HK1095718A - Coffee brewer - Google Patents

Description

Coffee maker

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to improvements in apparatus and systems for brewing coffee or the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved coffee brewer that turbulently agitates and stirs coffee grounds with a stream of heated water to produce a substantially fluidized bed of water-entrained coffee grounds, resulting in a brewed coffee having improved flavor and strong aroma, among other characteristics.

Background

Drip coffee brewers are available in many shapes and sizes for use in both residential and commercial settings to produce brewed coffee. Such coffee brewers typically include a water reservoir from which a controlled volume of water is heated and then dispensed by drip or spray onto coffee grounds contained in an underlying upwardly open brew basket. The hot water mixes with the coffee grounds to produce a desired brewed coffee beverage that drains from the brew basket through the filter element into an underlying coffee pot such as a carafe or decanter. In one general form, a coffee brewer includes a refillable water reservoir from which water is dispensed via a heating element for drip-flow into a brew basket. Alternatively, the coffee brewer may be connected directly to a tap water supply or the like.

Although drip coffee brewers of the type described above have been in widespread use for many years, the flavor and other characteristics of the coffee brewed are not consistent and, in many cases, have poor flavor or unacceptable quality. It is believed that this problem is due to insufficient and/or inconsistent mixing of the hot water with the coffee grounds contained in the brew basket, resulting in inconsistent flavor and body trail characteristics of the brewed coffee, often including unacceptable bitter flavors. In this regard, dispensing hot water downwardly onto the initially dry coffee grounds in the underlying brew basket creates an erosion-type channel through the coffee grounds, wherein such channel allows a significant portion of the volume of water to pass through the coffee grounds and drip from the brew basket without substantially wetting or otherwise adequately mixing with the water. Although this channeling problem can sometimes be alleviated by carefully pre-distributing the coffee grounds substantially uniformly within the brew basket, little attention has been paid to this problem during the coffee brewing process.

Various modifications of coffee brewers and associated brewing processes have been provided in an attempt to overcome these problems and disadvantages by improving the mixing of hot water and coffee grounds within a filtered brew basket. Generally, the idea is to improve by bringing the hot water into contact with the coffee grounds using a mechanical stirring device. While such concepts may provide brewed coffee with enhanced or more consistent flavor characteristics, these concepts inherently involve moving parts that add to the overall complexity and cost of the coffee brewer and are subject to occasional breaks for periodic maintenance and replacement.

Therefore, there is a need for further improvements in coffee brewers and related coffee brewing processes to achieve significantly improved mixing of hot water with coffee grounds to provide consistent brewed coffee of superior quality and improved flavor and other desirable qualities without requiring mechanical stirring devices and without the disadvantages associated with the production of such devices. The present invention addresses this need and other related advantages.

Disclosure of Invention

In accordance with the present invention, an improved coffee brewer and brewing method are provided for producing brewed coffee with improved flavor. The coffee brewer includes a removably mounted brew basket having jet ports connected to a source of hot water, the jet ports being positioned to deliver a stream of hot water into the brew basket for turbulently agitating and stirring the coffee grounds contained therein to produce a substantially fluidized bed of water-borne coffee grounds for improved flavor extraction. This fluidized bed is directed to one or more mesh filters formed on a wall portion of the brew basket as outward passages for the coffee thus produced, which is then introduced into the underlying carafe or similar object.

In a preferred embodiment, the coffee brewer includes a water reservoir connected via a first check valve to facilitate heat exchange relationship with a heating assembly when flowing. The heating assembly raises the temperature of the water to substantially the boiling point, whereupon the heated water flows through the second check valve to the brew basket. The heated water flows toward and through jet ports into the interior of the brew basket, with at least some of the jet ports being disposed at a location below the level of coffee grounds contained within the brew basket. As a result, the heated water is sprayed or splashed into and thoroughly wets the coffee grounds, effectively lifting, suspending and turbulently agitating the coffee grounds with an agitating and stirring action, producing a substantially fluidized bed of water-borne coffee grounds. In the preferred embodiment, the jet ports are oriented to rotationally agitate the coffee grounds in a substantially rotational or spiral motion path.

The fluidized bed of water-borne coffee grounds improves the consistent mixing of the heated water with the coffee grounds to enhance flavor extraction and minimize bitterness and/or other undesirable qualities. This rotating fluidized bed is directed by centrifugal action in a generally radially outward direction against the inwardly facing side wall of the brew basket, which is defined in part by a mesh filter element or elements which permit the passage of brewed liquid coffee therethrough in an outward direction while substantially preventing the passage of coffee grounds in an outward direction. The brewed coffee that has passed through the filter element is then guided by gravity into the underlying coffee pot, such as a carafe or decanter.

According to yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the front portion of the brew basket side wall includes a substantially transparent window that is visible from outside the coffee brewer when the brew basket is mounted thereon. The rotating fluidized bed of water-borne coffee grounds within the brew basket is thus visible from the outside during the brew cycle.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the invention.

Drawings

Various drawings illustrate the invention. In these drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a coffee brewer according to the present invention, with a carafe positioned below the upper head of the brewer for receiving a drip stream of brewed coffee;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the coffee brewer of FIG. 1 with the carafe removed;

FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of the brewer with the hinged lid on the brewer head in an open position to expose an overlying reservoir that receives a volume of water for use in brewing coffee;

FIG. 4 is another top perspective view similar to FIG. 3 but depicting the additional brew basket and cup removed to expose the upwardly open cavity of the brewer head which removably supports the brew basket;

FIG. 5 is another top perspective view similar to FIG. 4 but showing another head upper housing member of the coffee brewer removed to expose an underlying water flow conduit;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the coffee brewer;

FIG. 7 is a top perspective view of the brew basket;

FIG. 8 is a bottom perspective view of the brew basket;

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the brew basket;

FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken generally along line 10-10 of FIG. 9; and

FIG. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view showing the injection ports through which heated water is injected into the brew basket, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

As shown in the various exemplary drawings, an improved coffee brewer, generally indicated at 10 in fig. 1-6, is provided for rapid, consistent, quality brewing of coffee. The coffee brewer 10 includes a brew basket 12 (see fig. 4-10) that receives a selected quantity of ground coffee beans (not shown). In accordance with a principal aspect of the present invention, the brew basket 12 is adapted for connection to a source of heated water and includes at least one and preferably a plurality of jet ports (FIGS. 7 and 9-11) positioned for agitating and turbulating the coffee grounds to produce a substantially fluidized bed of suspended and water-borne coffee grounds within the brew basket 12. This fluidized bed results in substantially improved and intimate wet-through contact between the hot water and the coffee grounds, as well as mixing, to achieve enhanced flavor extraction, thereby consistently producing a quality, fuller and more aromatic coffee beverage.

The improved coffee brewer 10 of the present invention is shown generally in a preferred embodiment as shown in figures 1 through 6. As shown, the coffee brewer 10 includes a relatively compact base 16 having a platen 18 formed or carried thereon and sized and shaped for secure resting support of a coffee pot 20, such as a carafe or decanter or the like. An on-off button 22 is exposed on the front side of the base 16 and is manually depressed when it is desired to brew a pot of coffee, as described in more detail below. A power cord 24 (see FIG. 1) projects rearwardly from the base 16 for connecting the brewer 10 to a suitable power source.

A support rod 26 extends upwardly from the rear side of the base 16 to support an upper brewer head 28 that is generally positioned to cantilever over the upwardly open coffee pot 20 supported on the base platen 18. Generally speaking, the brewer head 28 includes a relatively compact housing structure defining a water reservoir 30 (see FIGS. 3-4) for containing a selected amount of water for brewing a pot of coffee in combination with an upwardly open cavity 32 (see FIGS. 4-6) for removably supporting the brew basket 12. Upon pressing the on-off button 22, water in the reservoir 30 is delivered in heat exchange relationship with a heating assembly 34, shown mounted in the base 16 in FIG. 6, and the water is further delivered to the brew basket jet ports 14 for delivery into the interior of the brew basket 12 as a plurality of pressurized or jetted streams of hot water. These hot water jets turbulently stir and mix the coffee grounds contained within the brew basket 12 to produce a fluidized bed or suspension of coffee grounds within the body of water rotating and swirling within the brew basket, thereby producing an improved, superior and consistent coffee beverage in accordance with the present invention. The coffee beverage is filtered and transported from the brew basket to the underlying coffee pot or carafe 20 for ready consumption.

More specifically, as shown in greater detail in FIGS. 3-6, the brewer head 28 is shown to include an upper housing bowl 29 with an internal, generally vertically oriented divider wall 36 which subdivides the brewer head 28 into a rearwardly facing region of the head 28 occupied by an upwardly open reservoir 30, and a brew basket cavity 32 at the forwardly facing region of the head 28. A rear hinged lid 38 is provided on the brewer head 28 for normally closing the water reservoir 30, but this lid 38 is adapted for quick and easy pivotal movement to an open position (as shown in fig. 3-4) to allow a selected amount of water to be poured into the reservoir 30. In the case of a typical home brew coffee, the container 30 may be sized to hold a standardized quantity of water, for example a quantity of water sufficient to brew a standardized quantity of coffee, such as 8, 10 or 12 cups of coffee. Optionally, the brewer head 28 may include a dose grading scale (not shown) for indicating the amount of water contained in the head to facilitate brewing of different selected amounts of coffee. As another alternative, those skilled in the art will recognize and appreciate that the coffee brewer 10 may be directly connected to a tap water source or the like in lieu of the reservoir 30 for receiving the selected volume of water to be poured.

The upper housing bowl 29, which defines the water reservoir 30, is mounted on a lower housing shell 39 (best seen in fig. 5 to 6) which is supported on the upper ends of the support rods 26 in spaced, cantilevered relation above the base 16. The water in the container 30 is connected via a port 40 (see fig. 6) formed in the bottom wall of the upper bowl 29 to an underlying receptacle 44 mounted on the lower shell 39 within a compartment 46 cooperatively defined between the upper bowl 29 and the lower shell 39. This receiver 44 may include a spring-loaded valve positioned to cooperate with the upper bowl 29 to move the bowl to an open position when the upper bowl 29 is mounted on the lower housing 39 to allow water to flow downwardly from the container 30. This downward flow of water passes through the receiver 44 and then through a short water supply conduit 48 (see fig. 5-6) which connects the downward flow of water to a channel 50 formed in the support bar 26 and then to the heating assembly 34. A first check valve 45 (see fig. 6) is mounted along this passage 50 in the support rod 26 to allow water to flow downwardly but to prevent water from flowing back upwardly from the heating assembly 34 to the container 30.

The heating assembly 34, although shown in phantom in FIG. 6, includes a standard dual path arrangement for coffee brewers well known to those skilled in the art. Specifically, the heating assembly 34 comprises an electrical resistance heating element mounted within one of the annular pathways and arranged in heat transfer relationship with water flowing through an adjacent annular pathway. An exemplary dual path heating assembly of this general type is illustrated and described in U.S. patent No. 4070956, which is incorporated herein by reference. With this arrangement, water flowing down the support rod channel 50 is circulated through the water path of the heating assembly 34 which substantially heats the water to boiling. The downstream end of the water path through the heating assembly 34 is connected to a second flow passage 52 (see FIG. 6) for upward, i.e., return, flow of water to the brewer head 28.

An upwardly directed return flow passage 52 through the support bar 26 feeds the heated water via a short transition conduit to an inverted, generally U-shaped turn-around member (turn)56 within the water reservoir 30 and disposed at least slightly above the maximum fill level of the reservoir. This inverted and elevated conduit diverter 56 prevents water within the container 30 from draining past the diverter 56 when the container 30 is filled with water. The downstream end of the inverted conduit diverter 56 is connected by another water supply conduit 58 to a second check valve 60 mounted on the underside of the upper bowl 29 to permit one-way flow of water from the water supply conduit 58 to the brew basket 12, but prevent backflow of water to the conduit 58.

More specifically, the second check valve 60 is positioned generally centrally within the brew basket cavity 32 in aligned relation with an inlet port 62 (see FIGS. 3 and 6) formed in the bottom wall of the upper housing bowl 29. In this regard, as best shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, the brew basket 12 includes a downwardly open feed port 64 sized and shaped for secure receipt over the upper inflow port 62 when the brew basket 12 is positioned within the brew basket cavity 32. This feed port 64 directs the inflowing water from the second check valve 60 to the jet ports 14 of the brew basket 12.

The brew basket 12 may comprise a generally bowl-shaped member made primarily of lightweight molded plastic or the like to form a generally upwardly open geometry defined by a bottom wall 66 joined to generally cylindrical upstanding side walls 68. The bottom wall 66 is formed to include a downwardly open feed port 64 for communicating hot water upwardly into a false bottom plenum 70 which distributes the flow of hot water to at least one and preferably a plurality of hollow ribs 72 formed in the side wall 68. In the preferred construction shown, 3 of the hollow ribs 72 are formed in the side wall 68 at approximately 120 degree intervals from one another, and each of these ribs 72 includes a closed upper end and has at least one and preferably a plurality of jet ports 14 formed along the height of the rib for injecting a stream of hot water into the interior of the brew basket 12. Fig. 6-7 and 9-10 show each hollow rib 72 with a pair of upstanding, spaced jet openings 14 positioned and aimed to direct water flow in a common swirling direction (clockwise as viewed in fig. 9) generally tangentially into the brew basket interior.

At least the lower jet ports 14 of the hollow ribs 72 are positioned at a level below the normal level or below the upper surface of a layer of dry coffee grounds placed into the brew basket 12 for brewing coffee, as indicated by the dashed line 74 in fig. 10. Thus, when hot water is injected through the injection port 14, at least a portion of the hot water stirs and agitates the mass of coffee grounds to initiate a swirling or spinning action to form a fluidized bed of water-borne coffee grounds. That is, once the initial supply of hot water enters the brew basket 12, the water passing through the lower jets 14 stirs and agitates the initially dry coffee grounds, while the upper jets may be disposed above the upper surface of the coffee grounds so as to initially spray thereon and wet the upper surface. As the flow of hot water continues, the brew basket 12 gradually fills with water, while the agitating and stirring action of the lower jets continues. When the brew basket is filled with water, the water level eventually rises to a level higher than the upper jets 14, as generally indicated by the dashed line 76 in FIG. 10, so that the upper and lower jets 14 cooperate to stir and agitate the combined mass of coffee grounds and water, causing the coffee grounds to suspend and swirl in a fluidized dispersion floating on the water. This action exposes the entire quantity of coffee grounds to the heated water thoroughly and substantially uniformly and substantially throughout the entire brew cycle period to produce a significantly improved and consistent quality brewed coffee beverage. A removable cup 77 is typically provided to close the top of the brew basket 12 and thereby prevent water or coffee grounds from undesirably spilling therefrom during the brewing process.

In a preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 11, the jet ports 14 formed along the hollow ribs 72 of the brew basket 12 may be designed to minimize or eliminate the undesirable influx or ingestion of coffee with particles when the supply of hot water to the jet ports 14 is terminated. As shown in fig. 11, each ejection port 14 may be configured to define a tapered shape with a cross-sectional dimension that decreases toward the downstream or discharge end of the ejection port, in combination with a filter screen that may be molded in place with plastic, typically at the upstream or inlet end of the ejection port 14. Once hot water is supplied to the jet ports, the water passes freely through the filter screen 15 and then outwardly through the jet ports 14 at a velocity that mixes with the coffee grounds within the brew basket. Once the flow of hot water stops, any particulate coffee grounds that may flow or be drawn into the jet opening 14 are collected on the downstream side of the filter screen 15 where those particulate coffee grounds cannot clog the internal flow passages of the coffee brewing apparatus. This collected coffee grounds are left on the filter screen 15 where they are hydraulically returned to the brew basket 12 during a subsequent brew cycle. Other alternative structures for capturing ingested coffee grounds and/or preventing such coffee grounds from flowing back into and/or through the jet port 14 will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

The resulting fluidized bed is swirled by centrifugal action against the inboard side of the brew basket side wall 68, a portion of which is defined by one or more mesh or mesh-like filter elements 78. Such filter elements 78 are supported by the brew basket 12 in slightly spaced relation to the adjacent dividing wall 36 to define a flow path for brewed coffee therebetween to a drip outlet 79 (see fig. 6) formed in the upper bowl 29 and a lower drip outlet 80 (see fig. 5-6) formed in the lower shell 39. This latter spout 80 is positioned over the outwardly open coffee pot 20 so that the brewed coffee flows downwardly to be collected within the coffee pot 20.

1-6, the brew basket cavity 32 formed in the upper housing bowl 29 may intersect and thus obstruct a front region of the bowl 29 to form an arcuate recess 83 exposing a front portion or section 82 of the brew basket 12 at the front side of the brewer head 28. In this regard, this exposed front section 82 of the brew basket 12 is preferably made of a transparent or partially transparent material to facilitate visual observation of the swirling and rotating fluidized bed during brewing. The lower edge of the recess 83 of the lower housing bowl 29 is disposed above the drip outlet 79. Removable cup 77 may also be made of a transparent or partially transparent material.

In use, to brew a pot of coffee, a selected amount of water is poured into the water reservoir 30 and the brew basket 12 containing a selected amount of ground coffee beans is placed in the brew basket cavity 32 of the associated brewer head 28. A portion of the water within the container 30 will flow downwardly through the first check valve 45 to fill the associated path in the heating assembly 34. Next, upon pressing the on-off button 22, the heating assembly 34 is energized to raise the water temperature therein to substantially boiling, resulting in the hot water being pumped under pressure up through the inverted and raised inverted conduit diverter 56 and further through the second check valve 60 to the injection ports 14 in the brew basket 12. This upwardly pumped water is replaced by subsequent water flowing downwardly from the reservoir 30 in order to allow the heating assembly 34 to heat until the reservoir 30 is substantially empty. Hot water is sprayed into the interior of the brew basket 12 via the spray ports 14 as required to create a swirling, turbulent fluidized bed of water-borne coffee grounds. The coffee thus brewed is filtered through the mesh filter element 78 for delivery to the underlying coffee pot 20, wherein the brewed coffee may be maintained in a heated state by appropriate control of the heating assembly 34 to heat the platen 18. Alternatively, the heating assembly 34 may be designed to be deactivated (de-activated) and the brewed coffee may be retained in an insulated ampoule. After this brew cycle, the brew basket 12 may be removed from the brewer head 28 for proper removal and discharge of spent coffee grounds retained on the filter elements. The brew basket 12 may then be refilled with coffee grounds for a subsequent brew cycle.

Accordingly, the improved coffee brewer 10 of the present invention produces brewed coffee by virtue of the intimate, thorough and consistent mixing of the hot water and coffee grounds to produce a coffee beverage that is reproducible in terms of quality flavor and other characteristics. Furthermore, since the heated water enters directly into the coffee grounds, the water stream formed by the fluidized bed is delivered, which carries the strong coffee aroma, thereby allowing one to share a more enjoyable coffee brewing experience.

Various other modifications and improvements in and relating to the coffee brewer 10 of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the invention is not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and description above and attached drawings.

Claims (33)

1. A coffee brewer, comprising:

a brew basket for receiving a quantity of ground coffee beans;

a plurality of jet ports for directing a plurality of streams of hot water into said brew basket, at least one of said jet ports being positioned to deliver a stream of hot water into said brew basket at a location below the level of ground coffee beans contained therein, whereby the stream of hot water directed into said brew basket turbulently agitates and stirs the coffee grounds to produce a substantially fluidized bed of water-entrained coffee grounds to produce brewed coffee; and

at least one filter element for allowing the brewed coffee to pass through, but substantially not the coffee grounds.

2. The coffee brewer of claim 1, wherein: the at least one filter element defines a wall portion of the brew basket.

3. The coffee brewer of claim 1, wherein: means for introducing the stream of brewed coffee from the at least one filter element into the coffee canister are also included.

4. The coffee brewer of claim 1, wherein: the brew basket further includes a substantially transparent window for allowing visual observation of the fluidized bed of coffee grounds entrained in the water stream contained therein.

5. The coffee brewer of claim 1, wherein: means for connecting the jet to a source of hot water is also included.

6. The coffee brewer of claim 1, wherein: the jet ports are positioned and aimed to direct water flow substantially tangentially into the brew basket interior in a common swirling direction.

7. The coffee brewer of claim 1, wherein: each of the ejection ports defines a tapered shape whose sectional dimension decreases toward the downstream end of the ejection port, and further includes a filter mesh disposed substantially at the upstream end of the ejection port.

8. The coffee brewer of claim 1, wherein: the brew basket is generally bowl-shaped defining a bottom wall defining a false bottom that is coupled to a downwardly open feed port for receiving hot water supplied to the false bottom, and a generally cylindrical upright side wall defining a plurality of hollow upright ribs in flow communication with the false bottom, each rib further defining at least one jet positioned to deliver a flow of hot water into the brew basket at a location below the level of ground coffee beans contained therein.

9. The coffee brewer of claim 8, wherein: each of the hollow ribs defines a plurality of the jet ports, at least one of which is positioned to deliver a stream of hot water into the brew basket at a location below the level of ground coffee beans contained therein.

10. The coffee brewer of claim 8, wherein: the plurality of hollow ribs comprises 3 ribs spaced about 120 degrees apart from one another around the sidewall.

11. The coffee brewer of claim 8, wherein: the jet ports defined by the plurality of hollow ribs are positioned and aimed to direct water flow substantially tangentially into the brew basket interior in a common swirling direction.

12. The coffee brewer of claim 8, wherein: the at least one filter member defines a sidewall portion of the brew basket extending substantially between an adjacent pair of the hollow ribs.

13. The coffee brewer of claim 1, wherein: and a brewer head defining an upwardly open brew cavity for removably receiving and supporting the brew basket, the brewer head further including a drip outlet for directing a stream of brewed coffee drips through the at least one filter element and into the coffee pot.

14. The coffee brewer of claim 13, wherein: a base platen is included to removably support the coffee pod in a position to receive a drip stream of brewed coffee through the drip outlet.

15. The coffee brewer of claim 14, wherein: a support bar is included for supporting the brewer head in spaced relation above the base platen.

16. The coffee brewer of claim 14, wherein: the base platen also includes a heating element.

17. The coffee brewer of claim 13, wherein: and a substantially transparent window for allowing visual inspection of the fluidized bed of coffee grounds entrained in the water stream contained therein, said transparent window being visible from outside the head of said brewer.

18. The coffee brewer of claim 1, wherein: also included is a reservoir for receiving the supplied water, a heating element, a first check valve for unidirectional inflow of water from the reservoir in heat exchange relationship with the heating element to produce hot water, and a second check valve for unidirectional flow of the hot water to the at least one injection port.

19. A coffee brewer, comprising:

a brew basket for receiving a quantity of ground coffee beans;

at least one jet for directing a stream of hot water into the brew basket at a location below the level of ground coffee beans contained therein, whereby the stream of hot water turbulently agitates and stirs the coffee grounds to produce a substantially fluidized bed of water-entrained coffee grounds, so as to produce brewed coffee; and

at least one filter element for allowing the brewed coffee to pass through, but substantially not the coffee grounds.

20. The coffee brewer of claim 19, wherein: the at least one filter element defines a wall portion of the brew basket.

21. The coffee brewer of claim 19, wherein: the brew basket further includes a substantially transparent window for allowing visual observation of the fluidized bed of coffee grounds entrained in the water stream contained therein.

22. The coffee brewer of claim 19, wherein: the jet ports are positioned and aimed to direct water flow substantially tangentially into the brew basket interior in a common swirling direction.

23. The coffee brewer of claim 19, wherein: the ejection port defines a tapered shape whose sectional dimension decreases toward a downstream end of the ejection port, and further includes a filter screen disposed substantially at the upstream end of the ejection port.

24. The coffee brewer of claim 19, wherein: the brew basket is substantially bowl-shaped defining a bottom wall defining a false bottom that is coupled to a downwardly open feed port for receiving the hot water supply, and a generally cylindrical upright side wall defining at least one hollow upright rib in flow communication with the false bottom and further defining at least one jet orifice positioned to deliver a flow of hot water into the brew basket at a location below the level of ground coffee beans contained therein.

25. A method of brewing coffee, comprising:

directing a plurality of hot water streams into a brew basket containing a quantity of ground coffee beans, at least one hot water stream being directed into the brew basket at a location below the level of ground coffee beans contained therein, whereby the hot water streams turbulently agitate and stir the coffee grounds to produce a substantially fluidized bed of water-borne coffee grounds to produce brewed coffee; and

the coffee grounds of the brewed coffee are filtered.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein: the filtering step includes passing the brewed coffee through the porous wall portion of the brew basket.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein: further comprising the steps of directing the brewed coffee and filtering the coffee into a coffee caddy.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein: the hot water stream is injected into the brew basket substantially tangentially in a common swirling direction.

29. A method of brewing coffee, comprising:

introducing a stream of hot water into the brew basket containing a quantity of ground coffee beans at a location below the level of the ground coffee beans contained therein, such that the at least one stream of hot water turbulently agitates and stirs the coffee grounds to produce a substantially fluidized bed of water-entrained coffee grounds to produce brewed coffee; and

the coffee grounds of the brewed coffee are filtered.

30. A coffee brewer, comprising:

a brew basket for receiving a quantity of ground coffee beans;

at least one jet for directing at least one stream of hot water into said brew basket for at least partially injecting hot water into said brew basket for mixing with ground coffee beans contained therein to brew coffee, said at least one jet positioned to direct said at least one stream of hot water into said brew basket at a location therein below the water level within said brew basket when said brew basket is partially injected with hot water, thereby turbulently agitating and stirring the coffee grounds to produce a substantially fluidized bed of water-entrained coffee grounds to produce brewed coffee; and

at least one filter element for allowing the brewed coffee to pass through, but substantially not the coffee grounds.

31. The coffee brewer of claim 30, wherein: said at least one jet port includes a plurality of jet ports for introducing a corresponding plurality of streams of hot water into said brew basket, each of said jet ports being positioned to deliver a respective stream of hot water into said brew basket when said brew basket is partially filled with hot water at a location below the water level within said brew basket, thereby turbulently agitating and stirring the coffee grounds to produce a fluidized bed of water-entrained coffee grounds to produce brewed coffee.

32. The coffee brewer of claim 31, wherein: at least one of the jet ports is further positioned to direct a respective flow of hot water into the brew basket at a location below the level of ground coffee beans contained therein.

33. The coffee brewer of claim 31, wherein: the plurality of injection ports are positioned and aimed to inject respective streams of hot water into the brew basket substantially tangentially in a common swirling direction.