The present invention pertains to a brew head assembly comprising a gear-driven locking assembly and a sealing assembly, whereby the brew head assembly is capable of sustaining pressures up to 20 bars. The locking assembly comprises a lever, drive rod having a gear or a gear-toothed surface, drive rod clamp, lock plate having a gear-toothed surface or a gear on its upper surface, lock plate or gear stopper, lid mount, and brew head bottom, all operatively linked to form the locking assembly. In a preferred embodiment, the lock plate is in the form of a sliding member or rotating disk. Gear or gear-toothed surface on the lock plate mates or meshes with the corresponding gear or gear-toothed surface on the drive rod, such that movement of the lever translates rotation of the drive rod and into either a linear or rotational movement of the lock plate between a locked or unlocked position.