A machine for preparing a food product comprises at least a stationary structure, a hydraulic circuit and a control system. The hydraulic circuit comprises at least one water-supply source, means for heating water and pumping means, as well as a first dispensing element (51), which can be supplied with pressurized hot water and/or steam. The first dispensing element (51) is configured for coupling, in particular sealed coupling, with an inlet (18, 26) of a disposable container (11) for preparing and retaining the food product, and the hydraulic circuit (40) is controllable, in particular via the control system, for conveying pressurized hot water and/or steam to the first dispensing element (51).

The present invention relates to a beverage preparation device designed for preparing a beverage upon injection of liquid into an ingredients-containing cartridge, the device comprising a pump (106) coupled between a fluid inlet (102) and a fluid outlet (104) for pumping the fluid from said inlet to said outlet, and a processing unit (108) for the pump (106) adapted to control an operation of the pump in response to an electrical energy (121) having a wave form such that the pump is energized only throughout selected half cycles (a1,a2,a3 . . . an) of the wave form of the electrical energy, wherein the processing unit (108) is configured to determine the respective selected half cycles (a1,a2,a3 . . . an) in which the pump is energized based on a target ratio (TR) of a target flow rate (FR) and a predefined maxim-um flow rate of the pump, and based on the calculation of an activation ratio (AR) of the number of past half cycles (A) for which the pump was energized to the number of overall half cycles (B) during a respective beverage preparation process. The present invention further relates to a method for controlling a pump in a beverage preparation device.

The invention relates to a domestic machine for dispensing beverage, comprising a removable water tank, a water filtration system, at least one circulation pump for moving the water to a dispensing point associated with a beverage capsule, the machine comprising a heating section comprising a heater configured to heat the water to be dispensed, a cooling section comprising a cooling device configured to cool the water to be dispensed, and a carbonating section comprising a carbonating device configured to dissolve CO.sub.2 in the water to be dispensed, the machine comprising a control panel for selecting a hot drink, a cold drink or a carbonated drink, by activating at least one of said sections.

Apparatus and method for preparing an ice-containing tea or coffee beverage. The apparatus (300) comprising a beverage concentrate reservoir (360), a water pre-chiller (312) and a mixer for mixing beverage concentrate from the beverage concentrate reservoir with water from the water pre-chiller to form a beverage liquor. Further, an ice-generating cooling circuit and a pre-chiller cooling circuit are provided. A single cooling unit (310) provides coolant for both the ice-generating cooling circuit and the pre-chiller cooling circuit.

A beverage brewing pot and a beverage brewing method using the same. The brewing pot includes a first pot liner, a second pot liner, a water-air pump and a controller. A brewing chamber is arranged between the first pot liner and the second pot liner. The first pot liner, the second pot liner and the brewing chamber are in communication. At least the first pot liner is sealed during operation. A first water-level sensor is provided at the top of the first pot liner, and a second water-level sensor is provided at the top of the second pot liner. The controller controls the water-air pump to feed air to the first pot liner to direct the water to flow into the second pot liner. The controller controls the water-air pump to operate reversely, such that the water in the second pot liner is pumped back to the first pot liner.

Device for heating and emulsifying beverages includes a pump (2), an air and water meeting zone (10), a device for producing steam, and a first conduit (5) for steam mixed with air that communicates with a steam wand (6) adapted to be immersed into a beverage (7) to be heated and emulsified. The device for producing steam includes an instant steam generator (4). The meeting zone (10) is positioned before the instant steam generator (4).

The drinks preparation machine includes a pump for delivering the preparation fluid—generally water—into a brewing chamber, which receives the portion package, as well as a flow-meter for measuring the fluid flow into the brewing chamber. Machine electronics activate the pump and acquire the results of flow rate measurement, in order for example to switch off the pump after reaching a defined delivered fluid quantity. The electronics are configured to evaluate the measured flow rate and from this evaluation to make a differentiation between a first state “brewing with an inserted portion package” and a second state “water throughflow without inserted portion package”, in order to detect the presence of a portion package in the brewing chamber.

A machine (1) for preparing beverages and presenting a plurality of beverage concentrate cartridges (2) provided to collect a respective beverage concentrate (3), and a concentrate discharge device (4) adapted so that can interact with each one of said beverage concentrate cartridges (2), whereby said beverage concentrate cartridges (2) are provided so that the beverage concentrate (3) is discharged, from the discharge part (22) of each of said beverage concentrate cartridges (2), directly to the exterior of said machine (1), in particular into a beverage recipient (A) that can be placed on the discharge zone of a service disposition (11), without touching in any other part of the machine (1). Also, a process for preparing beverages based upon the machine (1) for preparing beverages.

A hot beverage preparer (1) has a flow control system (2) with a water source (14), a brewing unit (40) with a brewing chamber (41) to hold brewing material (51) and an inlet line for supplying water to the brewing chamber (41), a heating device (9) for heating the water supplied to the brewing chamber (41), a pump (8) configured to convey the water from the water source (14) to the brewing chamber (41), a control device (18) to activate and deactivate actuators (8, 9, 72) for preparing a selected beverage, and a drainage device (50) having a collection tray (34) for collecting liquid (AW), with an inlet opening (53) and an outlet opening (52) for draining the collected liquid (AW). The collection tray (34) has a bottom (51) with a slope toward the outlet opening (52) and with at least one trough (56).

The present invention relates to a brewing apparatus (1) for making a beverage from a single-serve capsule (2), wherein the brewing apparatus (1) has a first brewing-chamber element (3), a second brewing-chamber element (4) and a sealing device (5), wherein the first brewing-chamber element (3) can be moved along a central axis (12) between a loading position, in which the first and the second brewing-chamber elements (3, 4) are spaced apart from one another, and an operating position, in which the first and the second brewing-chamber elements (3, 4) have been moved towards one another to form a substantially closed brewing chamber (10), wherein, in the operating position, the sealing device (5) is arranged between the first and the second brewing-chamber elements (3, 4), wherein the first or second brewing-chamber element (3, 4) has a liquid-feeding device (6) for injecting liquid into a single-serve capsule (2) located in the brewing chamber (10).