Provided is a coffee vending machine including: a plurality of capsule stacking parts arranged in a lattice form to stack capsules therein in a first direction, a capsule feeding unit disposed at the centers of the bottoms of the capsule stacking parts to feed the capsules quantitatively, a coffee brewing part for seating the capsule fed from the capsule feeding unit, feeding water to the capsule, and brewing coffee to be provided for a consumer, and a cup discharging part for discharging a cup in which the coffee is contained to the outside. The coffee brewing part allows the capsule to be seated onto a seating groove when first and second portion seating parts are adjacent thereto or contacted with each other and allows the capsule to be freely fallen through a space formed between the first and second portion seating parts when they are spaced apart from each other.

A steam dispensing apparatus for hot beverage preparation may include: a boiler configured to generate steam and comprising a first outlet; a wand configured to introduce the steam into a container; a steam supply conduit connected to the first outlet of the boiler and configured to supply the steam to the wand; and a valve for dispensing the steam to the wand and for draining condensation water formed in the steam supply conduit upstream from the valve, during a closing time of the valve elapsed from a previous dispensing operation, wherein the valve is interposed between the wand and the steam supply conduit. The valve may include a hollow body that includes: a steam inlet connection; a steam outlet connection; a condensation water drain connection; a cartridge configured to perform angular movements about a longitudinal axis; and a control knob, connected to the cartridge to impart the angular movements thereto.

A steam dispensing apparatus for hot beverage preparation may include: a boiler configured to generate steam and comprising a first outlet; a wand configured to introduce the steam into a container; a steam supply conduit connected to the first outlet of the boiler and configured to supply the steam to the wand; and a valve for dispensing the steam to the wand and for draining condensation water formed in the steam supply conduit upstream from the valve, during a closing time of the valve elapsed from a previous dispensing operation, wherein the valve is interposed between the wand and the steam supply conduit. The valve may include a hollow body that includes: a steam inlet connection; a steam outlet connection; a condensation water drain connection; a cartridge configured to perform angular movements about a longitudinal axis; and a control knob, connected to the cartridge to impart the angular movements thereto.

A method of recognizing a type of coffee from reference types of coffee, wherein each of the reference types of coffee is associated with a respective reference signal and wherein each type of coffee is associated to a characteristic combination of volatile organic compounds released from the type of coffee, may include: sensing, by one or more sensors, presence and concentration of one or more volatile organic compounds in a mixture of volatile organic compounds released from the type of coffee; generating a signal representative of the type of coffee according to the sensed one or more volatile organic compounds and the respective concentrations of the sensed one or more volatile organic compounds; comparing the generated signal with the reference signal associated with each of the reference types of coffee; and generating a recognition signal in response to the comparing of the generated signal with the reference signals.

Methods, apparatus, and system to distribute or compact coffee grounds, such as to form a puck in a portafilter. The methods, apparatus, and system may be used to compact coffee grounds wherein a resulting puck of coffee grounds in the portafilter has an even level, a uniform and or continuous density distribution, results in no or reduced formation of channels, no or reduced squirting of extracted coffee, and results in consistent and repeatable results. The methods, apparatus, and system may be used to form multiple layers in a puck, for use in preparing layered espresso.

A control unit, a pump for supplying infusion water, a boiler for heating the infusion water, an infusion unit, a coffee mill, and a user interface including a selector for a beverage and/or a ground coffee dose. The coffee mill has a hopper for coffee beans, a rotating and a non-rotating grinder, a motor for directly or indirectly driving the rotating grinder, all with capability to adjust the distance between the grinders. A first sensor detects a number of turns and/or speed of the motor and/or of the rotating grinder. A second sensor detects a distance between the grinders. The control unit stores an algorithm for calculating a correct dose of ground coffee, configured to receive the value of ground coffee selected and the distance between the grinders to automatically generate the number of motor turns necessary to obtain the correct dose of ground coffee.

The control method for controlling the current dispensing cycle of a coffee machine comprising an electronic controller, a brewing pump and a brewing unit having a housing chamber of an amount of coffee powder, in which the current dispensing cycle comprises a dispensing step and a possible preliminary step of wetting the amount of coffee powder in which there is no dispensing, provides that the electronic controller controls the dispensing speed of the entire dispensing step of the current dispensing cycle by dividing the brewing pump by a control algorithm that acquires a parameter calculated from stored dispensing data of dispensing steps of dispensing cycles preceding the current dispensing cycle exclusively.

The control method for controlling the current dispensing cycle of a coffee machine comprising an electronic controller, a brewing pump and a brewing unit having a housing chamber of an amount of coffee powder, in which the current dispensing cycle comprises a dispensing step and a possible preliminary step of wetting the amount of coffee powder in which there is no dispensing, provides that the electronic controller controls the dispensing speed of the entire dispensing step of the current dispensing cycle by dividing the brewing pump by a control algorithm that acquires a parameter calculated from stored dispensing data of dispensing steps of dispensing cycles preceding the current dispensing cycle exclusively.

A coffee machine includes a housing that comprises a first platform, a second platform, a first robotic arm, a second robotic arm, and an information handling system. The information handling system comprises a memory and a processor. The memory is configured to receive and store a multiple beverage orders in a log and to monitor a position of a first cup and a second cup corresponding to a first beverage order and a second beverage order. The processor is configured to initiate a second sub-step of the second beverage order prior to initiating a second sub-step of the first beverage order in response to determining that a first sub-step of the second beverage order has terminated first and to transmit to the log of the memory that the second cup is at the third designated position for the second sub-step of the second beverage order to be performed.

A coffee machine includes a housing that comprises a first platform, a second platform, a first robotic arm, a second robotic arm, and an information handling system. The information handling system comprises a memory and a processor. The memory is configured to receive and store a multiple beverage orders in a log and to monitor a position of a first cup and a second cup corresponding to a first beverage order and a second beverage order. The processor is configured to initiate a second sub-step of the second beverage order prior to initiating a second sub-step of the first beverage order in response to determining that a first sub-step of the second beverage order has terminated first and to transmit to the log of the memory that the second cup is at the third designated position for the second sub-step of the second beverage order to be performed.