Individual coffee packets with filter

Abstract

A method of brewing with a brewing device includes providing a plurality of individual filter units. The brewing device has a reservoir for flowing water through a composition in the filter units, such as coffee grounds to brew coffee. The individual coffee filter units each comprise a filter pouch that contains a predetermined amount of coffee grounds or the like. An amount of filter units is selected depending on at least one of (i) the amount of coffee to be brewed and (ii) the strength of the coffee to be brewed. The selected amount of coffee filter units are placed in the reservoir and the brewing device is activated to brew the coffee or the like.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
         1 . A method of brewing coffee with a coffee brewing device that has a reservoir for flowing water through coffee grounds to brew the coffee, said method comprising:
 providing a plurality of individual coffee filter units, wherein each individual coffee filter unit comprises a filter pouch that contains a predetermined amount of coffee grounds;   selecting an amount of coffee filter units depending on at least one of (i) the amount of coffee to be brewed and (ii) the strength of the coffee to be brewed;   placing the selected amount of coffee filter units in the reservoir; and   activating the coffee brewing device to brew the coffee.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said coffee filter units comprise generally disc-shaped units for stacking two or more coffee filter units in a generally cylindrical or conical shaped reservoir. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of said coffee filter units contains generally the same amount of coffee grounds therein as the others of said coffee filter units. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein some of said coffee filter units contain a different amount of coffee grounds than others of said coffee filter units. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein providing a plurality of individual coffee filter units comprises providing a first or base coffee filter unit that has a first amount of coffee grounds therein and providing at least one second or add-on coffee filter unit that has a second amount of coffee grounds therein, and wherein said second amount of coffee grounds is less than said first amount of coffee grounds. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said first or base coffee filter unit is capable of brewing a predetermined number of cups of coffee to a nominal strength. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein a user selects a desired number of second or add-on coffee filter units to add to said first or base coffee filter unit to at least one of (i) increase the strength of the brewed coffee and (ii) increase the number of cups of coffee that will be brewed. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of said coffee filter units comprises at least one of (i) flavored contents and (ii) sweetened contents. 
     
     
         9 . A method of brewing a flavored liquid with a brewing device that has a reservoir for flowing water through grounds to brew the flavored liquid, said method comprising:
 providing a plurality of individual filter units, wherein each individual filter unit comprises a filter pouch that contains a predetermined amount of grounds;   wherein said filter units comprise two sheets of filter material sealed together around their peripheries with the predetermined amount of grounds disposed between the sheets of filter material;   selecting an amount of filter units depending on at least one of (i) the amount of flavored liquid to be brewed and (ii) the strength of the flavored liquid to be brewed;   placing the selected amount of filter units in the reservoir; and   activating the brewing device to brew the flavored liquid.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said filter units comprise generally disc-shaped units for stacking two or more filter units in a generally cylindrical or conical shaped reservoir. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein each of said filter units contains generally the same amount of grounds therein as the others of said filter units. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein some of said filter units contain a different amount of grounds than others of said filter units. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein providing a plurality of individual filter units comprises providing a first filter unit that has a first amount of grounds therein and providing at least one second filter unit that has a second amount of grounds therein, and wherein said second amount of grounds is less than said first amount of grounds. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said first filter unit is capable of brewing a predetermined number of cups of flavored liquid to a nominal strength. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein a user selects a desired number of second filter units to add to said first filter unit to at least one of (i) increase the strength of the brewed flavored liquid and (ii) increase the number of cups of flavored liquid that will be brewed. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said plurality of filter units comprise coffee filter units containing coffee grounds and flavor filter units containing flavored contents that are different than the coffee grounds of said coffee filter units. 
     
     
         17 . A method of brewing coffee with a brewing device that has a reservoir for flowing water through coffee grounds to brew the coffee, said method comprising:
 providing a plurality of individual coffee filter units, wherein each individual coffee filter unit comprises a filter pouch that contains a predetermined amount of coffee grounds;   wherein said coffee filter units comprise two sheets of filter material sealed together around their peripheries with the predetermined amount of coffee grounds disposed between the sheets of filter material;   wherein said coffee filter units are configured for stacking two or more coffee filter units in said reservoir;   selecting an amount of coffee filter units depending on at least one of (i) the amount of coffee to be brewed and (ii) the strength of the coffee to be brewed;   placing the selected amount of coffee filter units in the reservoir; and   activating the brewing device to brew the coffee.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein each of said coffee filter units contains generally the same amount of coffee grounds therein as the others of said coffee filter units. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein some of said coffee filter units contain a different amount of coffee grounds than others of said coffee filter units, and wherein providing a plurality of individual coffee filter units comprises providing a first coffee filter unit that has a first amount of coffee grounds therein and providing at least one second coffee filter unit that has a second amount of coffee grounds therein, and wherein said second amount of coffee grounds is less than said first amount of coffee grounds. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 providing at least one flavor filter units containing flavored contents, and wherein the flavored contents are different than the coffee grounds of said coffee filter units; and   selecting an amount of flavor filter units to add to said coffee filter units and placing the selected amount of flavor filter units in the reservoir.