Systems and process for preparing beverages, in particular espresso coffee and similar aromatic beverages, based upon a beverage preparation apparatus that has a beverage preparation device adapted to be actuated between open and closed positions by an actuation disposition that includes an electric motor whose operation can be regulated by a control mechanism, whereby the actuation disposition includes an actuation monitoring mechanism adapted to provide monitoring of the circular movement of a driving cam so that the control mechanism can therewith better regulate the electric power supplied to said electric motor.

A cold brewer having a pitcher and lid for brewing a brewed effluent from a filter bag containing an organic material is disclosed. The pitcher has a pitcher top and bottom. The pitcher has a pitcher cavity for receiving the filter bag and the lid covers the pitcher top. The lid includes an outside portion, an inside portion, a rim that extends radially from a center of the lid, and a cylindrical sleeve. The cylindrical sleeve extends outward from the inside portion of the lid and defines a lid cavity that receives the filter bag when the filter bag is removed from the pitcher cavity and the outside portion is overturned and placed on the pitcher top. The lid includes drain holes that pass through the outside portion to the inside portion of the lid to drain the brewed effluent from the filter bag into the pitcher cavity when the filter bag is in a resting position within the lid cavity.

A water ejecting apparatus includes a case and a water ejection unit connected to one side of the case. The water ejection unit includes a fixed cover, a lifting cover, a lifting motor, a water ejection nozzle, a touch bar, a detection sensor, and a controller. The fixed cover is connected to the case. The lifting cover is movably received in the fixed cover and coupled to the lifting motor. The water ejection nozzle is installed at a lower end of the lifting cover and configured to eject water. The touch bar is at least partially received in the lifting cover and moves when in contact with a container placed below the water ejection nozzle. The detection sensor detects movement of the touch bar. The controller changes operation of the lifting motor when the detection sensor detects movement of the touch bar.

A disposable infusing implement for preparing infused beverages, and method of manufacturing the implement. The implement has on its distal end a separately releasable, permeable textile container which holds an apportioned measure of infusible, dried solids such as tea or coffee. The proximal end of the member serves as a handle for directing the distal end into a vessel of liquid, where it can be agitated to aid in steeping tea or ground coffee. After steeping/infusion, the permeable textile container portion may be disposed of and the handle used again. The textile container's permeable cup part is heated and pressed in a die. Infusible, granulated, dried solids such as coffee or tea are apportioned to fill the permeable chamber, and then a lid and flange are pressed atop to fixedly adhere to the permeable textile container, allowing the implement to be packed, formed and sealed from one side.

Ingredient cartridges and associated fluid mixture dispensing devices are disclosed herein. An ingredient cartridge can include a recyclable fluid storage portion, a recyclable shell at least partially surrounding the recyclable fluid storage portion, and a sturdy portion attached to the recyclable shell and having a device mating interface for a cartridge mating interface on the fluid mixture dispensing device. The cartridge mating interface can be a sliding cartridge mating interface meant to interface with a cartridge that slides into the device. The sliding cartridge mating interface can include a first anchor for receiving a mating interface of a cartridge, a second anchor for receiving a mating interface of the cartridge, and a rail surface. The first anchor and the second anchor can extend from the rail surface. The first anchor and the second anchor can be the tallest protrusions on the rail surface.

A manual brewing press with a lever assembly including a post, a base, a press plate extending from the post, and an elongated lever with an attached lever hook. A brew head is configured to be inserted into a top of the press plate and comprises a cylinder and a piston with a plunger disposed inside the cylinder and a stem integrating a pressure gauge. A sealing element is disposed adjacent to at least one of the stem and the plunger. A portafilter attaches to the press plate underside. The lever hook engages the stem of the piston, moves the plunger down and up inside the cylinder as the elongated lever is lowered and raised respectively, pushing water inside the cylinder down through coffee grounds in the portafilter when the elongated lever is lowered, and pulling the plunger back up when the elongated lever is raised for a subsequent brewing.

Container for a beverage preparation machine or foodstuff preparation machine, the container for containing beverage or foodstuff material comprises a code encoding preparation information, in particular preparation information for a beverage preparation machine or foodstuff preparation machine to prepare a beverage or a foodstuff with beverage or foodstuff material contained in the container, the code comprising a reference portion and a data portion. The reference portion comprises at least one reference configuration defining a virtual reference line. The data portion comprises a virtual encoding line intersecting the virtual reference line at a virtual intersection point and a sequence of data units comprising at least two data units aligned at a distance from each other along the virtual encoding line for encoding a sequence of operations of the preparation information. Each data unit of the sequence of data units encodes an operation of the sequence of operations, wherein a relative position of each data unit in the sequence of data units encodes a nature of the encoded operation and wherein a distance between the data unit and the virtual intersection point and/or a distance between the data unit and another data unit of the sequence of data units or of another sequence of data units encodes a value of a condition for the performance of the encoded operation.

Provided is a coffee vending machine including: a plurality of capsule stacking parts arranged in a lattice form to stack capsules therein in a first direction, a capsule feeding unit disposed at the centers of the bottoms of the capsule stacking parts to feed the capsules quantitatively, a coffee brewing part for seating the capsule fed from the capsule feeding unit, feeding water to the capsule, and brewing coffee to be provided for a consumer, and a cup discharging part for discharging a cup in which the coffee is contained to the outside. The coffee brewing part allows the capsule to be seated onto a seating groove when first and second portion seating parts are adjacent thereto or contacted with each other and allows the capsule to be freely fallen through a space formed between the first and second portion seating parts when they are spaced apart from each other.

A steam dispensing apparatus for hot beverage preparation may include: a boiler configured to generate steam and comprising a first outlet; a wand configured to introduce the steam into a container; a steam supply conduit connected to the first outlet of the boiler and configured to supply the steam to the wand; and a valve for dispensing the steam to the wand and for draining condensation water formed in the steam supply conduit upstream from the valve, during a closing time of the valve elapsed from a previous dispensing operation, wherein the valve is interposed between the wand and the steam supply conduit. The valve may include a hollow body that includes: a steam inlet connection; a steam outlet connection; a condensation water drain connection; a cartridge configured to perform angular movements about a longitudinal axis; and a control knob, connected to the cartridge to impart the angular movements thereto.

A method of printing with coffee-based ink comprises providing a thermal ink-jet cartridge having a quantity of a coffee-based ink disposed within; receiving optical density data from a user via a touch-screen computerized interface, where the data describes an optical density of the coffee-based ink present within an ink-jet pod; and computing a customized droplet-size for the coffee-based ink in its current state within the thermal ink-jet cartridge. A suitable printing apparatus can include coffee-based ink in a cartridge, an image-processing system, an image processing module for determining, inter alia, droplet size and missing/defective nozzles, and a nozzle-compensation module. Suitable ink formulations are human-edible and aqueous.