The invention concerns a process for preparing a tea in a drinking receptacle with a tea brewing machine, said machine being configured:—to brew tea from a capsule, said capsule comprising tea leaves, by introducing hot water in said capsule and dispensing brewed tea from the capsule in the drinking receptacle, and—to pump and heat water and dispense hot water to the capsule, wherein said process comprises a step of pasteurization of tea leaves inside the capsule before dispensing brewed tea from the capsule inside the drinking receptacle, wherein said pasteurization step comprises the sub-steps of: p1)—introducing hot water in the capsule until all the tea leaves are submerged by hot water inside the capsule and stopping water introduction before tea is dispensed therefrom in the drinking receptacle, then p2) keeping all the tea leaves submerged in hot water during a period of time, wherein the temperature of hot water introduced in sub-step p1) and the sum of the periods of time of sub-steps p1) and p2) before dispensing tea from the capsule are set to pasteurize the tea leaves comprised in the capsule.

A frothing device (1) to froth milk, comprising a boiler (2) for producing vapor; a pump (11) for producing pressurized air; air-vapor delivering means (4) to deliver air and vapor to the milk (18); the boiler (2) and the air pump (11) are connected to a tank (6) for separately feeding vapor and air to the mixing tank (6); the tank is connected to the mentioned air-vapor delivering means (4) to deliver air and vapor to the beverage.

A fluid texturing device is provided for use with a beverage brewing apparatus. In one embodiment, the fluid texturing device includes a housing having a driveshaft and a steam injection tube disposed therein. The driveshaft has a whisk at the end thereof that is configured to rotate with the driveshaft, and the steam injection tube is configured to couple to a steam source and has an outlet for ejecting steam. The housing can be configured to couple to a beverage brewing apparatus to allow a motorized driver to cause rotation of the driveshaft about a longitudinal axis thereof, and to allow steam to be injected through the steam injection tube.

A fluid texturing device is provided for use with a beverage brewing apparatus. In one embodiment, the fluid texturing device includes a housing having a driveshaft and a steam injection tube disposed therein. The driveshaft has a whisk at the end thereof that is configured to rotate with the driveshaft, and the steam injection tube is configured to couple to a steam source and has an outlet for ejecting steam. The housing can be configured to couple to a beverage brewing apparatus to allow a motorized driver to cause rotation of the driveshaft about a longitudinal axis thereof, and to allow steam to be injected through the steam injection tube.

A milk-frothing apparatus for preparing high quality micro-foamed milk for coffee drinks consistently and at high volume. A machine having one or more steaming stations includes an elevator at each station with an elevator-mounted steaming wand have a precise angle at the discharge end. The elevator-mounted steaming wand is configured to travel from an upward stowed status to a downward deployed status to insert the discharge end of the elevator-mounted steaming wand into milk inside a pitcher precisely located on the machine. A steam boiler is hydraulically coupled to the elevator-mounted steam wand via flexible tubing and an infrared sensor monitors the temperature of the pitcher during a downward deployed status. An LCD screen with operator controls and displays oriented to coincide spatially with the elevator indicate different operational settings selected by the user and related to machine operation.

A mixing apparatus for creating frothed milk includes a container for containing milk, with a milk passage and a steam inlet channel leading to a mixing chamber for mixing the milk with steam and air. A steam separator is in series along the steam inlet channel reduces the water content of the steam delivered to the mixing chamber.

A sealed disposable container (11) for preparing and retaining a food product (17′) has an entry wall (13), a bottom wall (14) opposite to the entry wall (13), and a lateral wall (15), which define an internal volume (16) pre-packaged in which is a predetermined amount of at least one first food substance (17) or of a precursor thereof. The entry wall (13) has at least one axially hollow coupling or positioning element (18), which defines at least part of an inlet (18, 26) of the disposable container (11). The disposable container (11) comprises an axially extending injector element (20), which is couplable with the at least one coupling or positioning element (18) or is integrally formed or fixed therewith, in such a way that at least a first distal portion (DP) of the injector element (20) extends within the internal volume (16). The at least one coupling or positioning element (18) is configured for coupling, in particular sealed coupling, with a dispensing element (51) of a preparation machine (1), for introducing into the internal volume (16) a flow of pressurized hot water and/or steam required for preparing the food product.

Method and device for producing milk froth, in particular for preparing beverages containing milk froth using coffee machines. The beverage, preferably cold milk, is at least partially introduced into a container before the preparation. The introduced beverage, in the container positioned on a placement surface of a station, is guided through at least one line, which leads away from the station, to a device for preparing milk froth or hot milk. The beverage is subsequently led back into the container, and this circulation is repeated until the beverage has a certain temperature and/or consistency. Using this method, a container can be used by operating personnel in a conventional way for preparation of the beverage, because the beverage can thus be prepared manually and specifically in accordance with the desires of the guest, while the milk froth or the like can be produced and served with constant and high quality.

The invention relates to an apparatus for heating and foaming a liquid, in particular a beverage, comprising a steam line (6), which can be connected to a steam generator (1); a pressurized gas line (4), which can be connected to a pressurized gas source (2); and a conveying means (3), connected to the steam line (6) and the pressurized gas line (4), for generating and transferring a steam/gas mixture into the liquid, and a controllable switching valve (5), wherein hot steam is supplied to the conveying means (3) via the steam line (6) and a pressurized gas flow under a defined constant pressure is supplied via the pressurized gas line (4) and pressure pulses (p) are generated from the pressurized gas flow by means of the switching valve (5). In order to damp the generated pressure pulses, the conveying means (3) comprises an expansion chamber (15) having a nozzle (14) arranged on the downstream end of the expansion chamber (15).

A system for preparing a food product comprises a sealed disposable container (11) and a preparation machine (1), having a hydraulic circuit that comprises at least one water-supply source, means for heating water and pumping means, as well as a first dispensing element (51), which can be supplied with pressurized hot water and/or steam. The entry wall (13) of the disposable container (11) has at least one axially hollow coupling element (18, 26), which defines at least part of an inlet of the disposable container (11). The disposable container (11) comprises an axially extending injector element (20), which can be coupled to the at least one coupling element (18, 26) or is formed integrally therewith in such a way that at least one first distal portion of the injector element (20) extends within the internal volume (16). The first dispensing element (51) and the at least one coupling element (18, 26) of the disposable container (11) are configured for mutual coupling, and the hydraulic circuit (40) can be controlled for conveying pressurized hot water and/or steam to the first dispensing element (51), for the corresponding injection into the internal volume (16) of the disposable container (11) through the injector element (20).