The disclosure relates to a drive shaft system (1) for use with a container for mixing a fluid, being a container for a bioreaction, and a container holder for holding the container, comprising: a drive shaft coupling (4) having: a container connection (5) for connecting the drive shaft coupling to the container; a motor connection (6), for detachably connecting the drive shaft coupling to a stationary part of a motor of the container holder, provided with a first alignment element (25, 26) to be rotationally aligned with a second alignment element (27, 28) provided on the stationary part; a drive shaft (9), rotatably arranged in the drive shaft coupling, having: a first drive shaft end (10) configured for detachable coupling to a rotatable output shaft end of the motor; a second drive shaft end (12); and an agitation device (13), connected to the drive shaft.

Ingredient blending devices and associated methods are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, an ingredient blending device includes a cup holder assembly, a straw displacement assembly, a gas pumping assembly, and a controller. The controller can be configured to (i) operate the straw displacement assembly to position a straw such that a proximal end of the straw is adjacent the gas pumping assembly and a distal end of the straw is at least partially inside a cup, (ii) operate the cup holder assembly to move the cup relative to the straw, (iii) operate the gas pumping assembly to pump the gas into the proximal end of the straw such that the gas exits at the distal end of the straw and into ingredients in the cup, thereby blending the ingredients, and (iv) operate the straw displacement assembly to dispense the straw into the cup.

A tamper for an appliance. The tamper may include one or more tamping cycles. The tamper may include a motor. The tamper may include one or more mixing mechanisms. The mixing mechanism may be a vibration mechanism. The mixing mechanism may be a blade mechanism. The tamper may include a motion limiter. The tamper may include one or more locking mechanisms releasably engaging the blender. The tamper may include a blender.