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

An ice cream maker is disclosed, comprising a cooling unit (4A; 10; 13) and a stirring container (4), characterised in that said stirring container (4) consists of a compartment where the ingredients for the final product are added in the form of cartridge or capsule (15) which is opened and stirred in upon production.

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

A machine for making liquid or semi-liquid food products includes a frame and a thermal system, which performs at least one thermodynamic cycle using a main heat exchanger fluid, and a production unit. The production unit is provided with a processing container having a cavity which defines a processing chamber for making a liquid or semi-liquid food product, a stirrer, applied or applicable on the frame at a fixed position and fitted or fittable in the processing container, and coupling means between the processing container and the drive shaft to allow coupling and hence transmission of motion from the motor to the processing container. In particular, the stirrer is provided with an inner core and an outer covering made of different materials.

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

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

A machine for making liquid or semi-liquid products includes a thermal system using a main heat exchanger fluid, a compressor, a first heat exchanger and a pressure reducing element, all affected by circulation of the main heat exchanger fluid. A motor includes a drive shaft rotatable about a vertical axis. A production unit includes a first container with a processing chamber for making ice cream and a stirrer insertable into the first processing container. A second container includes a cavity rotatably housing the first container and which is fixed relative to a frame. Channels for circulating the main heat exchanger fluid are associated with the second container and define for the thermal system a second heat exchanger in which the main heat exchanger fluid circulates. A coupling mechanism couples the first container and drive shaft for transmission of motion from the motor to the first container.

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

The invention relates to apparatus and method of making a frozen confectionary product such as ice cream or sorbet in which a confectionary mix is churned in a vessel whilst a liquid gas such as liquid nitrogen is added. Existing churning apparatus moves a stirrer through the ice cream mix in an epicyclical motion. This tends to splash liquid nitrogen so that it evaporates without contributing to the freezing of the ice cream. In the improved mixing method, the stirrer is repeatedly drawn against the inside wall(s) of the vessel. This reduces splashing of the liquid nitrogen. The drawing action also removes build up of frozen confectionary product on both the stirrer and the vessel walls and allows unfrozen confectionary mix to move to the edges of the vessel and be preferentially frozen.

A method for making ice cream including a basic flavor in which an additional flavor of a different type is inserted includes the following steps: preparing a container for processing the basic ice cream product; cooling and stirring a basic preparation inside processing container to make a basic ice cream product; preparing a hermetically sealed capsule containing an additional flavor; opening the capsule; simultaneously transferring a portion of the basic ice cream from the processing container to the serving container and the additional flavor from the open capsule to the serving container, wherein the simultaneous transferring step comprises a step of delivering the additional flavor into a first predetermined spatial region and a step of delivering the basic ice cream into a second spatial region which contains the first spatial region, so that the additional flavor is fed into the basic ice cream in the serving container.