A coffee machine for producing and dispensing coffee-based beverages is disclosed, including a hydraulic pump and at least one dispensing device comprising a filter unit apt to contain ground coffee. A hydraulic circuit brings the hydraulic pump into fluid communication with a supply unit of the dispensing device. The hydraulic circuit includes a supply duct which supplies hot water under pressure to the supply unit. A system for controlling the dispensing pressure includes a control unit, a pressure sensor, and a hydraulic variable-flow valve. The variable-flow valve is actuated by an electronic drive controlled electronically by the control unit in order to regulate the flow rate of water output as a function of a detected dispensing pressure value.

Provided are a coffee extraction device and a coffee extraction method, which are capable of extracting coffee from a coffee capsule (capsule coffee) and the like. The coffee extraction device can comprise: a coffee extraction unit on which a coffee capsule is to be mounted; a pump for pressurizing water and supplying the same to the coffee extraction unit; a flow rate sensor for measuring the flow rate of water to be supplied to the coffee extraction unit; and a control unit for controlling the operation of the pump on the basis of the flow rate to be sensed at the flow rate sensor.

A method for preparing cold coffee involves placing ground coffee in a maceration basket, which is mounted in a maceration tank, and subjected the coffee to maceration by recirculated flow of maceration fluid pumped under pressure by a circulating pump to a hydrating head mounted centrally to the maceration basket. Preferably the maceration basket is completely immersed in the maceration fluid. A device for preparing cold coffee is also disclosed, the device has a maceration tank, in which a maceration basket 1 for ground coffee is operationally mounted. The maceration basket is formed as a cylinder having a hollow center column dimensioned to receive at least a portion of the hydrating head. A circulating pump circulates the maceration fluid under pressure, from the maceration tank, via the hydrating head and the ground coffee batch disposed in the maceration basket back into the maceration tank.

A beverage preparation apparatus and method are provided, the apparatus including a brewing chamber, at least one pump configured to supply a diluent to the brewing chamber, two heaters configured to heat the diluent, at least one heater of the two heaters being a pipe heater, a controller configured to independently supply power to one or both of the heaters as a function of a flow rate and of a temperature of the diluent.

A brewing process for operating a brewing apparatus, the process comprising the steps of: providing a data set corresponding to a selected recipe; said data set including operating values for any one or a combination of water temperature data, flow rate data and pressure data; commencing the brewing process; adjusting the temperature, flow rate or pressure of the machine so as to correspond with the data set.

A beverage preparation machine having an inlet arrangement and a gasket arrangement is provided, where the inlet arrangement is configured with a plurality of inlet ports to deliver liquid to a beverage cartridge. The gasket arrangement may include a plurality of openings, wherein each of the plurality of inlet ports is received within one of the plurality of openings. The gasket arrangement may be integrally formed and may include one or more ribs disposed about each of the plurality of openings. A perimeter rib may extend along a perimeter of the gasket arrangement.

In a device (1) for making a beverage on the basis of interaction between a beverage extract and an extracting fluid, which comprises an openable and closeable chamber (50) for receiving and accommodating a quantity of the beverage extract, and heating/cooling means (30) for setting the temperature of the extracting fluid, arranged upstream of the chamber (50), a beverage making process can be performed with extracting fluid that is exactly at a desired temperature. During heat-up or cool-down phases of the heating/cooling means (30), the extracting fluid is transported to another position than the chamber (50) where the beverage making process is supposed to take place. For the purpose of determining an appropriate path of the extracting fluid in every possible situation, valve means (60) are applied, which are switchable under the influence of a change of the flow rate of the extracting fluid.

An inlet arrangement of a beverage forming apparatus is provided, where the inlet arrangement is configured to deliver liquid to a beverage cartridge. The inlet arrangement includes a central inlet port and a plurality of inlet ports arranged around the central inlet port. The beverage forming apparatus has the ability to implement different dispensing operations in which dispensing occurs through selectable subsets of the inlet ports.

An automatic machine to deliver a beverage containing caffeine includes a water container, a possible pump, a filtering element to contain, during use, a powdered mixture, a main pipe that connects the container to the filtering element, and a heating element, associated with the container and/or with the main pipe, able to be selectively activated to heat the stream of water delivered from the container toward the filtering element in order to infuse the powdered mixture.

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.