阅读说明：本技术 用于设定研磨粗糙度的装置和方法 (Device and method for setting grinding roughness ) 是由 杰克·布什 克莱·布什 于 2018-10-18 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及一种确定大量的颗粒植物材料的特征的方法,该方法包括确定大量的颗粒植物材料的密度的步骤,其中优选地,大量的颗粒植物材料是由植物种子、咖啡豆和/或研磨的植物材料制备的。本发明还涉及一种用于测量大量的颗粒植物材料的密度的系统或装置,其中,该系统或装置包括：实验容器,其具有配置为在其中的保留大量的颗粒植物材料的空隙,配置为确定被放置在实验容器的空隙内的大量的颗粒植物材料所占据体积的体积确定单元。(The present invention relates to a method for determining a characteristic of a mass of particulate plant material, the method comprising the step of determining the density of the mass of particulate plant material, wherein preferably the mass of particulate plant material is prepared from plant seeds, coffee beans and/or ground plant material. The invention also relates to a system or apparatus for measuring the density of a mass of particulate plant material, wherein the system or apparatus comprises: an experimental container having a void configured to retain a quantity of particulate plant material therein, a volume determination unit configured to determine a volume occupied by the quantity of particulate plant material placed within the void of the experimental container.)

1. A method for determining at least one characteristic of a mass of particulate plant material, characterised in that the method comprises the step of determining the density of the mass of particulate plant material.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the quantity of particulate plant material is prepared from plant seeds.

3. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the mass of particulate plant material is prepared from coffee beans.

4. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the mass of particulate plant material is prepared by grinding plant material.

5. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the mass of particulate plant material has been compressed.

6. The method of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said characteristic is the propensity of one or more phytochemicals to extract water from said mass of particulate plant seed material.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the propensity of one or more phytochemicals to extract moisture from the quantity of particulate plant seed material is measured by reference to:

the time required to extract the one or more phytochemicals from the mass of particulate plant seed material, or

Flow rate of water through the mass of ground plant material, or

A time required to form a given volume of liquid phase from water flowing through the quantity of ground plant material; or

Taste and/or aroma of a liquid phase formed from water flowing through the mass of ground plant material, or

And (4) an analytical method.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the characteristic is:

the surface area of the mass of particulate plant material available for contact with water applied to the mass of particulate plant material, or

The void volume of the mass of particulate plant material, or

The channel size of the mass of particulate plant material.

9. The method of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the mass of particulate plant material is placed in a container having voids of one or more dimensions similar or substantially the same as extractor containers used in preparing the solution produced from the particulate plant material.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the void is substantially circular in plan view.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the voids have a diameter similar to or substantially the same as a diameter of an extractor vessel used in preparing the solution produced from the particulate plant material.

12. A method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the void has a depth which is the same or similar or substantially the same as the depth of an extractor vessel used in preparing the solution produced from the particulate plant material.

13. A method as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 13 wherein the degree of compression is similar to or substantially the same as the degree of compression applied to the mass of particulate plant material used in the solution produced from the mass of particulate plant material.

14. The method of any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the quantity of particulate plant material is not contacted with water.

15. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that it comprises the following steps:

measuring the weight of the quantity of particulate plant material;

measuring the volume of the quantity of particulate plant material; and

calculating the density of the mass of particulate plant material.

16. A system or apparatus for measuring the density of a mass of particulate plant material, the system or apparatus comprising:

a container having a void configured to retain the quantity of particulate plant material in the container.

A volume determination unit configured to determine a volume occupied by the quantity of particulate plant material that has been placed in the void of the container.

17. The system or apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a compression unit configured to compress the mass of particulate plant material placed in the void of the container.

18. The system or apparatus of claim 17, wherein the compression unit is configured to substantially uniformly compress the mass of particulate plant material placed in the void of the container.

19. The system or apparatus of claim 17 or claim 18, wherein the compression unit comprises a substantially flat compression surface configured to contact the mass of particulate plant material placed in the void of the container.

20. The system or apparatus of any one of claims 17 to 19, wherein the compression unit is configured to apply a predetermined compressive force to the mass of particulate plant material placed in the void of the container.

21. The system or apparatus of claim 20, wherein the compression unit is configured to be adjustable, thereby allowing a user-selectable compressive force to be applied to the mass of particulate plant material placed in the void of the container.

22. A system or apparatus according to any of claims 16 to 21, wherein the container and/or the compression unit (if present) is configured to allow a user to determine the volume occupied by the mass of particulate plant material that has been compressed in the void of the container.

23. The system or apparatus of claim 22, wherein the container or the compression unit includes a user-understandable scale configured to allow a user to determine a volume occupied by the compressed mass of particulate plant material in the void of the container.

24. A system or apparatus as claimed in claim 23, wherein the compression unit includes a scale readable by reference to a rim or mark on the container.

25. A system or apparatus according to any of claims 16 to 24, wherein the voids of the container have one or more dimensions similar to or substantially the same as extractor containers used in preparing the solution produced from the particulate plant material.

26. The system or apparatus of any of claims 16 to 25, wherein the void is substantially circular in plan view.

27. A system or apparatus as claimed in claim 26, wherein the diameter of the void is similar to or substantially the same as the diameter of an extractor vessel used in preparing the solution produced from the particulate plant material.

28. A system or apparatus as claimed in any of claims 16 to 27 wherein the void has at least the depth of an extractor vessel used in preparing the solution produced from the particulate plant material.

29. The system or apparatus of claim 28, wherein the particulate plant material is prepared from plant seeds.

30. A system or apparatus according to claim 28 or claim 29, wherein the particulate plant material is prepared from coffee beans.

31. The system or apparatus of any of claims 25 to 30, wherein the extractor vessel is an espresso basket.

32. A system or apparatus according to any of claims 16 to 31, comprising a weighing apparatus configured to weigh the quantity of particulate plant material placed in the container.

33. The system or apparatus of claim 32, wherein the weighing unit is a scale with a peeling function.

34. A system or apparatus as claimed in claim 32 or claim 33, comprising a density calculation unit configured to accept as inputs (i) volume data provided by the volume determination unit and (ii) weight data provided by the weighing unit, and to provide as an output (iii) a density calculated from the volume data and the weight data.

35. The system or apparatus of claim 34, wherein the density calculation unit is embodied in application software executable on a processor-enabled device.

36. A system or apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the processor-enabled device is a mobile device.

37. A method of determining the density of a mass of particulate plant material, the method comprising the steps of:

measuring the weight of the quantity of particulate plant material;

measuring the volume of the quantity of particulate plant material; and

calculating the density of the mass of particulate plant material.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising the step of placing a quantity of particulate plant material into the void of the container of any one of claims 17, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29 or 32.

39. A method according to claim 37 or claim 38, further comprising the step of compressing the mass of particulate plant material prior to measuring the volume of the mass of plant material.

40. The method according to claim 39, wherein the step of compressing is performed using a compression unit according to any of claims 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 or 24.

41. The method according to any one of claims 37 to 40, wherein the step of measuring the density is performed using a device or system according to any one of claims 16 to 34.

42. A method according to any one of claims 37 to 41, wherein the step of weighing is performed using a weighing cell as claimed in claim 32 or claim 33.

43. The method according to any one of claims 37 to 42, wherein the step of calculating is performed using a density calculation unit as defined in any one of claims 34 to 36.

44. A method for setting a mill for plant material with respect to the roughness or fineness of the resulting ground material, characterized in that the method comprises the steps of:

providing a plant material,

grinding the plant material using a grinder arrangement to provide a batch of tested particulate plant material,

assessing the density of the batch of tested particulate plant material by a system or apparatus according to any one of claims 16 to 36, or by a method according to any one of claims 37 to 43, and

adjusting the mill settings as necessary to provide a target density for the particulate plant material.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the grinder is a coffee bean grinder of the type used in a retail or home environment.

Technical Field

The present invention generally relates to the preparation of beverages from ground plant material. In particular, but not exclusively, the invention relates to defining the roughness of ground coffee beans in the preparation of coffee-based beverages.

Background

Coffee beans have been used as a major component of beverages for over a thousand years, and have originated in northern africa around the 10 th century. The beverage was introduced into europe in the 17 th century and is nowadays consumed in large quantities almost worldwide.

Coffee beverages can be prepared in a number of different ways, but all coffee beverages rely on the physical integrity of the coffee beans to extract important flavor and bioactive compounds within the beans into water. Many coffee beverages are made by first roasting raw beans and then grinding the coffee beans into a plurality of particles. These particles are contacted with water, usually hot water, whereby coffee compounds are extracted. The solid and liquid phases are separated and the liquid phase is consumed.

One example of an extraction method is the well-known extraction process of espresso coffee. The process is carried out by forcing heated water through a bed of prepared coffee particles. The coffee particles are infiltrated by the water causing swelling as the sugar and resin therein are dissolved causing it to be carried by the water out of the solid particles. Typically, ground coffee is placed in a shallow filter basket and then tamped (compacted) to reduce the void volume between the particles. The reduction in void volume limits the ability of water to pass through the bed of particles unimpeded, forcing the water to contact the particles to increase the extraction of coffee compounds. After tamping, the basket is manually engaged with an espresso machine that pushes heated water through the bed of particles, through a filter in the basket, forming a solution that flows into an underlying coffee cup.

In a retail environment, coffee beverages are preferably prepared from whole coffee beans that have been ground directly prior to brewing. Control of the grinding conditions is of utmost importance, since incorrect grinding may have a negative effect on the properties of the ground coffee beans and thus on the flavour of the resulting beverage. During the grinding process, the surface area of the coffee bean material may increase, thereby increasing the attack surface area accessible to the water, which in turn allows the coffee compounds to be more efficiently transferred to the water. In espresso grinding, each coffee bean is broken into several thousand particles. The degree of grinding (i.e. the number and size of the particles to which the coffee beans are ground) is directly related to the extraction time. Extraction time refers to the time required for water to release the desired contents from the milled particles; 25 to 30 seconds is the optimum time. In view of the tendency to extract bitter compounds from coffee beans, over-extraction should be avoided.

In addition, the very fine grinding agent is too tightly packed together, thereby increasing the resistance to water flow through the coffee pad. This resistance can make the water unavailable to pass through the refiner during brewing, again affecting the mouthfeel of the final beverage.

In view of the importance of particle size, the prior art provides devices and methods for determining the particle size distribution, directly or indirectly, and thus the roughness or fineness of the grind. One common indirect method relies on measuring the length of time a given volume of coffee solution is extracted. Larger grind sizes generally result in shorter times because of the larger void volume of the rough grind. However, this method is fraught with unreliability due to possible external variables such as the tamping force used, the basket geometry, etc. Even if all variables are removed, any time period determined to be optimal is only relevant to the particular espresso machine, coffee and grinder used.

A more direct method of determining particle size is based on a screening method, such as that designed by the U.S. department of commerce in the 1940 s. The process utilizes an apparatus known as a "RoTap" consisting of four wire mesh screens of decreasing mesh size stacked one on top of the other. When connected to a vibratory machine, the coffee particles fall onto different sized screens creating a particle distribution. This process involves placing a set mass of ground coffee on the uppermost mesh screen and allowing the machine to shake for a set time. After completion, all screens were removed and the remaining coffee in each screen was weighed. In this way, a particle distribution curve can be generated.

While the milling process can be optimized using the RoTap and similar devices to produce the desired particle size distribution, this approach is obviously time consuming and laborious, wastes coffee, and requires complex hardware. In any case, unreliable results may be produced, especially in the particle size during extraction of the espresso coffee (typically medium particle sizes around 200 picometers (pm)).

In view of the problems associated with sieving techniques, laser diffraction methods have been widely accepted for characterization of coffee grinding. While these methods provide unprecedented precision in determining particle size distribution, the required instrumentation is complex, expensive, and unsuitable for use in a retail environment.

Although the particle size is certainly important, the shape of the particles has a further influence on the taste of the coffee. Different grinder types (e.g., burr and blade grinders), and different types of grinding surfaces (e.g., using tapered burrs and flat burrs), provide further variations, with the general objective of providing a repeatable grinding that provides good coffee taste and aroma.

It is an aspect of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for determining the appropriate milling settings for a particular extraction process. In another aspect, the present invention provides a useful alternative to prior art devices and methods.

The discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles and the like is included in this specification solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present invention. It is not suggested or represented that any or all of these matters formed part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present invention as it existed before the priority date of each claim of this application.

Disclosure of Invention

After considering the description of the invention, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art how to implement the invention in various alternative embodiments and alternative applications. However, while various embodiments of the present invention will be described herein, it is to be understood that these embodiments are presented by way of example only, and not limitation. Accordingly, the description of various alternative embodiments should not be construed to limit the scope or breadth of the present invention. Moreover, statements of advantages or other aspects apply to particular example embodiments, and not necessarily to all embodiments covered by the claims.

Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the word "comprise" and variations of the word, such as "comprises" and "comprising", are not intended to exclude other additives, components, integers or steps.

Reference throughout this specification to "an embodiment" or "one embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with at least one embodiment of the invention is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. Thus, the appearances of the phrases "in an embodiment" or "in one embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, but rather are possible.

It should be understood that while certain advantages of the invention have been described herein, it is not intended that all embodiments of the invention have all advantages. Certain embodiments of the present invention may not have any advantages and may represent only one alternative to the prior art.

In a first aspect, the present invention provides a method for determining at least one characteristic of a mass of particulate plant material, the method comprising the step of determining the density of the mass of particulate plant material.

In one embodiment of the first aspect, the mass of particulate plant material is prepared from plant seeds.

In one embodiment of the first aspect, the mass of particulate plant material is prepared from coffee beans.

In one embodiment of the first aspect, the mass of particulate plant material is prepared by grinding plant material.

In one embodiment of the first aspect, the mass of particulate plant material has been compressed. In one embodiment of the first aspect, the mass of particulate plant material has been deliberately compressed.

In one embodiment of the first aspect, the characteristic is the propensity of the one or more phytochemicals to extract water from the mass of particulate plant seed material.

In one embodiment of the first aspect, the tendency of the one or more phytochemicals to extract water from the mass of particulate plant seed material is measured by reference to:

the time required to extract one or more phytochemicals from a mass of particulate plant seed material, or

Flow rate of water through the mass of ground plant material, or

A time required to form a given volume of liquid phase from water flowing through the mass of ground plant material; or

Taste and/or aroma of a liquid phase formed from water flowing through a mass of ground plant material, or

And (4) an analytical method.

In an embodiment of the first aspect, the following features are also included:

a volume of particulate plant material available for contact with water applied to the volume of particulate plant material, or

Void volume of a large amount of particulate plant material, or

The channel size of the bulk particulate plant material.

In one embodiment of the first aspect, a quantity of particulate plant material is placed in a container, the container having voids with one or more dimensions similar or substantially the same as extractor containers used in preparing solutions produced from the particulate plant material.

In an embodiment of the first aspect, the void is substantially circular in plan view.

In one embodiment of the first aspect, the diameter of the void is similar to or substantially the same as the diameter of the extractor vessel used in preparing the solution produced from the particulate plant material.

In one embodiment of the first aspect, the void has a depth that is the same as, or similar to, or substantially the same as the depth of the extractor vessel used in preparing the solution produced from the particulate plant material.

In one embodiment of the first aspect, the extractor vessel is an espresso coffee basket.

In one embodiment of the first aspect, the degree of compression is similar to or substantially the same as the degree of compression applied to the mass of particulate plant material used in the solution produced from the mass of particulate plant material.

In one embodiment of the first aspect, the quantity of particulate plant material is not contacted with water.

In one embodiment of the first aspect, the method comprises the steps of:

the weight of the bulk particulate plant material was measured.

Measuring the volume of a mass of particulate plant material, an

The density of the bulk particulate plant material is calculated.

In a second aspect, the present invention provides a system or apparatus for measuring the density of a mass of particulate plant material, the system or apparatus comprising:

a container having voids configured to retain a quantity of particulate plant material therein.

A volume determination unit configured to determine a volume occupied by the mass of particulate plant material that has settled in the void of the container.

In one embodiment of the second aspect, the system or apparatus comprises a compression unit configured to compress a mass of particulate plant material placed in a void of the container.

In one embodiment of the second aspect, the compression unit is configured to substantially uniformly compress the mass of particulate plant material placed in the void of the container.

In one embodiment of the second aspect, the compression unit comprises a substantially flat compression surface configured to contact the mass of particulate plant material placed in the void of the container.

In one embodiment of the second aspect, the compression unit is configured to apply a predetermined compression force to the mass of particulate plant material placed in the void of the container.

In one embodiment of the second aspect, the compression unit is configured to be adjustable, thereby allowing a user-selectable compressive force to be applied to the mass of particulate plant material placed in the void of the container.

In one embodiment of the second aspect, the container and/or the compression unit (if present) is configured to allow a user to determine the volume occupied by the mass of particulate plant material that has been compressed in the void of the container.

In one embodiment of the second aspect, the container or the compression unit comprises a user-understandable scale configured to allow a user to determine the volume occupied by the compressed mass of particulate plant material in the void of the container.

In one embodiment of the second aspect, the compression unit comprises a scale readable by reference to a rim or mark on the container.

In one embodiment of the second aspect, the void of the container has one or more dimensions similar to or substantially the same as the extractor container used in preparing the solution produced from the particulate plant material.

In an embodiment of the second aspect, the void is substantially circular in plan view.

In one embodiment of the second aspect, the diameter of the void is similar to or substantially the same as the diameter of the extractor vessel used in preparing the solution produced from the particulate plant material.

In one embodiment of the second aspect, the void has at least the depth of an extractor vessel used in preparing the solution produced from the particulate plant material.

In one embodiment of the second aspect, the particulate plant material is prepared from plant seeds.

In one embodiment of the second aspect, the particulate plant material is prepared from coffee beans.

In one embodiment of the second aspect, the system or apparatus comprises a weighing device configured to weigh a quantity of particulate plant material placed in the container.

In one embodiment of the second aspect, the weighing cell is a scale with a peeling function.

In one embodiment of the second aspect, the system or apparatus comprises a density calculation unit configured to accept as inputs (i) the volume data provided by the volume determination unit and (ii) the weight data provided by the weighing unit, and to provide as output (iii) a density calculated from the volume data and the weight data.

In an embodiment of the second aspect, the density calculation unit is embodied in application software executable on a processor-enabled device.

In one embodiment of the second aspect, the processor-enabled device is a mobile device.

In a third aspect, the present invention provides a method of determining the density of a mass of particulate plant material, the method comprising the steps of:

measuring the weight of the mass of particulate plant material;

measuring the volume of a mass of particulate plant material, an

The density of the bulk particulate plant material is calculated.

In one embodiment of the third aspect, the method comprises the step of placing a quantity of particulate plant material into the void of the container as defined in a suitable embodiment of the second aspect.

In one embodiment of the third aspect, the method comprises the step of compressing the mass of particulate plant material prior to measuring the volume of the plant material.

In an embodiment of the third aspect, the compressing step is performed using a compression unit as defined in any applicable embodiment of the second aspect.

In an embodiment of the third aspect, the step of measuring the density is performed using the apparatus or system of the second aspect.

In an embodiment of the third aspect, the step of weighing is performed using a weighing cell as defined in any applicable embodiment of the second aspect.

In an embodiment of the third aspect, the step of calculating is performed using the density calculation unit defined in any applicable embodiment of the second aspect.

In a fourth aspect, the present invention provides a method of setting up a plant material grinding mill, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a plant material,

grinding the plant material using a grinder arrangement to provide a batch of the tested particulate plant material,

assessing the density of the batch of tested particulate plant material by the system or apparatus of any embodiment of the second aspect, or by the method of any embodiment of the third aspect, and

the mill settings were adjusted as necessary to provide the target density for the particulate plant material.

In one embodiment of the fourth aspect, the grinder is a coffee bean grinder of the type used in retail or domestic environments.

Drawings

FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional side view of a preferred container of the present invention.

FIG. 1B is a side view of a preferred compression unit of the present invention for use with the container of FIG. 1A.

Fig. 2A to 2D show preferred method steps for use with the container of fig. 1A and the compression unit of fig. 1B to determine the density of the ground coffee.

Fig. 3A is a plan view of an exemplary container, the dimensions shown being exemplary only and not limiting to the invention.

Fig. 3B is a cross-sectional side view of the container of fig. 3A. The dimensions shown are exemplary only and do not limit the invention.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of an exemplary tamper apparatus of the present invention used with the container of fig. 3A and 3B.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT (S) OF INVENTION

The present invention is primarily concerned with the use of ground coffee beans in an espresso coffee extraction process, by reference to ground coffee beans as a quality of particulate coffee beans. This is for the sake of clarity and conciseness and should not be taken as any limitation on the scope of the invention.

The present invention is based, at least in part, on the applicant's discovery that the characteristics of ground coffee can be better considered when considering a quantity of ground coffee as a whole by means of a density measurement. This is in contrast to prior art methods which rely on measuring the size of individual coffee bean particles to generate a particle size distribution curve. The method, device and system of the present invention have the advantage of being simpler or more economical compared to the prior art, even if the present invention does not provide any advantages in terms of the excellent properties of ground coffee.

Accordingly, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a method for determining at least one characteristic of a mass of particulate plant material, the method comprising the step of determining the density of the mass of particulate plant material. As an espresso extraction process at least suitable for grinding coffee beans, the skilled person is fully familiar with various methods by which coffee beans (in fact seeds of the coffee plant) can be roasted and ground for preparing a coffee solution for consumption. The skilled person will appreciate that the ground coffee may be placed in a filter basket and compressed to some extent by a tamper or similar device to prepare the water heated from the grinder to pass through the compressed coffee mass to form a solution. The use of these known methods for preparing solutions in the context of the present invention makes it a general object of the present invention to reproduce as closely as possible the conditions of preparation of the ground coffee. Considering that the present invention in a first aspect is directed to a method of determining at least one characteristic of ground coffee beans, the determined characteristic should reflect and be related to a method for preparing coffee in the real world. Thus, any characteristics so determined by the method may be applied to the actual production of coffee solution for consumption using a retail grinder or a home grinder.

As will become apparent from consideration of the specification of the invention as a whole, the preferred form of the invention requires emulation of various hardware items used in retail and domestic coffee beverage preparation. Furthermore, the various method steps are configured to reflect actions of a person preparing the coffee beverage.

As described in the background section, coffee solutions are the liquid phase resulting from the extraction of desirable (and sometimes undesirable) compounds from ground coffee beans. It is suggested that determining the density of the whole ground coffee bean may indicate a tendency of coffee compounds to extract moisture from the bulk of the particulate plant seed material. This extraction tendency applies to desired and undesired coffee compounds and is therefore critical in the case of setting a grind (with respect to coarseness or fineness) to extract the desired compounds while leaving the undesired compounds in the legume material. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the undesired compounds are typically extracted late in the brewing process, and thus the grind coarseness or fineness is selected to facilitate extraction of the desired component rather than the undesired component for a given extraction time (typically 25 to 30 seconds). Where the propensity for water extraction is higher, a coarser grind may be used in order to inhibit extraction of the undesired compounds over the extraction time. In coarser grinding, the surface area to volume ratio of the coffee bean particles is relatively low, and therefore the extraction rate of the compound is slower. This delays extraction of undesirable compounds and, therefore, these compounds are more likely not to go into solution. A negative corollary is that the desired compound may be extracted in smaller amounts.

In contrast, in finer grinding, the particles of coffee beans are smaller, the surface area to volume ratio is relatively higher, and therefore the extraction rate of the compound is faster. This increases the extraction of the desired compound and thus provides the possibility for such a compound to go into solution. A negative corollary is that undesired compounds may be extracted in greater quantities.

Therefore, a balance must be achieved to provide a coffee solution with sufficient flavor, but with limited bitter undesired compounds.

As provided by the present invention, a person seeking to prepare a coffee solution in a manner that facilitates extraction of desired compounds, rather than undesired compounds, may determine an appropriate coarseness or fineness setting on a coffee bean grinder with reference to a target density of coffee.

Other parameters, such as the compaction force of the coffee particles, or the mass of the coffee particles, or the extraction time, or the water temperature or water pressure, etc., may be varied to achieve the general purpose of facilitating the extraction of the desired compounds, but not the undesired compounds, however, for reasons of simplicity and repeatability, it is preferred to provide a coffee bean grinder.

The tendency of plant compounds to be extracted from ground coffee beans can be measured by reference to the time required to extract one or more plant compounds (shorter times indicating a higher tendency), or the flow rate of water through the coffee beans (longer times indicating a higher tendency), or the time required to form a given volume of liquid phase (longer times indicating a higher tendency), or the taste and/or aroma of the liquid phase formed by the water flowing through the coffee beans (stronger taste or aroma indicating a higher tendency).

The density of the ground coffee may also reflect the characteristics of the spaces (or "channels") between the coffee bean particles. These spaces together constitute the "void volume" of the mass of the coffee bean particles. These spaces influence how the water passes through the quality of the coffee bean particles. When the space is small, the path that the water must take from the entry point of the water (usually the top end face of the coffee bean particles) to the exit point of the water (usually the bottom end face of the coffee bean particles) is relatively tortuous. A more tortuous path generally increases the residence time of water in the bulk of the coffee beans, thereby increasing the chance that coffee compounds are extracted.

Measuring the density of the ground coffee may be accomplished by any method deemed suitable by a skilled artisan.As is well known in the art, density is calculated with reference to weight per unit volume. For example, 1g of water has a volume of 1cm³. Thus, the density of water can be expressed as 1g/cm³。

As will be appreciated, a method for determining density in a retail or home environment would be a cost effective and easy to implement method.

In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system or apparatus for measuring the density of a mass of particulate plant material, the system or apparatus comprising: having a container having a void configured to retain a quantity of particulate plant material therein, the volume measuring unit being configured to measure the volume occupied by the quantity of particulate plant material disposed in the void of the container. This aspect of the invention may be provided by a device which is substantially unitary, having several components which function in a cooperative manner. Alternatively, the components may be separate but still constitute a system, in which case the components may operate substantially independently.

In order to faithfully reproduce the density of the coffee granules, the container is preferably configured to reproduce the container in which the ground coffee is placed in the extraction machine (in this case, the machine capable of making water, and preferably heating the water, through the mass of coffee granules, with or without the aid of pressure), as observed when used in the actual beverage making process. The container typically includes a void for receiving ground coffee. The void typically has a fixed internal dimension, at least one of which corresponds to the size of the extractor vessel. When the void is cylindrical (typically a filter basket), the diameter of the void corresponds to the diameter of the extractor's filter basket, which is the filter basket used in extractors that produce the actual coffee solution for drinking. The diameter of the experimental vessel void may be about 50mm, 51mm, 52mm, 53mm, 54mm, 55mm, 56mm, 57mm, 58mm, 59mm or 60 mm. Preferably, the diameter is about 53mm or 58mm, more preferably, the diameter is about 58 mm. When the void has two or more diameters, any of the diameters may be the largest of the diameters, or the diameter of the uppermost region of the container.

The voids may be formed to have a profile similar to or substantially the same as the filter basket intended to be replicated. In some embodiments, the lower region of the void is smaller in diameter than the upper region so as to mimic the particular type of filter basket typically used to make coffee beverages.

The depth of the container will be at least commensurate with the depth of the grinder filter basket used to prepare the coffee beverage. Typically, the void will be deeper due to the need to insert the tamper, and in some embodiments the tamper is required to be placed in the void in some manner so that measurements can be read from the scale engraved on the tamper, as will be described further below, compared to the upper edge of the container.

The container is typically made of a rigid and deformation resistant material such as a high impact resistant plastic or a metal such as stainless steel. In some embodiments, a tamper is used to compress a mass of coffee particles, and the voids should retain their geometry and size in the face of an applied force.

In some embodiments, the container has upwardly extending sidewalls capable of (i) retaining uncompressed coffee grounds prior to tamping, and (ii) directing the compression unit downwardly and onto the coffee grounds to mimic the tamping process. The side walls may further function to ensure that the lower surface of the compression unit is parallel to the bottom surface of the container to ensure that the coffee is compressed evenly.

The device or system of the invention may comprise a compression unit, typically in the form of a piston-like device, having a flat lower end surface arranged to contact the coffee particles and to bear against an upper region of the mass of coffee particles. The compression unit is typically configured to fit snugly within the void of the container and to be able to slide up and down in a piston-like manner. The compression unit is typically used to mimic the process of compacting coffee particles into a compressed form, as is typically performed in an espresso extraction process.

At the end opposite the planar lower surface is typically a handle configured to allow a user to apply a downward force thereon and remove the compression device from the void. The flat surface and the handle are typically connected together by a member, rod or other suitable structure.

The compression unit may comprise a mechanism allowing to apply a predetermined force to coffee particles placed in the void. This allows for a duplication of the stamping process, i.e. the user applies about 10 kg, 15 kg or 20 kg of force to the tamping handle.

For example, the compression unit may include a spring that exerts a predetermined force when compressed to a predetermined distance. In this embodiment, one end of the spring is connected to the compression unit handle and the other end is connected to a head region having a flat face. Thus, the handle may be pushed down until the lower edge of the handle contacts the flange on the head region. At this point, a predetermined force has been applied to the coffee particles and the user may release the handle to allow the spring to retract again.

To calculate the density, the volume of the mass of coffee particles compressed was measured. In one embodiment of the system or apparatus of the present invention, the container or compression unit is graduated. In one embodiment, the container may be transparent and the upper edge of the compressed mass of coffee particles may be read against a scale printed on the wall of the container in substantially the same way as the volume of fluid in the burette is read against a scale. The compression unit may be provided with graduations along its length when the container is opaque. The scale may be read against the top edge of the container to indicate the depth of the mass of coffee particles that is compressed. The scale is read with the flat face of the compression unit against the upper surface of the compressed coffee granulate. The shallower the depth of the mass of coffee particles being compressed, the deeper the depth of the compression unit in the void, the lower the number read on the compression unit. Thus, as will be appreciated, the graduations will be graduated with higher numbers toward the lower end of the graduations (i.e., the end of the graduations that is closer to the planar surface), and lower numbers toward the upper end of the graduations (i.e., the end closer to the handle of the compression unit). To improve accuracy, the scale may be configured as a vernier or similar.

The depth of the mass of coffee particles that was compressed was recorded for density calculation.

The weight of the coffee used to form the mass of coffee particles also needs to be recorded in the density calculation. Typically, the weight used should be consistent with the actual espresso extraction process. The weight may be about 10 grams, 11 grams, 12 grams, 13 grams, 14 grams, 15 grams, 16 grams, 17 grams, 18 grams, 19 grams, 20 grams, 21 grams, 22 grams, 23 grams, 24 grams, 25 grams, 26 grams, 27 grams, 28 grams, 29 grams, or 30 grams. In the preparation of coffee solutions, a weight of about 15 grams to about 25 grams is typically used.

The coffee may be weighed in a separate container and then transferred to the container. More conveniently, the coffee may be weighed on site, by first placing the container on the platform of a weighing means (e.g. a balance) and then adjusting the balance to zero. The coffee particles are then added to the container while the user reads the scale until the desired weight is reached.

The invention can be further extended to the characterization of higher plant material (and preferably coffee beans) in the supply chain. For example, the container of the present invention may be used to measure the density of raw beans and roasted beans. Traditionally, raw beans are traded from raw bean traders, typically using bulk density readings, usually expressed in terms of one hundred liters (1 one hundred liters to 100 liters). This was done to show the density of the raw beans as part of the product table. This information, and other information on the product table, helps the coffee bean roaster to determine the roasting profile. The greater the density of the coffee beans, the higher the hectoliter reading, and generally the greater the heat required for roasting.

Bulk density to density contrast

The applicant has proposed that bulk density measurements performed according to the prior art are inherently deficient. Bulk density is the collection of beans, i.e., the "volume" of beans, which includes the air voids in the total measurement. These air voids can cause calculation errors because they are contained in the total volume used to calculate the density, but their density is essentially zero. Larger or smaller beans have different sized spaces, which in turn will give different density readings depending on the different volumes of void space. A smaller space would naturally provide more beans per volume, thus indicating a higher bulk density, while in fact this may not be the case. It has been found that by taking into account the interstitial spacing between beans, a more accurate bean density reading can be provided. Referring to example 2 in the present invention, this example 2 specifies a method of calculating true bean density by calculating the void volume of the space existing between beans using water and then calculating the bean density in a manner that does not take into account the confounding effect of the void space.

The use of a bushy cup and a bushy density cup not only has the advantage of determining raw bean density and baked bean density, but in combination with hygrometer readings and baking weight loss information, the baking profile can be customized to obtain a brew profile that can accurately replicate different bean densities.

From raw beans to roasted coffee beverages

Since the bushy and bushy density cups have been used to create specific density readings for espresso, the present invention provides a method for generating roasting and brewing profiles covering the entire span from green beans to roasted beans to ground beans, by using accurately determined densities of the entire beans and ground beans, to characterize the coffee in a consistent manner, from a green bean state for roasting to a ground state for brewing coffee beverage. Accordingly, in one aspect, the present invention provides a method of characterizing plant legume material, the method comprising the steps of (i) measuring the density of legumes of the plant legume material in a manner that does not take into account the presence of air space surrounding the legumes, and (ii) measuring the density of a ground material prepared from the plant legume material. Preferably, the measuring step of step (i) is measured by the method of the present invention. Preferably, the measuring step of step (ii) is measured by the method of the invention.

Referring now to FIG. 1A, FIG. 1A shows an exemplary experimental vessel, and FIG. 1B shows a compression device adapted for use with the vessel.

Referring first to the test vessel 10, the vessel is generally cup-shaped having a cylindrical wall 20 defining an upper rim 25, the upper rim 25 being on the circumference of an opening 30. A large cylindrical void 35 is defined by the wall 20 and the floor 40.

In this embodiment, the compression device that mates with the container is a modified tamper 100 having a handle 110 with a handle member 115 in sliding engagement with a sleeve 120, the sleeve 120 in turn being connected to a head 125. The head 125 terminates in a flat surface 130.

The handle 110 and handle member 115 (which are secured together) may be moved up and down by a user. The handle 110 and handle member 115 are biased in an upward direction (as shown) by an internal spring (not shown). When the user pushes the handle 110 downward, the downward force is transferred to the inner spring and then from the spring to the head 125. The handle 110 is pushed downward only to the extent that the lower edge 112 of the handle 110 collides with the upper edge 122 of the sleeve 120. At this time, a predetermined force is applied to the head 125. In one embodiment, the tamping mechanism may be provided with an internal spacer (not shown) that cooperates with the spring. Different spacers may be used to provide different tamping pressures, thereby simulating different pressures available in the industry for preparing, for example, coffee solutions, and allowing the user to set the tamper to a particular tamping pressure. In another embodiment, to minimize measurement error, a set spring is used and the tamper is calibrated to a specific pressure (suitably 15 kg).

The method of determining the density of a quantity of coffee particles using the container 10 and the tamper 100 is as follows.

Example 1: method for determining the density of grinding of coffee beans

This exemplary method requires a test vessel 10 as shown in fig. 1A and a matching tamper 100 as shown in fig. 1B.

Step 1: the container 10 is placed on a balance 200 and the balance 200 is tared to zero as shown in fig. 2A.

Step 2: the container 10 contains a quantity of ground coffee 300, which is typically used for filter basket extraction. The weight of the ground coffee (18.6 grams in this example) was recorded and entered into the density calculation application, as shown in figure 2B.

And step 3: the container 10 is removed from the balance 200 and placed on a firm surface and gently shaken in a side-to-side fashion to gently level the contained ground coffee. As shown in fig. 2C, the tamper head 125 is inserted into the container void 30.

And 4, step 4: the tamper handle 110 is pushed downward until the lower edge 112 of the handle 110 just contacts the upper edge 122 of the sleeve 120, as shown in fig. 2D. This indicates that a predetermined compressive force (a downward force indicated by the small arrow) has been applied to the ground coffee. The tamper bar 100 may be adjusted to apply a force of 10 kg, 15 kg or 20 kg. The industry standard is typically 15 kilograms, and a compaction force value of 15 kilograms is used in this example.

And 5: the tamper handle 110 is released and the scale marked on the outside of the tamper head 125 is read relative to the top edge 25 of the container 10 as shown in figure 2E. First, the user reads the entire numeric scale, i.e., the entire number above the top edge, and then reads 1/10 units flush with the top edge. In this example, the measurement would be 6.1 mm. This is the tamper length value and is entered into the application software. As shown, the scale includes integers from 5 to 12mm (showing 5mm and 10mm), 1/10 units (i.e. 0.1mm),1/20 units (i.e. 0.2mm) and 1/30 units (i.e. 0.3 mm). In one embodiment, 1/40 cells (i.e., 0.4mm) may be displayed. In practice, the entire numerical scale may be 5 to 35, with 5,10,15,20,25,30 and 35 numbers shown. In one embodiment, the integers 5,10,15,20, and 25 are shown. Further, in one embodiment, only 1/10 cells and/or 1/20 cells are shown.

The bulk density formula D ═ M/V can now be satisfied (by software means) according to the following formula:

D＝M/(πr²×TL)

wherein:

d is the density of the compressed ground coffee particles (at the tamper force used),

m is the mass of ground coffee (in grams) used in the test,

r is the radius of the container gap (in mm)

T L is the value of the length of the tamper read from the scale after compression with a 15 kg tamper.

In this example, the aim was to replicate the conditions of a standard 58mm filter basket, so a vessel with a 58mm (radius 29mm) void diameter was used.

Thus, D is solved as follows:

D＝18.6g/(πx 29mm²x 6.1mm)*0.001

D＝18.6g/16.1136

D＝1.154

referring now to fig. 3A and 3B, an exemplary assay container 400 is shown in isolation, and is generally cylindrical and has an opening 415 defined by a wall 420. Void 430 is defined by wall 420 and floor 425. The container 400 is milled from solid stainless steel.

Example 2: method for determining coffee bean density

This exemplary method entails an experimental container 10, as shown in fig. 1A, and a mesh screen mounted within the container.

Step 1: the empty test container with the mesh screen was placed on a balance and then tared to zero.

Step 2: the mesh screen was removed, the experimental container was filled with beans, and the mesh screen was placed on top of the beans. The weight of the beans was recorded. In this example, the weight is 83.3 grams.

And 4, step 4: the experimental vessel was filled to the edge with water. The weight of beans plus water was recorded. In this example, the weight is 144.7 grams.

And 5: the density of the whole bean (which may be raw or baked) was calculated using the following formula.

BD is bean density

BW is the weight of beans

WW is wet weight

The volume of the container is 131

BD＝BW/(131-(WW-BW))

＝83.3/(131-(144.7-83.3))

＝83.3/(131-61.4)

＝83.3/69.6

＝1.19

Referring now to fig. 4, an exemplary tamper configured to fit snugly within the cylindrical void 430 of the experimental container 400 shown in fig. 3B is shown. The tamper 500 had a cylindrical head 505 milled from solid stainless steel and had a smooth outer wall 510 and a lower tamping surface 515 that contacted the ground coffee contained in the test vessel 400. In use, the outer wall 510 of the head 505 slidingly engages the inner wall of the void 430 of the test container 400 of fig. 3B to ensure that the tamping surface 515 remains parallel to the floor 425 of the container 400, which in turn ensures uniform tamping of the ground coffee. The tamper 500 has a cylindrical rod 520, the rod 520 being firmly screwed into the threads 525 of the head 505. The shaft 520 has an axial cylindrical lumen into which the handle member 530 extends. The handle member 530 is slidably engaged and coaxially movable within the lumen of the rod 520. When the handle member 530 is in the most downward position (which occurs when the user pushes downward), the handle member 530 exerts tamping pressure (through the surface 515) on the ground coffee below.

A mechanism may be incorporated into the tamper 500 to ensure that a predetermined maximum tamping pressure is applied to the ground coffee below by the surface 515. For example, the mechanism may include a spring connection that connects the handle member 520 and the cylindrical rod 530 and limits the maximum pressure that can be applied by a user pushing down. In some embodiments, the mechanism is adjustable to allow a user to select a predetermined maximum tamping pressure. Of course, the present invention is not limited to any particular mechanism.

Given the technical advantages of the present description, the person skilled in the art will be able to design a container for simulating a container used in the production of beverages, or indeed any other liquid phase derived from the extraction of plant material. Those skilled in the art will also be able to design a tamper that will fit any such container.

Example 3: using the device according to the invention for setting a mill for plant material, which is dependent on the roughness or fineness of the resulting ground material

Each coffee grinder manufacturer has their own marking on their grinder to provide an indication as to where to set the grinding. These markings (usually numbers and/or letters, such as lines/strings) are usually placed circularly around the ring of the grinder plate, which is equipped with a top fixing burr on its bottom side. The markings represent "rough" grind sizes and cannot be used as an accurate reference tool for the coffee maker, as the markings on grinders between different manufacturers may vary greatly depending on the ring size and the helical pitch plate used. These markings indicate the direction of the pitch thread. By moving the ring towards the course marker, the spacing of the burrs is further apart and the particle size of the resulting abrasive material is larger by opening the top burr plate. Conversely, by moving the rings toward opposite or finer marks, the burr plates are moved closer together and the resulting abrasive material will have a smaller particle size. In use, the smaller particle size of the finer ground material exhibits a larger surface area, resulting in a larger extraction volume and a stronger coffee.

For a particular grinder, the coffeemaker may mark the ring (even on the body of the grinder) to indicate the point where the resulting grounds have the desired particle size for extracting a particular coffee strength and quality, and may mark additional points where the grounds are too coarse or too fine. Unfortunately, while these markings may serve as a guide, the point at which the resulting grind has the desired particle size for extraction may continue to change, for example, with coffee use, blade wear, ring size, pitch plate use, weather conditions, and friction, all of which may create variables for particle clumps and volumes. The marking is only associated with the coffee in the grinder at that time (which differs according to the density of the coffee). Furthermore, the mark is specific to the particular mill used and cannot be transferred to another mill. The coffeemaker may need to make slight adjustments to the applied markings several times a day to ensure the desired particle size for coffee extraction. In this case, the marking can be adjusted by only a few millimeters.

By using the device of the invention, the coffee grinder can be set with respect to the roughness or fineness of the resulting ground matter on the basis of the target density. 20 grams of each ground coffee bean was placed into the test container of FIG. 1A and tamped to a specified pressure. The volume is then recorded with a volume scale provided on the apparatus and the density is then calculated.

The calculation results are as follows:

abrasive article	Volume of	Density of
			Too thin	13.5mm	0.560
Desired abrasive article	13.9mm	0.544
			Too coarse	14.3mm	0.529

As is clear from the table, the density decreases as the grinding process proceeds. The device of the present invention can provide a target density for grinding a particular batch of coffee. The target density value may then be used by different coffee makers, including less skilled coffee makers, to set the grind for the batch of coffee grinds.

The method of using the apparatus of the present invention can be reused between different grinders and no longer requires the coffee maker to include its own grinder signature. The density readings can also be used in coffee tests to check burr wear, geometry, and provide a valuable standardized measurement system to calibrate from roasted bean density to coffee extraction.

It should be appreciated that in the description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, various features of the invention are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of one or more of the various inventive aspects. This method of disclosure, however, is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment.

Moreover, although some embodiments described herein include some but not other features included in other embodiments, combinations of features of different embodiments are meant to be within the scope of the invention and form different embodiments, as will be understood by those skilled in the art. For example, in the following claims, any of the claimed embodiments may be used in any combination.

In the description provided herein, numerous specific details are set forth. However, it is understood that embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, structures and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure an understanding of this description.

Thus, while there has been described what is believed to be the preferred embodiments of the invention, those skilled in the art will recognize that other and further modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is intended to claim all such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the invention. Functions may be added to or deleted from the figures and operations may be interchanged among the functional blocks. Steps may be added or deleted to methods described within the scope of the invention.

The claims (modification according to treaty clause 19)

1. A system or apparatus for measuring the density of a mass of particulate plant material prior to being placed in an extractor, the system or apparatus comprising:

a container having a void configured to retain the weighed or weighable quantity of particulate plant material in the container;

a volume determination unit configured to determine a volume occupied by the quantity of particulate plant material that has been placed within the void of the container; and

a compression unit configured to compress the mass of particulate plant material placed in the void of the container.

2. The system or apparatus of claim 1, wherein the compression unit is configured to substantially uniformly compress the mass of particulate plant material placed in the void of the container.

3. The system or apparatus of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the compression unit comprises a substantially flat compression surface configured to contact the mass of particulate plant material placed in the void of the container.

4. The system or apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the compression unit is configured to apply a predetermined compressive force to the mass of particulate plant material placed in the void of the container.

5. The system or apparatus of claim 4, wherein the compression unit is configured to be adjustable, thereby allowing a user-selectable compressive force to be applied to the mass of particulate plant material placed within the void of the container.

6. A system or apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the container and/or the compression unit is configured to allow a user to determine the volume occupied by the mass of particulate plant material that has been compressed in the void of the container.

7. The system or apparatus of claim 6, wherein the container or the compression unit includes a user-understandable scale configured to allow a user to determine a volume occupied by the compressed mass of particulate plant material within the void of the container.

8. A system or apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the compression unit includes a scale readable by reference to a rim or mark on the container.

9. The system or apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the voids of the container have one or more dimensions similar to or substantially the same as extractor containers used in preparing solutions produced from the particulate plant material.

10. A system or apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the void is substantially circular in plan view.

11. A system or apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the diameter of the void is similar to or substantially the same as the diameter of an extractor vessel used in preparing the solution produced from the particulate plant material.

12. A system or apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11 wherein the void has at least a depth similar to or substantially the same as that of an extractor vessel used in preparing the solution produced from the particulate plant material.

13. A system or apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the particulate plant material is prepared from plant seeds.

14. A system or apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the particulate plant material is prepared from coffee beans.

15. The system or apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the extractor vessel is an espresso coffee basket.

16. A system or apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 15, characterised in that the system or apparatus includes a weighing apparatus configured to weigh the quantity of particulate plant material placed in the container.

17. The system or apparatus of claim 16, wherein the weighing unit is a scale with a peeling function.

18. A system or apparatus according to claim 16 or claim 17, comprising a density calculation unit configured to accept as inputs (i) volume data provided by the volume determination unit and (ii) weight data provided by the weighing unit, and to provide as an output (iii) a density calculated from the volume data and the weight data.

19. The system or apparatus of claim 18, wherein the density calculation unit is embodied in application software executable on a processor-enabled device.

20. A system or appliance as claimed in claim 19 wherein the processor-enabled device is a mobile device.

21. A system or apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein the mass of particulate plant material is prepared by grinding plant material.

22. The system or apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein the quantity of particulate plant material is not contacted with water.

23. A system or apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein there is or is not compression by the compression unit when used to determine the density of the mass of particulate plant material.

24. The system or apparatus of claim 23, wherein the quantity of particulate plant material is coffee, and the system or apparatus is used to determine the density of one or more of whole beans, green beans, roasted beans, or ground beans.

25. The system or apparatus of claim 24, wherein the density of the whole beans is determined with and without added water, respectively.

26. A system or apparatus according to claim 23, 24 or 25, wherein the degree of compression in use is similar to or substantially the same as that applied to the mass of particulate plant material used in a solution produced from the preparation of the mass of particulate plant material.

27. A method of determining the density of a mass of particulate plant material prior to placing the mass into an extractor, the method comprising the steps of:

measuring the weight of the quantity of particulate plant material;

measuring the volume of said mass of particulate plant material, an

Calculating the density of the mass of particulate plant material by placing a quantity of particulate plant material into the void of a container according to any one of claims 1 to 22.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising, prior to measuring the volume of the plant material, the step of compressing the mass of particulate plant material using the compression unit.

29. A method for setting a mill for plant material with respect to the roughness or fineness of the resulting ground material, characterized in that the method comprises the steps of:

providing a plant material,

grinding the plant material using a grinder arrangement to provide a batch of tested particulate plant material,

assessing the density of the batch of tested particulate plant material by a system or apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 22, or by a method according to claim 27 or 28, and

adjusting the mill settings as necessary to provide a target density for the particulate plant material.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the grinder is a coffee bean grinder of the type used in a retail or home environment.