A slush beverage formulation and method for preparing same that, once reaching a steady-state temperature in a freezer, results in a pourable slush. The pourable slush is obtained by formulating to a specific range of ingredient content, dependent on the alcohol content of the end product. In a preferred form, an ice-nucleating agent and/or an ice-particle-shape-controlling ingredient are added.

A frozen product machine that solves problems associated with conventional home ice cream and frozen product machines by prevents loss of product in the chamber and decreases freezing time for a liquid product. A cooling chamber is cooled by a cooling element that provides variable cooling temperatures throughout the cooling chamber. A temperature gradient, progressing from lower temperatures at the bottom of the chamber, or the outlet, to higher at the top of the chamber, or inlet, create a more efficient means of cooling a frozen product. An auger, that may be shaped to match the shape of the cooling chamber may include slots that allow for controlled flow of frozen product through the chamber to promote efficient cooling. Hinged fins may rotate from open to closed within the slot to further enhance flow of frozen product through the frozen product machine.

Disclosed is an ice shaver including a refrigerator, a moving mechanism, a driving device, a knife assembly and a pushing member. The refrigerator includes a bearer including an ice dropping channel and a door assembly, and the knife assembly is located between the pushing member and the door assembly. The driving device drives the moving mechanism so that the moving mechanism drives the door assembly to selectively move between an unsealing position and a sealing position. When the door assembly is located at the unsealing position, the door assembly unseals the ice-dropping channel. When the door assembly is located at the sealing position, the door assembly seals the ice-dropping channel. Therefore, it is possible to protect an ice cube in the refrigerator from being contaminated by the external environment.

The disclosure extends to apparatuses, methods, and systems, for producing frozen confections and conditioning ice for use in frozen confections. A frozen confection machine includes a hopper portion for receiving ice into an interior, and a motor configured to rotate a drive shaft, a blade to condition the ice in the hopper during rotation of the motor. The frozen confection machine also includes a lid for selectively covering the interior of the hopper, a bias member for biasing the lid away from a closed position, and a switch for causing the motor to actuate in response to the lid being pressed to a closed position.

An ice-cream making machine comprises a first production line and a second production line with an inlet pump, a mixing and chilling chamber, an outlet pump connected in series, as well as a cooling circuit in heat exchange connection with the mixing and chilling chamber, respectively, wherein an auxiliary conduit selectively connects and disconnects the outlet pump of the first production line to/from an inlet of the mixing and chilling chamber of the second production line, so as to be able to process either two flows of confectionery mass mutually independently or a single flow of confectionery mass by means of both production lines.

A method and assembly for preparing a drink based on frozen food comprises storing frozen food in various containers in the form of first granular materials and under deep- freeze conditions, crushing a portion of at least one of the first granular materials into a second granular material, and placing the second granular material into a cup. A first liquid is added to the cup at a temperature of at least 50° C. The cup, filled with the foods and possibly the first liquid, is closed, and the content of the cup is ground into a homogeneous mass. Lastly, the cup is opened and served.

The apparatus (300) comprising a cooling unit (310) containing a coolant, a product conduit (330), a cooling conduit (331), a coolant supply conduit (317), a coolant return conduit (318), a coolant bypass conduit (320), a coolant pump (319), one or more valves (321, 322), and a controller. The controller being arranged and configured to operate the apparatus in at least a primary mode and in a secondary mode. In the primary mode coolant is circulated around a primary cooling circuit comprising the cooling unit (310), the coolant supply conduit (317), the cooling conduit (331) and the coolant return conduit (318). In the secondary mode coolant is circulated around a secondary cooling circuit comprising the coolant supply conduit (317), the cooling conduit (331), the coolant return conduit (318) and the coolant unit bypass conduit (320), wherein the secondary cooling circuit does not comprise the cooling unit (310).

A method of operating a beverage preparation machine that permits automated preparation of a variety of beverages. A plurality of stations add ingredients to a beverage container and process the contents directly in the container in some embodiments. Parallel preparation of more than one beverage may be performed in some embodiments. A robotic arm moves the beverage container to the stations. The robotic arm may include a weight sensor as part of controlling the addition of ingredients.

A frozen product dispenser provides a controller to control the rate of freezing and the temperature range of a frozen product. The controller monitors the temperature of the product as well as the torque applied to a scrapper blade. For example, the torque may be measured based on monitoring a current draw of a scrapper motor. The torque may be tracked over time to determine a rate of change in the torque. The rate of freezing may be controlled by setting a maximum rate of increase in the torque. Upon determining that the rate of increase in the monitored torque exceeds the maximum rate, a compressor for the frozen product dispenser may be turned off for a predetermined period of time and/or a hot gas bypass may be opened. A heat transfer medium may decouple thermal contact between an evaporator and the product to control the rate of freezing.

A method for making semi-liquid iced food products includes the following steps: providing a container containing a liquid base product; opening the container containing a liquid base product; pouring only the contents of the container into a receptacle; transferring only the contents of the container, which have been poured into the receptacle, into a processing chamber provided with a stirrer and thermal treatment means; cooling with the thermal treatment means and simultaneously mixing with the stirrer, only the contents of the container which have been transferred into the processing chamber until obtaining a semi-liquid finished product.