Apparatuses, systems, and methods are disclosed for eliminating or greatly reducing the cleaning process of frozen confection apparatus or machines by having the comestible mixture contained in a flexible container or bag. The comestible mixture is chilled and/or frozen and dispensed from the bag without contacting other parts of the machine, thereby helping to prevent the comestible mixture from being contaminated with bacterial, viral, chemical, or physical contaminants.

Systems and methods for making blended drinks are disclosed. In some embodiments, the system is a blended drink kiosk that can include an exterior housing includes multiple segregated sections with independent thermal control. In some embodiments, the blended drink kiosk includes one or more pumps to dispense liquid ingredients in a metered fashion, a solid dispensing mechanism; a paste dispensing mechanism; a powder dispensing mechanism; and/or a blending apparatus. In some embodiments, cups are prefilled with ingredients and are transported manually or by the cup transfer apparatus to a blending apparatus. In some embodiments, the blended drink kiosk is self-cleaning.

The stirring apparatus includes a stirring beater configured to be coaxially disposed in a mixing chamber of a freezing cylinder in a rotatable manner for pushing a mixture flowed in the mixing chamber in an inner spiral manner, and one or more scraper blades. The stirring beater includes one or more helical stirring paddles supported by a central frame and spirally extended along a length of the mixing chamber. The one or more scraper blades are mounted along the one or more helical stirring paddles respectively to define a helical diameter matching with an inner diameter of the mixing chamber of the freezing cylinder such that each of the one or more scraper blades is capable of scrapping against an inner surface of the freezing cylinder while a rotation of the stirring beater within the mixing chamber of the freezing cylinder

A frozen food appliance and related method of making a frozen food product. A rotational drive assembly configured in an axial alignment using a direct drive to produce rotational movement of a blade element to contact a frozen food precursor in a frozen food container associated with the frozen food appliance where the rotational drive assembly omits rotational speed modifying gears and transmissions positioned between a drive motor and the blade element. In another aspect, a rotational drive assembly may be kept in axial alignment with a frozen food container via a multi portioned container mount having a float connector.

Systems and methods have demonstrated the capability of rapidly cooling the contents of pods containing the ingredients for food and drinks.

Systems and methods have demonstrated the capability of rapidly cooling the contents of pods containing the ingredients for food and drinks.

Systems and methods have demonstrated the capability of rapidly cooling the contents of pods containing the ingredients for food and drinks.

A machine for making liquid or semi-liquid food products, includes: a first processing container for processing a liquid or semi-liquid base product and defining a processing chamber; a stirrer for mixing the product in the first processing container; a thermal system including a heat exchanger, associated with the first processing container; a drive and control unit, connected to the stirrer and to the thermal system to control them; a user interface including a display and a selection control configured to rotate and/or to be moved in at least one direction, the user interface being configured to allow selections to be made and, being connected to the control unit, to send commands for controlling the thermal system and the stirrer.

A cup is provided for a device for preparing a frozen food product from a liquid mixture with a stirring element stirring liquid mixture in the cup being cooled by a cooling unit of the device. The cup includes a cup wall enclosing a holding volume for liquid mixture and frozen food product. At the inside of the cup, the cup wall includes an inner bottom portion, a circumferential inner upright portion, and a circumferential inner transition portion extending from the inner bottom portion to the inner upright portion.

A device for preparing frozen food product from a liquid mixture includes: a cup holder for a cup for preparing the frozen food product, a cooling unit for cooling the cavity, a stirring unit for stirring liquid mixture in the cup with a stirring element driven with a motor, a torque sensor for measuring torque applied by the motor, and a control unit configured for: starting an operational phase of the device, monitoring in a first period before a first time the torque of the motor, determining a linear increase of the torque in the first period, monitoring, after the first time, the torque of the motor, and if with respect to the linear increase of the torque in the first period an increase above a threshold occurs in the monitored torque, then initiating an ice cream termination phase, otherwise a sorbet termination phase.