A device (1; 1′) is shown and described for metering and/or preparing a medium to be prepared, in particular baby food, in particular baby milk formula or semi-solid baby food, coffee and/or tea, the device comprising a housing (3) with a first receiving region (5; 5′) and a second receiving region (7; 7′), wherein the first receiving region (5; 5′) is configured for receiving a first container (9; 9′) for a first component of the medium to be prepared, and wherein the second receiving region (7; 7′) is configured for receiving a second container (11) for a fluid, a temperature control device for controlling the temperature of the fluid, a metering device (29; 29′) for metering the first component, wherein the first receiving region (5; 5′) has a metering device receiving region (27; 27′) for receiving the metering device (29; 29′), and wherein an actuating and/or drive device (39) for the metering device (29; 29′) is arranged in the metering device receiving region (27; 27′).

An electronic system to remotely enable and locally control use of liquid milk in the preparation of beverages based on, or containing, liquid milk in beverage vending machines is disclosed.

A dispenser that is configured to switch between a first mode in which the user interacts with external surfaces of the dispenser to make selections and initiate dispensing and a second mode in which the user makes selections and initiates dispensing using gesture controls. In some cases, the gesture control feature could be incorporated into an accessibility panel that can be retrofitted with existing dispensers to add gesture control. In some cases, the dispenser broadcasts an identifier with a wireless beacon that facilitates selection and dispensing of a product.

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 method for determining a usability of a household appliance includes scanning operating information of the household appliance, determining stresses of different components of the household appliance on the basis of the operating information, and of determining the usability of the household appliance on the basis of the stresses determined and of predetermined stress functions for the components. Wherein a stress function maps a stress determined to a remaining stress capacity.

A method for the operation of a drinks preparation machine, for producing a total product while using a portion package includes the following steps, which are carried out by the drinks preparation machine: a receiving step for receiving, by a communication unit, an activation command for activating a certain action in the drinks preparation machine, and authentication information; an examination step for examining, on the basis of the authentication information, whether the activation command originates from an operating appliance that is authorized for activating the certain action in the drinks preparation machine; and only in the case that the operating appliance is authorized for this. carrying out the action, particularly a production step for producing the total product.

A device for notifying a manager terminal of an event occurring in a coffee making device and an operating method thereof according to the present invention may enable a manager to visit an unmanned coffee shop only when a coffee making device needs to be managed and manage the coffee making device by determining that a first inventory shortage event for first inventory occurs when first inventory among the materials included in inventory data received from the coffee making device making coffee corresponding to each of the coffee menu items is larger than a first threshold inventory value and is equal to or less than a second threshold inventory value among threshold inventory values for the first inventory, determining that a second inventory shortage event for the first material occurs when the first inventory is equal to or less than the first threshold inventory value, transmitting an event occurrence message for the first inventory shortage event to a first manager terminal of a first manager who is a main manager of the coffee making device among a plurality of manager terminals, transmitting an event occurrence message for the second inventory shortage event to a second manager terminal of a second manager who is a senior manager of the first manger, and when an event occurrence confirmation message is not received from the first manager terminal within a predetermined first time after the event occurrence message for the first inventory shortage event is transmitted to the first manager terminal, transmitting the event occurrence message for the first inventory shortage event to the second manager terminal.

A device for creating infused beverages that includes a solvent flow management system with a pump body with a pump bore defining a pump interior volume, a piston disposed within the pump interior volume and in a fluidically sealed configuration with the pump bore, and a pump drive system operably coupled to the piston to generate a piston translation path. The device also includes a solvent-flow conduit in fluid communication with the pump interior volume and a brewing chamber and an outlet for discharging an infused solution or receiving a flow of fluid. The pump drive system is operably configured to selectively drive the piston along the piston translation path to selectively induce a flow of a solvent between the brewing chamber and pump interior volume in both a forward direction and a reverse direction.

There is provided an unmanned cafe management system including a making device, an error control device to control the making device by setting the making device into disabled state and generate an error occurrence signal when receiving an error signal of the making device, an inspection management device to receive input of a management completion signal, measure an elapsed time and generate a management request signal when the elapsed time reaches a time interval according to a management request ratio to a management cycle, and a manager terminal device to receive and output the error occurrence signal or the management request signal.

Ingredient level consumption guidance methods and control systems in beverage mixture dispensing systems are disclosed. A disclosed method for operating a beverage mixture dispensing system includes setting an ingredient consumption threshold for an ingredient. The ingredient consumption threshold is associated with an account. The method also includes mixing a beverage using an amount of the ingredient, dispensing the beverage, updating an ingredient consumption level associated with the account, by adding the amount to the ingredient consumption level, and displaying, on a display, the ingredient consumption level and the ingredient consumption threshold.