Provided herein are methods and systems for a networked soda reconstruction appliance, adapted for home or office use, that includes intelligent sur systems or handling various beverage components, which can be mixed under intelligent control, including local control and control by a remote host system, which may help manage the appliance itself as well as the replenishment supply chains involved in delivering appropriate beverage components to the appliance.

A method of making a portion capsule that includes steps of: forming a metal material into a base element that includes: i) a wall extending around a central longitudinal axis to define a cavity, and ii) a rim having a top side and an opposing bottom side; filling the cavity with a beverage material; closing the cavity by attaching a foil cover onto the top side of the rim, the cover being dimensioned and configured to be: i) pierced by the mandrel of the beverage making machine in a piercing region, and ii) sealed by the seal of the beverage making machine in a sealing region; and providing an optically detectable identifier onto the metal material so that the optically detectable identifier results on the bottom side of the rim.

A machine (1) for preparing a beverage has a beverage processing unit (10,20) formed of a first processing unit member (10) and a second processing unit member (20) that delimit a chamber (21) and that are movable between a distant configuration in which the ingredient (2) is received in the chamber (21) and a proximate configuration in which the ingredient (2) is held and mixed with the water (4) in the chamber (21). The machine includes: a water source for delivering the water (4) towards the beverage processing unit (10,20); and a fluid module (15) having a water guide (30) for guiding the water (4) between the water source and the chamber (21), the fluid module (15) comprising the first processing unit member (10) of the processing unit (10,20). The fluid module (15) is assemblable by a user as a unit to the water source and to the second processing unit member (20) and is disassemblable by a user as a unit from the water source and from the second processing unit member (20).

A coffee grinding apparatus includes a removable holder assembly having first and second arms that are spaced-apart from one another to define an open receiving area therebetween. The arms each include upper and lower tabs that extend inwardly into the open receiving area first and second distances, respectively. The first and second distances of the upper and lower tabs are configured to retain and support portafilter assemblies of various sizes for filling with coffee grounds using the coffee grinder apparatus. Another holder assembly for use with the coffee grinding apparatus may include opposed abutment surfaces for engaging inner and outer surfaces of a cup portion of various sized portafilter assemblies. Each disclosed holder assembly is configured to attach to a pedestal portion of the coffee grinding apparatus in use, and can be stored in a support base of the coffee grinding apparatus when not in use.

Described herein is a beverage preparation ingredient for cold-brewing, the beverage preparation ingredient comprising a blend of a water-insoluble drink powder and a water-soluble drink powder.

A system for mixing and dispensing a beverage is provided including a disposable pod containing a solute therein, inflow puncturing cap defining a plurality of spikes extending therefrom, an outflow puncturing cap defining a plurality of puncturing spikes extending therefrom and a translation mechanism for receiving the pod, translating the inflow puncturing cap towards the pod to puncture the pod upper surface and seat the pod proximate the outflow cap spikes. Heated, pressurized solvent fluid is injected into the pod, wherein the solvent and solute mix, causing the pod lower surface to expand against, and be punctured by the outflow puncturing cap spikes. The pod material, and pod thickness may be selected to allow puncture of the pod lower surface after a preferred brewing period has occurred.

A coffee dispenser comprises an inlet for receiving ground coffee, a ground coffee holder that receives ground coffee from the inlet, and a porta filter carriage for receiving a porta filter. The porta filter carriage is movable relative to the ground coffee holder between a closed position and a dispensing position. When a porta filter is received in the porta filter carriage, movement of the porta filter carriage from the closed position to the dispensing position causes coffee to be dispensed into the filter basket. Movement of the porta filter carriage from the dispensing position to the closed position causes a scraping action to occur across the coffee disposed in the filter basket, thereby removing excess coffee from the filter basket.

A portable hydration device for use with a portable hydration system is described. The portable hydration device comprises a housing having an inlet, configured to be in fluid communication with a reservoir of water, and an outlet configured to be in fluid communication with a mouthpiece; the housing defining a throughbore connecting the inlet and the outlet. The device also includes a receptacle configured to contain an additive and a selector. The selector is movable between an engaged position in which the selector is engaged with the receptacle and a disengaged position in which the selector is disengaged from the receptacle. In the engaged position the selector permits fluid communication between the receptacle and the throughbore and in the disengaged position the selector prevents fluid communication between the receptacle and the throughbore. The selector defines a throughbore, the selector throughbore being aligned with the housing throughbore in the engaged and the disengaged positions.

A beverage brewing apparatus including a brewing module, an ingredient providing module, a drink providing module and a control unit is provided. The brewing module is adapted to brew at least one drink and at least one ingredient in a beverage cup. The ingredient providing module is adapted to provide the at least one ingredient into the beverage cup. The drink providing module is adapted to provide the at least one drink into the beverage cup. The control unit is adapted to control the brewing module, the ingredient providing module and the drink providing module according to a brewing procedure corresponding to the at least one drink and the at least one ingredient.

The invention relates to a disposable cartridge filled with a single serve portion of a liquid ingredient to be combined with a base liquid for the preparation of a liquid product, e.g. a beverage concentrate to be combined with water, e.g. carbonated water, for the preparation of a beverage suitable for human consumption. The cartridge comprises a vertically extending channel that extends to a dispensing aperture in the bottom of the cartridge and one or more dispensing passages extending between a reservoir and the outside of the cartridge. The dispensing passages are provided with outlet openings located adjacent the aperture such that the base liquid and the liquid ingredient are dispensed in parallel flows, the liquid ingredient subsequently coating the exterior of the stream of base liquid, such that actual mixing of the liquid ingredient and base liquid only takes place after both have been dispensed.