A hot beverage maker includes a pump, a kettle, a pumped fluid conduit, and a brew basket assembly. The kettle includes a reservoir, a heating element in the kettle for heating water in the reservoir, a spout for pouring water from the reservoir, and a pump inlet opening for providing heated water from the reservoir to the pump inlet. The pumped fluid conduit is connected with the pump outlet and includes a pumped fluid outlet. The brew basket assembly includes a pumped fluid outlet receptacle and a brew basket. The reservoir is selectively fluidly connectable with the brew basket via the pump inlet opening in the kettle being selectively fluidly connected with the pump inlet or the pumped fluid conduit outlet being selectively fluidly connectable with the pumped fluid outlet receptacle to selectively provide heated water from the reservoir to the brew basket.

Provided is a coffee maker, comprising a shell body, a brewing assembly, a slight pressure assembly, a heating assembly and a filtering assembly; the brewing assembly comprises a brewing vessel installed on the shell body; the brewing vessel has a hollow accommodation chamber, which accommodates stuff to be brewed; the slight pressure assembly comprises a booster pump and a pressure pipe; the booster pump is connected with the pressure pipe; the pressure pipe is in communication with the accommodation chamber; the booster pump is configured to supply slight pressure to the brewing vessel; the heating assembly is in communication with the accommodation chamber assembly, and is configured to supply heated water to the brewing vessel; and the filtering assembly is provided on a lower part of the brewing vessel and is in communication with the accommodation chamber. A control method of the coffee maker is further provided.

A froth heater can include an outer case defining an inner cavity, an inlet in fluid communication with the inner cavity, and an outlet in fluid communication with the inner cavity. The froth heater can include a heater core inserted into inner cavity and configured to form a flow path between an inner wall of the outer case and the heater core between the inlet and the outlet. The heater core can include a core cavity configured to receive a heater therein to heat the heater core.

The invention provides a water-injection chamber for capsule coffee machines that makes it possible to regulate and maintain constant a predetermined temperature of the water to be injected into the coffee capsule, also facilitating the adjustment of the input flow of hot water into the brewing chamber of said coffee machines, making it possible to adjust the temperature and the flow of water to be injected into a capsule according to the specific needs of each capsule without needing to modify or install new elements that increase the production cost and complicate the manufacturing process.

A beverage-making apparatus includes a water supply heater configured to heat water; an ingredient supplier connected to the water supply heater through a water supply channel; a container connected to the ingredient supplier through a first channel; a first valve configured to regulate a flow through the first channel; and a beverage extractor connected to the first channel at a location between the ingredient supplier and the first valve.

A liquid dispensing system, a liquid flow control assembly or member and a liquid dispenser. Preferably, the liquid dispensing system includes a single hot water tank. A liquid flow control assembly operably connected to the hot water tank is configured to direct only water from an upper portion of the hot water tank to a flavored beverage brewer (e.g., coffee or tea brewer) so that the flavored beverage is at an optimal elevated temperature when dispensed. The liquid flow control assembly or member is further configured to mix water from an upper portion of the hot water tank with water from a lower portion of the hot water tank and provide the water mixture to a hot water dispensing nozzle or outlet of the liquid dispenser to reduce the temperature of the water directed to the hot water dispensing nozzle or outlet.

A beverage-making machine includes: a housing; an espresso station; a coffee station; a water reservoir; a fluid transport system fluidly connected with the water reservoir, the fluid transport system including a pump configured to provide selectively variable pressure, a heater positioned to heat fluid in the fluid transport system, and a three-way valve fluidly connected with the pump; and a controller configured such that, (a) upon a user's selection to brew espresso, the controller signals the pump to operate at a first, higher operating pressure and signals the three-way valve to direct fluid from the pump to the espresso brewing station, and (b) upon a user's selection to brew coffee, the controller signals the pump to operate at a second, lower operating pressure and signals the three-way valve to direct fluid from the pump to the coffee brewing station.

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 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.