A frozen confection dispensing apparatus includes a refrigeration system. A variable frequency drive is connected to the refrigeration system. A beater motor is connected to the variable frequency drive. The variable frequency drive calculates the beater motor torque and regulates the refrigeration system activation. The variable frequency drive varies a speed and/or torque of the beater motor regulating a size of ice crystals and overrun of a frozen confection product.

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

Systems and methods of producing a frozen food product include dosing ingredients with a liquefied gas while mixing the ingredients using self-cleaning interlocking beaters. The beaters are optionally also disposed to clean a container in which the ingredients are frozen. The rate and amount of cooling is controlled by measuring the quantity of liquid nitrogen, measuring viscosity of the frozen food product, measuring temperature, and/or the like.

A frosty swirl machine includes a housing, a funnel, an auger for swirling ice-cream with other additives to become a mixture, and a protective cap. The protective cap has a passage opening movably mounted at a mixture outlet of the funnel, in such a manner that the protective cap is capable of moving between a opened position and a closed position, wherein in the opened position, the protective cap is moved to align the passage opening with the mixture outlet of the funnel so as to allow the mixture to pour out of the funnel through the mixture outlet and the passage opening, wherein in the closed position, the protective cap is moved to block the mixture outlet so as to prevent the mixture from being poured out of the funnel.

An apparatus is especially suitable for high volume manufacture of a non-dairy frozen dessert. Pre-frozen blocks of ingredient mixture are masticated in a first stage of the apparatus and aerated in a second stage of the apparatus. Compressed air is injected into a masticated slurry produced by the first stage and mixed into the slurry in the second stage. A continuous process transforms the pre-frozen blocks into a masticated, aerated slurry suitable for immediate consumption, storage for later consumption, or processing into bars or other forms. This apparatus and process is suitable for some ingredient mixtures for which a scrape surface heat exchanger apparatus and process are not suitable.

An extrusion assembly for a micro-puree machine uses a plunger coupled to the main driven shaft to push the processed ingredients out of a nozzle coupled to the bowl. The plunger includes a seal around its perimeter to ensure maximum contact with the walls of the bowl and thus allow for maximum extrusion yield. The extrude function is integrated into a program on the main user interface with a predetermined translation speed/flow rate.

An extrusion assembly for a micro-puree machine uses a plunger coupled to the main driven shaft to push the processed ingredients out of a nozzle coupled to the processing bowl. The plunger includes a seal around its perimeter to ensure maximum contact with the walls of the bowl and thus allow for maximum extrusion yield. The extrude function is integrated into a program on the main user interface with a predetermined translation speed/flow rate.

The techniques described herein provide, in one embodiment, a rapid-agitation mixer for food products that comprises a product holder configured to hold a sealed product cup containing a food product to be mixed, and a drive shaft along an agitation axis, the drive shaft configured to secure the product holder and product cup in place. The illustrative mixer also comprises a drive motor configured to reciprocate the drive shaft in opposing directions, where the product holder correspondingly reciprocates the product cup to churn the food product within the product cup.

Disclosed is an apparatus and method for providing asymmetric oscillations to a container. The container may include a fluid, a particle, and/or a gas. A vibration driver attached to the container provides asymmetric oscillations. A controller connected to the vibration driver controls an amplitude, frequency, and shape of the asymmetric oscillations. An amplifier amplifies the asymmetric oscillations in response to the controller. A sensor disposed on the vibration driver provides feedback to the controller.

Disclosed is an apparatus and method for providing asymmetric oscillations to a container. The container may include a fluid, a particle, and/or a gas. A vibration driver attached to the container provides asymmetric oscillations. A controller connected to the vibration driver controls an amplitude, frequency, and shape of the asymmetric oscillations. An amplifier amplifies the asymmetric oscillations in response to the controller. A sensor disposed on the vibration driver provides feedback to the controller.