An assembly for frothing milk, including an air supply assembly including an air channel having an air inlet and a downstream end. The assembly also includes a fluid channel extending from a fluid inlet to a fluid outlet. The fluid channel subsequently includes an air inlet emanation point to which the downstream end of the air channel is connected, a frothing unit including a pump and a flow-through heating unit. The flow-through heating unit bounds a heating unit fluid channel that is a part of the fluid channel and has a small thermal mass and a steep temperature profile.

The production method of hot milk with or without froth, with a Venturi effect emulsifying device suitable for sending, into a mixing chamber, a flow of steam so as to aspirate, by Venturi effect, milk and air or only milk, comprises a production cycle of hot milk with froth and a production cycle of hot milk without froth being carried out by supplying an equal flow of steam of equal duration into a mixing chamber having equal volume, equal conformation and equal inlet section of the milk but a different outflow section of the milk.

Various beverage preparation systems and methods are disclosed. The beverage preparation system can include a dispensing unit configured to receive beverage, such as a shot of espresso, from a beverage preparation machine. The dispensing unit can include a dispensing unit with a first end and a second end. The dispensing unit can be rotatable between an upright position and an inverted position. The dispensing unit can be configured to receive the beverage through the second end when the dispensing unit is in the upright position, and can be configured to receive cleansing fluid through the second end when the dispensing unit is in the inverted position. In some embodiments, when the dispensing unit is in an intermediate position between the upright and inverted positions, the dispensing unit is configured to dispense the beverage out of the first end and into a cup or other vessel.

Disclosed is a device and method for cleaning a steam wand of a beverage brewing apparatus. The device includes a first reservoir, a larger elastically deformable reservoir, a scrubbing means, a first one-way valve, and a second one-way valve. The first reservoir is adapted to closely encapsulate the steam wand. The first reservoir is open at one end to receive the steam wand. The larger elastically deformable reservoir is adapted to contain a larger sterile portion of a cleaning solution. The scrubbing means adapted to mechanically loosen milk residue through a scrubbing action. The first one-way valve is operable to connect the larger elastically deformable reservoir to the first reservoir. The second one-way valve is operable to allow air to flow into the larger elastically deformable reservoir.

Various beverage preparation systems and methods are disclosed. The beverage preparation system can include a container assembly configured to receive beverage, such as a milk. The container assembly can be removably engaged with a base. The container assembly can be temporarily removed from the base to facilitate transport of the beverage residing therein. The container assembly can be configured to receive a flow of steam, air, or additional gasses and vapors when the container assembly is mounted on the base.

The milk frothing device includes a mixing part comprising a mixing chamber, a hot water/vapor inlet orifice and a main flow conduit connecting the hot water/vapor inlet orifice to the mixing chamber; a closure part movable relative to the mixing part between a closed position in which the closure part closes the mixing chamber and the main flow conduit and an open position in which the mixing chamber and the main flow conduit are open; a milk supply conduit; a seal extending around the mixing chamber and the main flow conduit and a holding system configured to hold the closure part in the closed position.

The milk frothing device includes a mixing part having a mixing chamber, a hot water/vapor inlet orifice and a main flow conduit connecting the hot water/vapor inlet orifice to the mixing chamber; a closure part movable relative to the mixing part between a closed position in which the closure part closes the mixing chamber and the main flow conduit and an open position in which the mixing chamber and the main flow conduit are open; a milk supply conduit and an air supply conduit connected to the main flow conduit; and a seal extending around the mixing chamber and the main flow conduit.

The beverage appliance of the present invention includes a venturi having a steam inlet and a milk inlet. The steam inlet and milk inlet each include a solenoid valve configurable between an open state and a closed state. The solenoid valves are electrically coupled to a processor and are controllable through first and second switches. In operation, upon activation of the first switch, the solenoid valves are controlled to their open states to deliver milk and steam to the venturi to produce frothed milk. When a desired amount of frothed milk has been dispensed, the user deactivates the first switch and the processor controls only the milk inlet solenoid valve to its closed state. The steam inlet solenoid valve remains in its open state for a predetermined amount of time such that a burst of steam only is forced through the venturi and distribution lines to purge them of milk.

A milk frother/heater for a milk supply circuit in a beverage vending machine has a plastic hollow body made of one or more undismountably coupled parts and integrally has a first appendage defining a milk inlet to receive either smooth milk or a milk-air mixture, a second appendage defining a steam inlet to receive steam, and a third appendage defining a milk outlet to deliver cold or hot, smooth or frothed milk. The body internally defines a mixing chamber, and the milk inlet, the steam inlet and the milk outlet internally define a milk inlet passage, a steam inlet passage, and a milk outlet passage, respectively, in fluidic communication with the mixing chamber. The mixing chamber has an axis and includes a first closed axial end and a second axial end, opposite the first axial end, at which the steam inlet passage and the milk outlet passage end up. The milk inlet passage either ends up directly in the second axial end in the mixing chamber or merges with the steam inlet passage upstream from the mixing chamber.

An automated frothing assembly. The automated frothing assembly has a wand module that includes an elongate member having an inlet, one or more outlets, and a fluid passageway extending between and in fluid communication with the inlet and the plurality of outlets. At least one of the one or more outlets extends parallel to a vertical plane that includes the centerline of the elongate member and at an acute angle relative to a horizontal plane that is perpendicular to both the vertical plane and the centerline of the elongate member. The assembly further includes an actuator configured to be operatively coupled to the wand module and to drive the movement of at least a portion of the wand module along an axis, and an electronic controller configured to be electrically coupled to the actuator and to control the operation of the actuator to control the movement of the wand module.