A machine for brewing and cooling a beverage includes a housing, a refrigeration system, a first nest, a second nest, a fluid system, and a dispensing port. The first and second nests are arranged in the housing and include first and second recesses, respectively. The second nest has walls defining the second recess. The refrigeration system is located within the machine and is confirmed to cool the walls of the second nest. The fluid system is configured to transfer water to the first recess of the first nest. The dispensing port is fluidly connected with the recess of the first nest.

A sealed pressurized food dispensing system with self-cleaning features that can include a food processing apparatus that includes a cylinder having an inlet for receiving a food ingredient; a faceplate coupled to the cylinder, that defines a dispense bore and a bypass passage having a first open end; a blocking cap coupled to the faceplate to block the dispensing of product from within the cylinder; and a pump having an inlet fluidly coupled to a connection element and an outlet fluidly coupled to the inlet of the cylinder, where connection of the connection element to the source of cleaning fluid will result in the pumping of cleaning fluid into the food dispensing cylinder, though the cylinder into the blocking cap, and through the blocking cap into the bypass passage.

A refrigerator appliance may include a cabinet, a door, a sealed cooling system, and an ice cream unit. The door may include a door liner defining an icebox compartment. The door may include a chilled air supply opening and a chilled air return opening spaced apart from the chilled air supply opening. The ice cream unit may be disposed within the icebox compartment. The ice cream unit may include a freezing tank, a rotatable auger extending into the freezing tank, a tank jacket, and a unit duct or support base. The tank jacket may receive the freezing tank and define a cooling passage extending about the freezing tank from a jacket inlet to a jacket outlet. The jacket outlet may be open to the icebox compartment to exhaust air from the cooling passage to the icebox compartment.

A machine for making and dispensing liquid or semi-liquid food products, includes, in combination: a container for containing liquid or semi-liquid products; a thermal treatment cylinder contained inside the container and having an axis that is inclined relative to the vertical; a stirrer mounted to the outside of the thermal treatment cylinder; a thermal system including a heat exchanger associated with the thermal treatment cylinder, wherein the container for containing liquid or semi-liquid products is defined by a first, inside wall and a second, outside wall, the first, inside wall and the second, outside wall forming between them a gap that is not affected by the liquid or semi-liquid products.

A machine for making and dispensing liquid, semi-liquid and/or semi-solid food products and which includes at least a cylinder for containing and processing basic products, means for heating and cooling the cylinder wrapped around at least part of the cylinder and a mixer unit positioned inside the cylinder which is able to mix the basic products during their processing; the machine also includes a supply duct for supplying the products into the cylinder, a dispensing duct for withdrawing the food products from the cylinder and means for recirculating the products contained in the containment and processing cylinder which are able to withdraw the products from the cylinder through the dispensing duct and to return them into the cylinder through the supply duct.

A frozen fluid mixing and dispensing apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a flexible-walled package enclosing a cavity that receives a liquid that is mixed with air and chilled in the apparatus to form an associated frozen slurry therethrough.

A frozen product machine that solves problems associated with conventional home ice cream and frozen product machines by prevents loss of product in the chamber and decreases freezing time for a liquid product. A cooling chamber is cooled by a cooling element that provides variable cooling temperatures throughout the cooling chamber. A temperature gradient, progressing from lower temperatures at the bottom of the chamber, or the outlet, to higher at the top of the chamber, or inlet, create a more efficient means of cooling a frozen product. An auger, that may be shaped to match the shape of the cooling chamber may include slots that allow for controlled flow of frozen product through the chamber to promote efficient cooling. Hinged fins may rotate from open to closed within the slot to further enhance flow of frozen product through the frozen product machine.

A refrigerated food processing and dispensing apparatus including a freezing barrel, the freezing barrel having an inlet port; a refrigerated ingredient storage compartment; a pump having an inlet and an outlet; a pressure block positioned within the refrigerated ingredient storage compartment that includes a fluid inlet, a gas inlet, an interior passage in fluid communication with the fluid inlet and the gas inlet and an outlet in fluid communication with the interior passage, and a first pressure transducer coupled to the pressure block and configured to provide a signal corresponding to the pressure within the interior passage; a gas control valve having an input coupled to a source of pressurized gas and an outlet; and a gas check-valve positioned within the refrigerated ingredient storage compartment having an input fluidly coupled to the outlet of the gas control valve and an output fluidly coupled to the pressure block gas input.

A sealed pressurized food dispensing system with self-cleaning features that can include a freezing barrel, a faceplate defining a dispense bore and a cleaning bypass passage passing through the faceplate and having an open end, where the dispenser can also include a valve stem that may be moved between a dispensing position and a non-dispensing position where the cleaning bypass passage is positioned such that, when the valve stem is in its non-dispensing position, no fluid path exists between the interior of the freezing barrel and the open end of the cleaning bypass passage within the faceplate.

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