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Typical current methods for producing large quantities of extracts from solid raw materials such as ground, roasted coffee are designed for exhaustive extraction. Such methods are not ideally suited to producing high quality coffee extracts that are rich in flavor and fragrance, and which maintain t

Typical current methods for producing large quantities of extracts from solid raw materials such as ground, roasted coffee are designed for exhaustive extraction. Such methods are not ideally suited to producing high quality coffee extracts that are rich in flavor and fragrance, and which maintain the varietal characteristics of the roasted coffee from which they are produced. The current invention provides methods and apparatus for producing such high quality extracts. The invention provides methods that have sufficient flexibility and scalability to be used for a wide variety of applications, including for producing industrial-scale quantities of extracts for the food and beverage industry. The invention provides methods and apparatus that can produce highly concentrated, “gourmet quality” extracts for use as flavoring agents, beverage concentrates, and fragrances.

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1. A method of extracting a consumable material from a solid raw material comprising acts of:providing a quantity of solid raw material in a surrounding gaseous environment at essentially atmospheric pressure; supplying an aqueous solvent to the quantity of solid raw material in the surrounding gase

1. A method of extracting a consumable material from a solid raw material comprising acts of:providing a quantity of solid raw material in a surrounding gaseous environment at essentially atmospheric pressure; supplying an aqueous solvent to the quantity of solid raw material in the surrounding gaseous environment at essentially atmospheric pressure, so as to at least partially replace the gaseous environment surrounding the raw material with the aqueous solvent, thereby forming a combination of the solvent and the solid raw material; pressurizing the combination of the solvent and the quantity of solid raw material to a pressure level of at least about 50 psig; exposing the quantity of solid raw material to the pressurized solvent and maintainining the pressure level for a desired period of time under non-flow conditions; and establishing a flow of an aqueous extract from the quantity of solid raw material. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the aqueous extract comprises at least 10 % wt dissolved consumable material.3. The method of claim 2, wherein in the providing act, the material is formed as a bed.4. The method of claim 2, wherein said solid raw material is roasted coffee.5. The method of claim 2, wherein in the supplying act, the volume of aqueous solvent is equal to or greater than the void volume present in said bed.6. The method of claim 4, wherein said roasted coffee is ground.7. The method of claim 4, wherein said roasted coffee is unground.8. The method of claim 7, said roasted coffee is whole bean coffee.9. The method of claim 4, wherein said roasted coffee is an Arabica coffee.10. The method of claim 2, wherein said aqueous solvent is water having a temperature exceeding room temperature.11. The method of claim 10, where the temperature of said water is between 190 and 212 degrees F.12. The method of claim 2, further comprising repeating the providing, supplying, pressurizing, exposing, and establishing acts and using said aqueous extract as the aqueous solvent in the supplying act.13. The method of claim 2, wherein in the pressurizing act, the solvent and the quantity of solid raw material are pressurized to a pressure level of at least about 100 psig.14. The method of claim 13, wherein in the pressurizing act, the solvent and the quantity of solid raw material are pressurized to a pressure level of at least about 120 psig.15. The method of claim 2, wherein in the pressurizing act, the solvent and the quantity of solid raw material are pressurized to a pressure level of between about 120 psig and about 132 psig.16. The method of claim 13, wherein in the pressurizing act, the solvent and the quantity of solid raw material are pressurized to a pressure level of at least about 150 psig.17. The method of claim 16, wherein in the pressurizing act, the solvent and the quantity of solid raw material are pressurized to a pressure level of at least about 1000 psig.18. The method of claim 2, wherein in the pressurizing act, the solvent and the quantity of solid raw material are pressurized to a pressure level of between about 150 psig and about 1000 psig.19. The method of claim 2, wherein in the providing act, the quantity of solid raw material is provided in an enclosed container, and wherein in the pressurizing act, the enclosed container containing the combination of the solvent and the quantity of solid raw material is pressurized to the pressure level.20. The method of claim 19, wherein in the pressurizing act, the combination of the solvent and the quantity of solid raw material is pressurized to the pressure level by supplying a fluid under pressure to the enclosed volume.21. The method of claim 20, wherein the fluid under pressure comprises pressurized aqueous solvent.22. The method of claim 20, wherein the fluid under pressure comprises a pressurized inert gas.23. The method of claim 19, wherein in the establishing act, the enclosed container and the combination of the solvent and the quantity of solid raw material is depressurized from the pressure level by opening an outlet valve of the enclosed container and initiating a flow of the aqueous extract, which is driven, at least in part, by the pressure within the enclosed container.24. A method of extracting a consumable material from a solid raw material comprising acts of:providing a quantity of solid raw material in an enclosed container; supplying an aqueous solvent to the enclosed container and the quantity of solid raw material, thereby forming a combination of the solvent and the solid raw material; pressurizing the enclosed container and the combination of the solvent and the quantity of solid raw material to a pressure level of at least about 50 psig; exposing the quantity of solid raw material to the pressurized solvent and maintaining the pressure level for a desired period of time under non-flow conditions; and depressurizing the enclosed container and the combination of the solvent and the quantity of solid raw material from the pressure level by opening an outlet valve on an outlet line of the enclosed container and establishing a flow of an aqueous extract from the quantity of solid raw material through the outlet line, which flow is driven, at least in part, by the pressure within the enclosed container. 25. The method of claim 24, wherein the aqueous extract comprises at least about 10 % wt dissolved consumable material.26. The method of claim 25, wherein the solid raw material is roasted coffee.27. The method of claim 26, wherein the roasted coffee is ground.28. The method of claim 26, wherein the roasted coffee is unground.29. The method of claim 24, wherein the aqueous solvent is water having a temperature between 190 and 212 degrees F.30. The method of claim 25, wherein the enclosed container has an internal volume that remains essentially constant during performance of the method.31. The method of claim 25, wherein during the depressurizing act, the aqueous extract is collected through the outlet line until the pressure in the enclosed container is equilibrated with atmospheric pressure.32. A method of extracting a consumable material from a solid raw material comprising acts of:providing a quantity of solid raw material in a surrounding gaseous environment at a first pressure; supplying an aqueous solvent at a second pressure substantially different than the first pressure to the quantity of solid raw material, thereby forming a combination of the solvent and the solid raw material; pressurizing the combination of the solvent and the quantity of solid raw material to a pressure level of at least about 50 psig; exposing the quantity of solid raw material to the pressurized solvent and maintaining the pressure level for a desired period of time under non-flow conditions; and establishing a flow of an aqueous extract from the quantity of from the quantity of solid raw material. 33. The method of claim 32, wherein the aqueous extract comprises at least about 10 % wt dissolved consumable material.34. The method of claim 33, wherein the solid raw material is roasted coffee.35. The method of claim 34, wherein the roasted coffee is ground.36. The method of claim 34, wherein the roasted coffee is unground.37. The method of claim 34, wherein the aqueous solvent is water having a temperature between 190 and 212 degrees F.