A method and apparatus for venting a liquid supply of a beverage machine, e.g., by permanently open orifice and/or pressure relief valve. The orifice may always vent a heater tank, even while liquid is delivered to the tank by a liquid pump and/or while the tank is pressurized by an air pump to deliver liquid from the tank. A filter may be positioned between a heater tank and orifice and/or air pump. The pressure relief valve may be positioned between the liquid pump and the inlet side of the heater tank, e.g., so relatively cool water is released by the pressure relief valve when open.

A coffee machine includes a weighing system to measure the weight of the liquid coffee extracted in a cup and a coffee grinding machine having a weight system to measure the weight of the ground coffee dispensed in a filter-holder. The coffee machine has a control unit provided with a memory, wherein infusion ratios for different types of coffees are saved and the coffee grinding machine includes a control unit operatively connected to the control unit of the coffee machine to send information about the weight of the ground coffee contained in the filter-holder. The control unit of the coffee machine uses the information received from the coffee grinding machine to extract a coffee that satisfies an infusion ratio selected by the operator.

An extracting method of extracting a beverage liquid from an extraction target includes a pressure reduction step of switching an interior of an extraction container in which the extraction target and a liquid are stored from a first air pressure to a second air pressure lower than the first air pressure, and an extraction step of extracting the beverage liquid from the extraction target. The first air pressure is an air pressure at which the liquid at a predetermined temperature does not boil, and the second air pressure is an air pressure at which the liquid that does not boil at the first air pressure boils. The switching from the first air pressure to the second air pressure is done by releasing the air pressure in the extraction container.

A beverage supply device can suppress a decline of a temperature of hot water remaining in a hot-water delivery piping for guiding the hot water pumped up by a pump to a beverage extraction unit without increasing a cost. The beverage supply device with a hot-water tank storing the hot water heated by a built-in heater is provided with the hot-water delivery piping for guiding the hot water pumped up by the pump arranged below the hot-water tank to the beverage extraction unit. The hot-water delivery piping is arranged to pass through the hot-water tank so that the hot water remaining in the hot-water delivery piping during a stand-by time is kept warm at a temperature of the hot water inside the hot-water tank by the hot water inside the hot-water tank.

A beverage maker including a reservoir, an intermediate chamber, a beverage substance retaining container, a heating element associated with the reservoir and a temperature responsive valve assembly between the reservoir and intermediate chamber for controlling the flow of heated water from the reservoir. The beverage maker includes a sensor device coupled to the reservoir, spaced from the heating element, to detect a condition such as a temperature change, temperature, temperature range, or presence of absence of water within the reservoir to cease power to the heating element upon detecting the condition. The intermediate chamber is sized and dimensioned to accommodate a predetermined range of volumes of water flowing from the reservoir through the intermediate chamber. A spray head is provided on the intermediate chamber communicating with the volume of water retained therein to distribute the water over beverage making substance retained in the beverage substance retaining container.

A coffee making appliance includes a housing having a base for supporting a container configured to receive brewed coffee and a reservoir for receiving water to be heated. A hopper is configured to receive a quantity of whole coffee beans and is positioned adjacent a grinder that is itself configured to transform the whole coffee beans into ground coffee. A passageway is formed in the housing for channeling the ground coffee from the grinder to a brewing chamber. A pump configured to supply the water from said reservoir to said brewing chamber via a brew path and the brew path then directs said heated water over the passageway, thereby cleaning the passageway of particulates of the ground coffee.

A process and apparatus for preparing a brewed beverage including utilizing a predetermined amount of brewed substance and a predetermined amount of water. The process comprises dispensing a first amount of water into a receiving apparatus, wherein the first amount is less than the predetermined amount of water of the brewed beverage. The process further comprises dispensing the predetermined amount of brewed substance into the receiving apparatus. The process further comprises dispensing a second amount of water into the receiving apparatus, wherein the second amount of water is less than the predetermined amount of water of the brewed beverage.

A coffee machine, a coffee bean container, and a system including a coffee machine and a coffee bean container are described. The coffee bean container has an identification element that is read by the coffee machine when the coffee bean container is placed on the coffee machine. Based on the information read from the identification element, a parameter set is applied to the coffee machine and the coffee machine is individually adjusted for the coffee bean container placed on it.

An automatic beverage brewer for coffee, tea, and the like, and more particularly, which is customizable both in physical configuration including number and location of external brewing fonts, optionally in association with a bulk brewing font and receiving container, and in automatic operation to dispense hot water to the respective fonts and a main brewing basket or baskets responsive to user inputted beverage brewing commands.

Combined water dispensers and coffee making devices are disclosed, which include a cabinet configured to house a water bottle in a bottom half of the interior portion of the cabinet; a cold tank that is configured to receive water from the water bottle, which is connected to an evaporator; one or more hot tanks that are configured to receive water (directly or indirectly) from the cold tank, which are connected to a heating coil to heat the water that is contained therein; and a coffee making device located on a top side of the cabinet. The coffee making device receives water from the hot tank, receives a disposable cartridge that contains coffee grinds for a single-serving of coffee, causes water to contact the coffee grinds to produce a coffee beverage, and employs a set of spikes to make water entry and exit apertures in the cartridge.