A device (1; 1′) is shown and described for metering and/or preparing a medium to be prepared, in particular baby food, in particular baby milk formula or semi-solid baby food, coffee and/or tea, the device comprising a housing (3) with a first receiving region (5; 5′) and a second receiving region (7; 7′), wherein the first receiving region (5; 5′) is configured for receiving a first container (9; 9′) for a first component of the medium to be prepared, and wherein the second receiving region (7; 7′) is configured for receiving a second container (11) for a fluid, a temperature control device for controlling the temperature of the fluid, a metering device (29; 29′) for metering the first component, wherein the first receiving region (5; 5′) has a metering device receiving region (27; 27′) for receiving the metering device (29; 29′), and wherein an actuating and/or drive device (39) for the metering device (29; 29′) is arranged in the metering device receiving region (27; 27′).

A method for producing a coffee beverage in a coffee machine including: a brewing device having a brewing chamber that receives ground coffee and includes a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet; a fluid system having a fluid feed line connected to the inlet and a fluid conveyor conveying a heated fluid through the feed line. The method includes: (a) introducing ground coffee into the chamber, (b) conveying heated fluid through the feed line into the chamber for brewing the ground coffee in the chamber and dispensing the beverage through the fluid outlet. Before step (a), heated fluid is fed through the feed line into the chamber and at least a part of this heated fluid is dispensed through a drainage outlet separate from the fluid outlet and fluidly communicating with the chamber and/or the feed line, to preheat the feed line and the brewing device before beverage preparation.

The invention concerns a beverage preparation machine (100) for preparing a beverage from a beverage ingredient powder, said machine comprising:—at least one container (1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) configured for storing a beverage ingredient powder and comprising a powder outlet (11, 11a, 11b, 11c, 11d) for dispensing at least one dose of said beverage ingredient powder, and—a rotating device (2) to rotate said at least one container (1) around a rotational axis (XX′), wherein said rotational axis is inclined with respect to vertical and said rotational axis is positioned externally to said at least one container.

A container includes a receptacle and a cover. The receptacle includes a base and a sidewall. The base has an interior surface and a passageway in an interior area of the base. The passageway provides fluid communication from an interior of the receptacle to an exterior of the receptacle. The sidewall extends upward from the interior surface of the base. The cover is configured to sealingly engage with a top edge of the sidewall, and includes a cover opening. The container is configured to accept input fluid through the cover opening and to provide a corresponding outflow of fluid through the passageway. The passageway allows the outflow fluid to flow from the container while accommodating an outflow needle of a beverage brewer.

The invention relates to a grinding and extraction apparatus for roasted coffee beans comprising a grinding device (60) and an associated extraction device (70); the grinding device (60) comprising one or more housings for receiving one or more beans containers (10, 20) with roasted coffee beans of the same or different types; the grinding device (60) comprising a reader (62) to obtain the information of the product parameters of the roasted coffee beans of the one or more beans containers (10, 20); the grinding device (60) further comprising a control unit configured to adapt the grinding size and the quantity of roasted coffee beans for obtaining a certain coffee blend from each beans container to be grinded according to these product parameters and/or according to a recipes database (64) comprising the beverage information associated to the beverage to be prepared; the grinding device (60) further comprising an encoder (62) to encode the beverage information on programmable identification means (65) on a product holder (61) in the grinding device (60), to where the grinded coffee is sent; the extraction device (70) being configured for receiving the product holder (61) and comprising reading means (72) to identify the beverage information in the said product holder identification means (65), the extraction device (70) further comprising a control unit to extract the beverage according to the beverage information retrieved and/or from the beverage information retrieved from a beverage database in this control unit. Moreover, the invention relates to a method for grinding roasted coffee beans and preparing a beverage from them using a grinding and extraction apparatus as the one described, and also refers to the use of a grinding and extraction apparatus as the one described for delivering a certain beverage from roasted coffee beans.

A method for controlling a beverage maker involves the steps of preparing a first beverage having a first value of a beverage-preparation parameter, preparing a second beverage having a second value of the beverage-preparation parameter different than the first value, receiving a user input that selects the first or the second beverage, and storing the beverage-preparation parameter of the selected beverage as a specification for the preparation of the beverage. A beverage maker includes a beverage-preparation device with at least one variable beverage-preparation parameter, which can assume at least two different values, and a control device configured to carry out the method.

The invention relates to a product container (1) for multiple dosing of a food product, comprising an inner volume (3) with a food product, this inner volume (3) being pressurized with nitrogen gas; the product container (1) further comprising a rotatable outlet element (7, 30) able to move from a position where the outlet of the container is open to a position where the outlet of the container is closed, being able to open and close the volume of the container under pressure; the pressure inside the container being higher than the atmospheric pressure. The invention further relates to a multi-serving product dispenser system for multiple dosing of a food product, comprising a product container (1) according as disclosed and a dosing mechanism (50), the container (1) being connectable to the dosing mechanism (50) by means of the rotatable outlet element (7, 30) in a tight manner, the dosing mechanism (50) comprising a moveable element (23) which movement is sequential with that of the rotatable outlet element (7, 30) such that the product can be stored, and can be dispensed into a dosing chamber (70) in the dosing mechanism (50), keeping the inner volume (3) of the container at a pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure. The invention also relates to a method for dispensing a food product one or a plurality of times using a multi-serving dispenser system as described.

The present invention relates to a dispensing and preparation apparatus for powdered food or beverage products, the apparatus comprising a dispensing device (60) and an associated preparation or extraction device (70); the dispensing device (60) comprising one or more housings for receiving one or more containers (10, 20) with a powdered food or beverage product; the dispensing device (60) comprising a reader (62) to obtain the information of the product parameters of the powdered food or beverage products from the one or plurality of containers (10, 20); the dispensing device (60) further comprising a control unit configured to dispense a certain amount of powdered food or beverage product from each container (10, 20) according to these product parameters and/or according to a recipes database (64) as a function of the beverage to be prepared; the dispensing device (60) further comprising an encoder (63) to encode the beverage information on programmable identification means (65) on a product holder (61) in the dispensing device (60), to where the dispensed powdered food or beverage product is sent; the preparation or extraction device (70) being configured for receivingthe product holder (61) and comprising reading means (72) to identify the beverage information in the said product holder identification means (65), the extraction device (70) further comprising a control unit to extract the beverage according to the beverage information retrieved from the product holder (61) and/or from the beverage information retrieved from a beverage database in this control unit. The invention further relates to a method for dispensing powdered food or beverage products and preparing a beverage from them using a dispensing and extraction apparatus as the one described. The invention also relates to the use of a dispensing and extraction apparatus as the one described for delivering a certain beverage from powdered food or beverage products.

A coffee grinding machine (10) and an espresso coffee machine are described. The coffee grinding machine comprises a first grinder and second grinder cooperating with each other so as to grind coffee beans, obtaining a first dose of ground coffee during a first grinding cycle. The coffee grinding machine comprises a motor which rotates one of the grinders relative to the other one at a rotation speed. The coffee grinder machine is configured to modify the rotation speed so as to perform a second grinding cycle in which a second dose of ground coffee is obtained. The rotation speed is modified depending on quantitative information received from the espresso coffee machine and based on a coffee preparation cycle performed with said first dose of ground coffee, wherein the quantitative information may be a flow value measured in the espresso coffee machine or a brew ratio value.

A coffee brewing system and method that includes a brew chamber that holds a brew solution during a brew cycle and dispenses the brew solution; a water system that dispenses water into the brew chamber; a content sensing system that measures the brew solution contents added to the brew chamber; a temperature control system with a heating element and a temperature sensor; at least one recirculating processing loop with a particle monitor system, wherein the recirculating processing loop circulates brew solution extracted from the brew chamber; and a control system that is communicatively coupled to the content sensing system, the temperature control system and the particle monitor system during a brew cycle, wherein the control system controls a brew cycle based on a selected a specified taste profile.