A container includes a receptacle to hold nutrients and other food contents for a smoothie. The container is used with a larger vessel such as a blender into which the capsule is inserted and into which water or other fluid is poured. When the blender is closed, the container opens to release its contents for blending with the fluid into a delicious, healthful smoothie. The container may have a cover with opening flaps and relatively movable elements that pivot the flaps open when opposite forces are applied to the container by the larger vessel.

A container includes a receptacle to hold nutrients and other food contents for a smoothie. The container is used with a larger vessel such as a blender into which the capsule is inserted and into which water or other fluid is poured. When the blender is closed, the container opens to release its contents for blending with the fluid into a delicious, healthful smoothie. The container may have a cover with opening flaps and relatively movable elements that pivot the flaps open when opposite forces are applied to the container by the larger vessel.

In order to improve and make more reliable the preparation of food by several kitchen appliances, the present invention proposes a system and a method. The system for preparing foodstuffs comprises a first kitchen appliance, in particular a cook mixer, a second kitchen appliance and a control unit, the first kitchen appliance having at least one detection means for detecting at least one piece of information about the state of a foodstuff, wherein the first kitchen appliance is connected to the control unit via a first communication connection, and wherein the further kitchen appliance is connected to the control unit via a second communication connection, and is characterized in that the control unit is configured to compare the at least one piece of detected information about the state of the foodstuff with a preparation instruction and in that the control unit is configured to control the further kitchen appliance as a function of the result of the comparison.

Systems for and methods of controlled liquid food or beverage product creation are provided. A method of producing a liquid product from a receptacle containing frozen liquid contents includes receiving the receptacle containing a frozen liquid contents in a dispenser, identifying a characteristic of the receptacle, the contents, and/or a desired product, melting at least a portion of the contents to generate the product by selectively heating the receptacle and/or the contents without adding liquid to the interior of the receptacle and/or supplying a liquid to the interior of the receptacle, wherein the selectively heating without adding liquid to the interior of the receptacle and/or supplying the liquid is based on the identified characteristic. The method also includes perforating the receptacle and dispensing the product from the receptacle.

A vacuum blending system may be used to blend solids, powders, and/or liquids (foodstuff) in an evacuated blender jar and/or evacuated enclosure to reduce or eliminate the air included in the resulting mixture. The vacuum blending system may be embodied as a vacuum lid adaptable for use with any of a wide variety of blending systems. In other embodiments, the vacuum blending system may be embodied as a blender with an integrated vacuum system. In still other embodiments, the vacuum blending system may be embodied as a vacuum pump, and optional vacuum tank, for use with a plurality off blender enclosures. Any of these vacuum blending systems may be used to produce blended foodstuff that has superior texture, offer increased nutritional benefit, and/or remain homogeneous for longer than the same foodstuff remains well-mixed when blended in a non-vacuum.

A blender for blending ingredients from a container with a fluid includes a bottle including a chamber with an opening to receive the fluid and a shoulder about the opening. The blender further includes a lid configured to couple with the bottle that includes a container receiver. The container receiver is configured to receive the container containing the ingredients and position the container against the shoulder when the lid is coupled to the bottle, wherein the shoulder is configured to have a shape and size to receive and seat the container. The container receiver is further configured to apply pressure to the container while the shoulder holds the container stationary to discharge the ingredients from the container into the chamber.

A blender for blending ingredients from a container with a fluid includes a bottle including a chamber with an opening to receive the fluid and a shoulder about the opening. The blender further includes a lid configured to couple with the bottle that includes a container receiver. The container receiver is configured to receive the container containing the ingredients and position the container against the shoulder when the lid is coupled to the bottle, wherein the shoulder is configured to have a shape and size to receive and seat the container. The container receiver is further configured to apply pressure to the container while the shoulder holds the container stationary to discharge the ingredients from the container into the chamber.

A blender system includes a blender including a bottle having a chamber, and a lid configured to couple with the bottle, the lid having a container receiver. The blender system also includes a container having a nutrient receptacle to receive contents with a closed end, a receptacle opening opposite the closed end, and at least one flap coupled to the nutrient receptacle via a flap hinge and positioned in a closed position to cover a portion of the receptacle opening. The container receiver is configured to position the container such that coupling the lid to the bottle with the container in the container receiver causes the at least one flap to rotate on the flap hinge to an open position to discharge the contents into the blending chamber.

A blender system includes a blender including a bottle having a chamber, and a lid configured to couple with the bottle, the lid having a container receiver. The blender system also includes a container having a nutrient receptacle to receive contents with a closed end, a receptacle opening opposite the closed end, and at least one flap coupled to the nutrient receptacle via a flap hinge and positioned in a closed position to cover a portion of the receptacle opening. The container receiver is configured to position the container such that coupling the lid to the bottle with the container in the container receiver causes the at least one flap to rotate on the flap hinge to an open position to discharge the contents into the blending chamber.

Systems for controlled heating and/or agitation for liquid food or beverage product creation are disclosed. A dispenser for producing a food or beverage liquid product from a frozen contents in a receptacle includes a chamber configured to hold a receptacle containing the contents and a dilution liquid inlet configured to supply a dilution liquid to the interior of the receptacle. The dispenser also includes a perforator configured to perforate the receptacle and form a product outlet from the receptacle for the liquid product and an agitator configured to impart motion to the receptacle and/or the contents in the receptacle that increases a flow path from the liquid inlet to the product outlet taken by at least a portion of dilution liquid, when supplied, relative to a flow path from the liquid inlet to the product outlet taken by the portion of dilution liquid without the imparted motion.