Disclosed is a method of recognizing a type of coffee from a plurality of reference types of coffee, each reference type of coffee being associated with a respective reference signal, said method comprising the steps of sensing, by one or more sensors, the presence and concentration of one or more volatile organic compounds in a mixture of volatile organic compounds released from the coffee; generating a signal representative of the coffee according to the volatile organic compounds that have been sensed and their respective concentrations; comparing the generated signal with the reference signals associated with each reference type of coffee; generating a recognition signal in response to the comparison of the generated signal with the reference signals.

Disclosed is a method of recognizing a type of coffee from a plurality of reference types of coffee, each reference type of coffee being associated with a respective reference signal, said method comprising the steps of sensing, by one or more sensors, the presence and concentration of one or more volatile organic compounds in a mixture of volatile organic compounds released from the coffee; generating a signal representative of the coffee according to the volatile organic compounds that have been sensed and their respective concentrations; comparing the generated signal with the reference signals associated with each reference type of coffee; generating a recognition signal in response to the comparison of the generated signal with the reference signals.

Described is a system for roasting, grinding, brewing and dispensing coffee comprising: an infuser head in fluid communication with a source of hot water and comprising bedding means for distributing coffee grounds such that they are disposed substantially evenly on an inner surface of a slidable wall of a coffee cartridge thereby forming an extraction bed within an extraction chamber; and infuser means comprising one or more outlets for the hot water, the infuser head being adapted to deliver hot water to the extraction bed within the extraction chamber, whereby coffee is extracted to yield a coffee brew.

Described is a system for roasting, grinding, brewing and dispensing coffee comprising: an infuser head in fluid communication with a source of hot water and comprising bedding means for distributing coffee grounds such that they are disposed substantially evenly on an inner surface of a slidable wall of a coffee cartridge thereby forming an extraction bed within an extraction chamber; and infuser means comprising one or more outlets for the hot water, the infuser head being adapted to deliver hot water to the extraction bed within the extraction chamber, whereby coffee is extracted to yield a coffee brew.

A grinder for beans of plant-based products, for example roasted coffee beans, includes a grinding chamber defined by a cylindrical wall and a pair of opposed grinding wheels located in the grinding chamber. At least one of the pair of opposed grinding wheels rotates. The grinder further includes an electric motor for driving the rotating grinding wheel and a first cooling duct extending in the cylindrical wall between a first inlet and a first outlet. A tubular circuit connected to the first cooling duct includes a pump for circulating fluid, a heat dissipater, at least one valve member, and an electronic control unit for actuating the pump and for turning on the heat dissipater according to a temperature sensed by a temperature sensor.

A grinder for beans of plant-based products, for example roasted coffee beans, includes a grinding chamber defined by a cylindrical wall and a pair of opposed grinding wheels located in the grinding chamber. At least one of the pair of opposed grinding wheels rotates. The grinder further includes an electric motor for driving the rotating grinding wheel and a first cooling duct extending in the cylindrical wall between a first inlet and a first outlet. A tubular circuit connected to the first cooling duct includes a pump for circulating fluid, a heat dissipater, at least one valve member, and an electronic control unit for actuating the pump and for turning on the heat dissipater according to a temperature sensed by a temperature sensor.

A method of controlling dispensing of doses of coffee grounds, the machine comprising a grinding device which is configured to grind coffee beans, a conduit, having an inlet in communication with the grinding device for receiving coffee grounds, and an outlet, a closure member which is adapted to be removed between an open position for the coffee grounds to be discharged from the conduit through the outlet, and a closed position for closing the outlet, and a coffee grounds weight sensor, which is configured to generate signals representative of the weight of coffee grounds built-up in the dispensing conduit when the closure member is in the closed position.

A coffee processing apparatus (100, 200, 300) is disclosed that comprises at least one of a grinding stage (110) for grinding coffee beans (10) into ground coffee beans (20); and a brewing stage (140) for brewing coffee from ground coffee beans; the coffee processing apparatus further comprising a sensor (150) arranged to sense a total concentration of volatile organic compounds released by said coffee beans or ground coffee beans; and a controller (160) responsive to said sensor and arranged to control said grinding stage and/or said brewing stage as a function of said total concentration. Methods of controlling such a coffee processing apparatus are also disclosed.

A coffee processing apparatus (100, 200, 300) is disclosed that comprises at least one of a grinding stage (110) for grinding coffee beans (10) into ground coffee beans (20); and a brewing stage (140) for brewing coffee from ground coffee beans; the coffee processing apparatus further comprising a sensor (150) arranged to sense a total concentration of volatile organic compounds released by said coffee beans or ground coffee beans; and a controller (160) responsive to said sensor and arranged to control said grinding stage and/or said brewing stage as a function of said total concentration. Methods of controlling such a coffee processing apparatus are also disclosed.

A method for determining a characteristic of a mass of particulate plant material having the step of determining the density of a mass of particulate plant material, wherein the mass of particulate plant material is prepared from a plant seed, from a coffee bean and/or by grinding a plant material. The invention also relates a system or apparatus for measuring the density of a mass of particulate plant material, wherein the system or apparatus has an experimental vessel having a void configured to retain a mass of particulate plant material therein, volume determination is configured to determine the volume occupied by a mass of particulate plant material that has been disposed within the void of the experimental vessel.