Coffeeseur here. There is nothing novel about these methods, they all combine prior art. It is not that different from trying to patent a recipe.<p>And on a side note, Starbucks has gone downhill a lot since its inception. It depends which store you go to, as each one has differing levels of quality, but in general the quality control is very poor (I notice many employees pouring espresso, pre-made, from a pitcher -- espresso will go flat fairly quick this way). I have recently become a fan of Pete's although their locations also vary in quality. The taste difference between my local Pete's and Starbuck's is very apparent.