A pod for storing and dispensing a beverage preparation ingredient during a dispensing operation. The pod comprises a body defining a cavity for storing the beverage preparation ingredient, said body comprising a dispensing side and a closed side, and at least one side wall extending from the closed side to the dispensing side; and an actuation member contained within said cavity. The actuation member is configured to cause an opening to be formed between said cavity and a region outside the pod when actuated. The opening is formed around a perimeter of a dispensing surface of the pod at a junction formed between the at least one side wall and the dispensing surface, the dispensing surface being provided at the dispensing side of the body.

According to the invention there is provided a capsule (1) for delivering flavouring to a beverage, the capsule (1) defining a closed internal volume (20) containing a flavouring for a beverage, the capsule comprising at least two frangible regions (30, 40), and a piercing member (50) housed within the internal volume (20), the piercing member (50) adapted to pierce at least one of said frangible regions (30, 40) of the capsule (1). Also according to the invention, there is provided a dispensing apparatus (100) for dispensing flavouring to a beverage, the apparatus comprising a mount (110) for receiving a capsule (1) containing flavouring to be added to the beverage, and an engaging portion (80) configured to engage with a piercing member (50) within a capsule (1) and pierce a frangible region of the capsule (1), wherein the apparatus (100) is configured to provide relative movement of the mount (110) and engaging portion (80) between a retracted position and an engaged position in which the engaging portion (80) is configured to engage with the piercing member (50) in the capsule (1).

A single-dose and single-use capsule for use in a machine for dispensing beverages in form of infusion is provided. The capsule has a main cup-shaped body that bears a concentrated product in granular form, and the main body is defined by a lateral coat substantially truncated cone shaped and by a circular bottom wall. The bottom wall has: a plurality of drilling regions, which, in use, are perforated by one or more perforating elements of the dispensing machine during an infusion cycle; and a plurality of reinforcing regions, arranged adjacently and alternately to the perforation regions and having enhanced thickness with respect to them, wherein, in use, the reinforcing regions avoid slots or cracks which extend from holes made onto the perforation regions to propagate.

Provided are a beverage machine and a method for controlling the beverage machine. The beverage machine comprises: a machine body, a brewing mechanism, a frame, a boiler, a liquid pump, and a power supply board. The machine body further comprises a machine head, a body, and a base, connected in sequence from top to bottom; the brewing mechanism is detachably disposed on the machine head, and the brewing mechanism is provided with a brewing chamber; the frame is disposed within the body; the boiler, liquid pump, and power supply board are disposed on the frame; the boiler is connected to the brewing chamber, and the interior of the boiler is in communication with the external atmosphere; the liquid pump is connected between the boiler and the brewing chamber.

A cup having an endless sidewall with a lower stacking shoulder formed of a sidewall and bottom heel including a convexly outwardly curved rib disposed at a transition between the sidewall and a cup bottom having a bottom wall having a recessed dome-shaped center section providing draw ratio bottom wall thickness reduction to an annular flat bottom wall section defining a puncture region of the cup. The cup sidewall has a ribbed section disposed adjacent the heel and extends upwardly at least one-quarter the height of the cup helping to strengthen the relatively thin sidewall to prevent it from undesirably deforming during puncturing of the cup bottom during beverage making. The cup may include an upper shoulder formed of an outwardly expanded section of the sidewall adjacent the top of the cup and defining an filter attachment seat on one side and a cup carrier on the opposite side.

The invention relates to a cartridge housing comprising a diluting means, especially a water supply, a mixing chamber in which the diluting means and a beverage and/or food substrate are mixed, and an outlet. The cartridge housing is fitted with a hollow rod such that the sealing film of the cartridge is pierced as soon as the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge housing, thereby creating the flow connection between the cartridge and a mixing chamber.

A beverage brewer includes a brewing chamber, a hollow injection nozzle, a rotation member, and a motor. The brewing chamber is configured to receive and hold a brewing cartridge. The injection nozzle is arranged in fluid communication with a liquid supply and configured to enter a brewing cartridge when the brewing cartridge is disposed in the brewing chamber and to provide fluid communication from the liquid supply to an interior of the brewing cartridge. The rotation member is arranged at a periphery of the brewing chamber. The motor is configured to rotate the rotation member. The beverage brewer can also include a hollow extraction nozzle arranged opposite an opening of the brewing chamber and configured to enter the brewing cartridge when the brewing cartridge is disposed in the brewing chamber and to provide fluid communication from an interior of the brewing cartridge to an exterior of the brewing chamber.

Systems for and methods of controlled liquid food or beverage product creation are provided. A method of producing a liquid product from a receptacle containing frozen liquid contents includes receiving the receptacle containing a frozen liquid contents in a dispenser, identifying a characteristic of the receptacle, the contents, and/or a desired product, melting at least a portion of the contents to generate the product by selectively heating the receptacle and/or the contents without adding liquid to the interior of the receptacle and/or supplying a liquid to the interior of the receptacle, wherein the selectively heating without adding liquid to the interior of the receptacle and/or supplying the liquid is based on the identified characteristic. The method also includes perforating the receptacle and dispensing the product from the receptacle.

The present disclosure relates to a processing unit (14) for a dispenser (10) for preparation of foodstuff products, comprising a receiving cavity (17) for receiving a consumable (30), the receiving cavity (17) comprising at least a first receiving portion (18) and at least a first fastening portion (20), a sealing unit (22) arranged to contact, at an inlet side (28), a first end (78) of the consumable (30), a primary inlet engagement unit (46) that is coupled to an inlet conduit (44), wherein the primary inlet engagement unit (46) is operable to engage the inlet portion (140) of the consumable (30) to process a foodstuff product in the consumable (30), an outlet engagement arrangement (48) comprising a primary outlet engagement unit (50) that engages a primary outlet portion (142) of the consumable (30) and an auxiliary outlet engagement unit (52) that engages an auxiliary outlet portion (144) of the consumable (30) at the outlet side (29), and a control unit (58) that is coupled to the auxiliary outlet engagement unit (52), wherein the control unit (58) is operable to control the auxiliary outlet engagement unit (52) such that the primary outlet engagement unit (50) and the auxiliary outlet engagement unit (52) engage the consumable (30) in a time-displaced manner, The disclosure further relates to a foodstuff preparation system and to a use of a consumable (30) in a dispensing appliance (10).

Systems for controlled heating and/or agitation for liquid food or beverage product creation are disclosed. A dispenser for producing a food or beverage liquid product from a frozen contents in a receptacle includes a chamber configured to hold a receptacle containing the contents and a dilution liquid inlet configured to supply a dilution liquid to the interior of the receptacle. The dispenser also includes a perforator configured to perforate the receptacle and form a product outlet from the receptacle for the liquid product and an agitator configured to impart motion to the receptacle and/or the contents in the receptacle that increases a flow path from the liquid inlet to the product outlet taken by at least a portion of dilution liquid, when supplied, relative to a flow path from the liquid inlet to the product outlet taken by the portion of dilution liquid without the imparted motion.