A compacted coffee tablet, in particular a tablet of compacted roast and ground coffee beans, presenting an advantageous configuration in terms of compaction process, maintenance of shape and efficiency of coffee extraction, in particular of espresso type coffee. A beverage preparation systems including the compacted coffee tablet, and production processes thereof.

A structured coffee composition and to various items made using such coffee composition are provided. The structured coffee composition is suitable for use in one or more of automatic drip coffee makers, single serving coffee makers, percolating coffee makers, moka pot coffee makers, French press coffee makers, vacuum coffee makers, expresso coffee makers, thermal coffee makers, or any combination of two or more thereof.

Aspects disclosed herein relate to beverage tablets for use in forming a beverage. The beverage tablets may have first and second portions having different concentrations of at least one beverage ingredient. In some embodiments, a beverage tablet may be formed to have an inner portion surrounded by an outer portion. In some embodiments, a beverage tablet may be formed to have a layered arrangement.

Aspects described herein relate to improvements in beverage machines and methods of brewing beverages therein. According to some embodiments, a beverage consumable includes one or more through-holes configured to encode information. A beverage machine may include a light source configured to pass light through the through-holes of the beverage consumable. The beverage machine may include a detector to detect a pattern of light that has passed through the through-holes of the beverage consumable. Information such as, but not limited to, beverage consumable type and brew parameters, may be encoded by the through-holes of the beverage consumable. In some embodiments, the beverage consumable may be in the form of a compacted beverage tablet that does not require packaging to retain its shape.

The present invention discloses industrial processes of compaction of roast and ground coffee to obtain compacted coffee tablets adapted for preparing coffee-based beverages by means of extraction by a pressurized flow with a flow pressure bigger than 5 bar, including beverages of the espresso type and similar, and presenting advantageous features in terms of extraction efficacy and form keeping of the compacted coffee tablet, as well as in terms of production efficiency and capacity.

The present invention further discloses compacted coffee tablets adapted for preparing coffee-based beverages and presenting advantageous features in terms of efficacy of coffee extraction by a pressurized extraction flow.