An assembly for frothing a fluid having an air channel with a controllable air valve and having a fluid channel with an air inlet emanation point in which the air channel emanates, a pump, a fluid restriction, a heater, and a valve assembly having a first state in which fluid is channeled to a fluid outlet of the fluid channel and a second state in which the fluid is diverted from the fluid channel to a second fluid outlet. A water supply channel is connected to the fluid channel. The assembly also includes a cleaning reservoir and a return channel that is connected to the second fluid outlet of the valve assembly and that emanates in the cleaning reservoir. An electronic controller assembly is configured to control at least the pump, the heater, and the valve assembly, and to operate the assembly in a production mode and a cleaning mode.

A coffee brewing system and method that includes a brew chamber that holds a brew solution during a brew cycle and dispenses the brew solution; a water system that dispenses water into the brew chamber; a content sensing system that measures the brew solution contents added to the brew chamber; a temperature control system with a heating element and a temperature sensor; at least one recirculating processing loop with a particle monitor system, wherein the recirculating processing loop circulates brew solution extracted from the brew chamber; and a control system that is communicatively coupled to the content sensing system, the temperature control system and the particle monitor system during a brew cycle, wherein the control system controls a brew cycle based on a selected a specified taste profile.

A milk foaming device comprising a milk channel for conducting milk in a milk flow direction from a milk container to a milk outlet head, a foaming section for converting the milk in the milk channel into a milk foam that contains air, a temperature control element for controlling the temperature of the milk foam from the foaming section, and a return channel that branches off from the milk channel between the temperature control element and the milk outlet head and leads, when viewed in the milk flow direction, to a point in the milk channel upstream of the temperature control element.

A method for priming a beverage machine prior to vending a beverage. The beverage machine may include a reservoir tank, a hot tank, and a recirculation conduit that form a recirculation loop. The method may include measuring a temperature of a liquid in a hot tank of the beverage machine at boot-up. Upon the beverage machine being instructed to vend a beverage, the method may include priming the beverage machine by circulating a priming volume of the liquid through the recirculation loop. The priming volume may be a first volume when the temperature of the liquid in the hot tank is below a first threshold temperature and a second volume when the temperature of the liquid in the hot tank is above the first threshold temperature, the first volume being greater than the second volume. Idle time of the beverage machine may result in adjustments to the priming volume.

Aspects relating to a method and apparatus for venting a heater tank of a beverage forming apparatus using a vent valve that is opened and closed based on an operation to move a brew chamber lid between an open lid position and a closed lid position are provided. In one aspect, the vent valve may be positioned on a vent line distinct from a delivery line that delivers heated liquid from the heater tank to the brew chamber. In another aspect, at least a portion of the delivery line may extend downwardly from the top of the heater tank to a location between the top and the bottom of the heater tank. In another aspect, the at least a portion of the vent valve may be attached to the handle for movement with the handle.

A beverage brewing system having, inter alia, a brew hopper, a hydraulic siphoning component affixed thereto and a solenoid-actuated door switch mechanism. The beverage brewing system includes a hydraulic siphoning component configured to allow hot water to bloom and steep for a controlled amount of time in a brew hopper. The beverage brewing system further includes a brew-hopper agitation mechanism.

A device for heating and frothing milk which has a steam generator and a jet pump is provided. The jet pump has a steam inlet through which pressurized steam is injectable into the jet pump, a first suction inlet and a second suction inlet. The first suction inlet is configured to connect to a milk reservoir. An air inlet is connectable or connected to the second suction inlet of the jet pump for drawing air into the jet pump. A bypass valve is connected to the second suction inlet of the jet pump and has a bypass inlet. The bypass valve is switchable between a first position in which the second suction inlet of the jet pump is shut off from the steam generator, and a second position in which the second suction inlet is in fluid communication with the bypass inlet of the bypass valve for suction of steam.

An appliance for making a beverage comprising: a conduit defining a liquid flow path for the liquid; a pump to move the liquid under pressure along the flow path and configured to operate in a first mode and a second mode, different to the first mode, a sensor assembly configured to determine a first flow rate of the liquid in the flow path when the pump operates in the first mode and determine a second flow rate when the pump operates in the second mode; and a controller operatively coupled with the pump and the sensor assembly and configured to cause the pump to switch from the first mode to the second mode if the first flow rate is below a first threshold and to cause the pump to switch from the second mode to the first mode if the second flow rate is above a second threshold. In the second mode, the pump causes the liquid to move under increased pressure than in the first mode to at least aid in resolving cavitation. A method of controlling the appliance to make a beverage is also disclosed.

A milk texturing and dispensing assembly includes a milk pump in fluid communication with a milk inlet arrangement and an outlet for dispensing milk into a container. An aeration assembly is provided to aerate the milk. The aeration assembly is controlled by a controller. A first flow meter senses a first milk volume per unit of time upstream of the aeration assembly and a second flow meter senses a second milk volume per unit of time downstream of the aeration assembly. The controller is configured to operate the aeration assembly taking into account the first milk volume per unit of time and the second milk volume per unit of time and may determine an increase in volume of the milk due to aeration. Consequently, a volume of milk from the outlet can be dispensed corresponding to a volume of the container.

A beverage preparation machine has a cooling module (70) for cooling a liquid beverage ingredient. The module comprises a heat exchanger (72) having a liquid conduit (74) and a thermal energy accumulator (80) comprising a phase change material (PCM) (82) thermally coupled to the heat exchanger. A heat pump (78) is thermally coupled to the heat exchanger discretely from the thermal energy accumulator so as to extract thermal energy from a liquid flowing through the liquid conduit in preference over the PCM. More than one thermal energy accumulator (80) may be coupled to the heat exchanger. The beverage preparation machine may have a flow-through heater for heating a liquid beverage ingredient.