A beverage system for making a beverage that includes a single-serve capsule and a beverage machine. The capsule has a flange and a barcode on a bottom side of the flange. The beverage machine includes: a sensor/detector to read the barcode; a brewing chamber to receive the capsule; and a pump controlled to supply water into the capsule. The machine includes: a mandrel to pierce the cover in a region that is offset from the central axis; a seal that seals against the cover in a region between a peripheral edge of the flange and the region of the cover that is pierced by the mandrel; a pair of holding arms for engaging the capsule; and a dropping box for the capsule to fall into. The pump is controlled to push the water into the capsule only upon a determination that the read barcode agrees with a stored reference.

A beverage dispensing apparatus and methods for active pressure control thereof. In one aspect, a method for controlling a beverage dispensing apparatus may include: a) determining whether a first beverage to be prepared at a first temperature or a second beverage to be prepared a second temperature has been selected for preparation, the first temperature being greater than the second temperature; and b) selecting a maximum pressure threshold for a beverage preparation fluid circuit of the beverage dispensing apparatus based on whether the first beverage or the second beverage has been selected in step a), wherein the maximum pressure threshold is set by selecting from at least a first pressure threshold when the first beverage has been determined to have been selected and a second pressure threshold when the second beverage has been determined to have been selected, the first pressure being less than the second pressure.

A beverage-ingredient container to be used in the preparation of a beverage by a beverage dispensing apparatus. The container has a first optical code on the first surface of the container, wherein the first optical code is positioned on a first surface to be read by an optical scanner of the beverage dispensing apparatus when the container is received by the apparatus in a first orientation, and a second optical code on a second surface of the container, wherein the second optical code is positioned on the second surface to be read by the optical scanner of the beverage dispensing apparatus when the container is in a second orientation. The first optical code and the second optical code each stores container-related information including a container identifier which, when read by the optical scanner of the beverage dispensing apparatus, can be used by the beverage dispensing apparatus to control beverage preparation.

The invention relates to a beverage preparation device (100) for preparing a beverage upon interaction of ingredients provided in a capsule (5) with liquid supplied thereto, the device comprising an injection module (10) comprising a first (1) and a cooperating second enclosing member (2) designed for being moved relatively to each other, the first enclosing member being equipped with capsule opening and injection means (3) for opening a first inlet face (5a) of a capsule (5) and inject liquid into the capsule, the first and second enclosing member (1,2) being designed for being brought into at least a first capsule insertion position for inserting a capsule between the enclosing members (1,2) and a second capsule enclosing position in which the opening and injection means (3) engage the liquid inlet face (5a) of the capsule (5), the device (100) further comprising control means (13) designed for setting at least the capsule enclosing position based on information read from the capsule and/or based on information provided by a user input.

A capsule for preparation of a beverage can include a container and a beverage ingredient contained therein. The container can include at least one support having a section on which a plurality of sequences of symbols is represented; each symbol is sequentially readable, by a reading arrangement of an external device, while the capsule is rotated along an axis of rotation. Each sequence can code a set of information related to the capsule, and at least one of the sequences can include symbols defining a preamble sequence that allows determination of a position of the symbols in the associated sequence coding the set of information related to the capsule. The container can include a cup-shaped body having a flange-like rim and a lid connected to the body, the support can be on a bottom of the rim, and the bottom of the rim can be opposed to the lid.

The invention relates to a cartridge system (1) for producing a drink in a drink preparation machine, comprising a cartridge (2) that has a reservoir (6) filed with a drink substance (7), and a cartridge receiver (10) that can be reversibly connected to the cartridge, said cartridge receiver (10) comprising a mixing chamber (8) and a cartridge discharge device (34) which causes at least partial transfer of the drink substance (7) from the reservoir (6) into the mixing chamber (8), and said cartridge receiver (10) comprising a fluid supply (12) which opens into the mixing chamber (8). The invention also relates to the cartridge receiver (10) of the cartridge system (1), the drink preparation machine, and the corresponding method for producing a drink (70).

A method of dispensing a beverage comprising: a) inserting a beverage ingredient tablet (20) into a beverage preparation machine (30); b) measuring a characteristic associated with the thickness of at least a portion of the beverage ingredient tablet (20) to identify the beverage ingredient tablet (20); c) configuring one or more dispense parameters of the beverage preparation machine (30) based on the identification of the beverage ingredient tablet (20); and d) operating the beverage preparation machine (30) to dispense a beverage by contacting the beverage ingredient tablet (20) with an aqueous fluid.

The disclosure relates to an apparatus for making cannabinoid-containing beverages. The apparatus comprises at least one interface configured to receive a cartridge containing a cannabinoid-containing substance. The apparatus also comprises at least one valve, in fluid communication with the at least one interface, configured to dispense an amount of the substance from the cartridge. A valve controller is configured to control the valve in order to vary the amount of the substance dispensed by the valve.

A brewing system comprises a grinder, a brewer, a capsule holder, and a controller. The grinder is configured to grind whole coffee beans into coffee grounds with adjustable coarseness. The grinder is configured to receive the whole coffee beans through a first opening above the grinder and dispense the coffee grounds through a second opening below the grinder. The brewer is configured to dispense water for brewing coffee through a third opening below the brewer, wherein the brewer is positioned laterally relative to the grinder. The capsule dock is configured to (a) hold a capsule containing a coffee filter and (b) translate the capsule from a first position under the second opening of the grinder to a second position under the third opening below the brewer. The controller is configured to control the grinder, brewer, and capsule dock.

A method of making a coffee beverage that includes steps of: inserting a portion capsule into a coffee machine that includes: a pump and an optical detector; the portion capsule having: a base element that has a cavity in which a beverage material is provided, the cavity is free of a filter in the cavity; a flange extending outwardly from the base element; a cover attached to a top side of the flange; an optically detectable identifier provided on a bottom side of the flange, the bottom side of the flange opposes the top side of the flange; detecting the optically detectable identifier with the optical detector and comparing the detected optically detectable identifier to a stored reference; operating the pump and/or the coffee machine to supply the water to the portion capsule only after the optically detectable identifier coincides with the stored reference.