferably the controller is arranged in a base.

The base of the cold brewing apparatus may further comprise a display and at least one button for operating the cold brewing apparatus.

Preferably the base further comprises a drain valve.

Advantageously the at least one button is configured for operating the controller.

Furthermore, a method for cold brewing beverages is provided comprising the steps of filling a liquid in a container, pumping the liquid with a pump via a conduit for transporting a liquid from the container to a filter holding brewing material, the liquid passing through the brewing material, thereby producing a beverage, and returning the beverage from the filter to the container.

Advantageously the method for cold brewing beverages further comprises the steps of replacing the filter with a receptacle holding cooling material; pumping the beverage from the container via the conduit to the receptacle, the beverage being cooled by passing through the cooling material in the receptacle, and returning the cooled beverage to the container.

Expediently the method further comprises the steps of filling brewing material into the filter and covering the filter with a cover and mounting the filter holding the brewing material into an upper opening of the container.

Still further preferably the liquid is water.

Advantageously the brewing material is ground coffee.

Particularly preferably the cooling material is ice.

