US Patent 6964222 Tea brew basket

The tea brew basket operates in conjunction with a coffee maker. The coffee maker includes a vertical superstructure and an overhanging sub-structure which delivers heated water to a carafe located beneath the sub-structure. The tea brewing system includes a tea brewer basket with a hanger complementary to the basket hanger on the coffee maker, a chute and a tea leaf retaining basket loosely fit within the chute. A controllable latch releases the tea leaf retaining basket from the chute and into the brewer basket. A controller operates a drain valve at the bottom of the brewer basket. Sensors and operator selections control either the brew time, brew temperature or both prior to opening the drain valve.