Apparatus for the preparation of hot beverages, particularly a coffee

Abstract

The invention provides a coffee machine, with a housing, a fresh water supply reservoir mounted therein, a heating means adapted to heat the fresh water and a feeding pump to supply the heated fresh water to a brewing chamber under pressure. The brewing chamber comprises a closure means and an inlet for coffee powder as well as an outlet for coffee. If appropriate, an installation for pushing out and removing, respectively, the leached-out coffee powder out of the brewing chamber and from the brewing chamber, respectively, may be provided. All parts of the apparatus which are subjected to contamination by the coffee powder or by the coffee, namely the brewing chamber, the closure element, the coffee powder inlet, the coffee outlet and eventually the installation for pushing-out and removing the coffee powder, are combined to a modular unit, which is removably inserted into the housing of the apparatus. The remaining parts, particularly the water reservoir, the heater and the pump as well as the required driving, control and operating elements are fixedly installed in the housing and are adapted to be operatively coupled to the modular unit upon insertion thereof into the housing. Thereby the contaminated parts can be cleaned easily and without danger, since the modular unit can be pulled out of the apparatus and rinsed as a whole.