A system for preparing a brewed beverage from at least one flavorant includes a housing, a receptacle connectable to the housing for holding the at least one flavorant and a reservoir connectable to the housing. The receptacle including a first fluid inlet and a second fluid inlet and a first fluid flow path fluidly connects the reservoir to the first fluid inlet and a second fluid flow path fluidly connects the reservoir to the second fluid inlet.

Provided are an apparatus and method that provides a brewing machine that produces a static water pressure with a variable water pressure. A first portion of an adaptor includes a peripheral wall that defines a region that receives heated water at a first pressure. A plurality of flanges protrude outwardly from the peripheral wall and cooperate with a group head of the brewing machine that is configured to receive and support a portafilter. A second portion is separate from the first portion, and arranged below the first portion to receive a portafilter basket. A conduit conveys water between the first portion and the second portion. A pressure regulator in fluid communication with the internal passage adjusts the heated water from the first pressure to a second pressure that is less than the first pressure, to be introduced to coffee in the portafilter basket at the second pressure.

In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a first module and a second module. The first module includes a first receptacle and a second receptacle, the first receptacle being configured to contain a liquid and a second receptacle being configured to contain coffee beans. The first module further includes a heating arrangement, the heating arrangement being at least partially positioned between the first receptacle and the second receptacle. The second module is configured to support the first module and to provide power to the heating arrangement when the first module is supported on the second module.

Provided is a beverage machine, such as a coffee machine. The beverage machine includes a brewing vessel assembly that includes a brewing vessel. The beverage machine also includes a granular material dispenser having a granular material outlet through which granular material is dispensable into the brewing vessel, and a liquid dispenser having a liquid outlet and a hydraulic system for delivering liquid into the brewing vessel via the liquid outlet. The brewing vessel assembly and the liquid outlet are moveable relative to each other to enable adoption of a brewing configuration in which the brewing vessel is arranged to receive the liquid via the liquid outlet. The hydraulic system includes a hydraulic mechanism that is moveable via movement of liquid in the hydraulic system to cause the brewing vessel assembly and the granular material outlet to move away from each other during adoption of the brewing configuration.

In the context of coffee making, a coffee machine is provided, including a main unit and a portafilter, wherein the portafilter is removably mounted to the main unit and is emptied externally by a user as part of the normal operation of the coffee machine. After there has been a first instance of the portafilter being positioned at a coffee receiving position, the portafilter is blocked from reaching the coffee receiving position again after having been moved from the coffee receiving position to a brewing position. To this end, the coffee machine comprises a suitable blocking arrangement. On the basis of the functionality of the blocking arrangement, the chance that the coffee machine is operated to supply ground coffee to the portafilter while a used coffee puck from a previous coffee making process is still present in the portafilter is minimized.

An espresso press for forcing hot water through coffee grounds into a container rests on a support surface, and is comprised of a base, a stand projecting upwardly from the support surface, an arbor assembly, a brewhead that includes a brewhead mount fixed with the stand, and an espresso chamber adapted to receive filter baskets of various sizes. The arbor assembly is comprised of an arbor mount, and an arbor that includes a movable shaft the arbor aperture and a plunger slidably fixed with the shaft. The arbor assembly further includes a rack-and-pinion arrangement that includes a rack gear fixed with the shaft of the arbor, and a pinion gear partially projecting into the arbor aperture and adapted to engage the rack gear of the arbor when the arbor is fixed within the arbor aperture. The pinion gear is rotatable with a manual lever.

There is provided an apparatus for making espresso coffee comprising: a cylinder defining a cavity for receiving a liquid; a plunger axially slidable within the cavity between an inserted position and a retracted position; and an actuator comprising a biasing member for biasing the plunger towards the inserted position, wherein the actuator is adapted to change a configuration of the apparatus from a resting configuration to an actuation configuration, and wherein: in the resting configuration the plunger is at the inserted position and the biasing member exerts a minimum biasing force on the plunger; and in the actuation configuration the plunger is at the retracted position and the biasing member exerts a maximum biasing force on the plunger.