A stirrer of a machine for making and dispensing liquid or semi-liquid food products, rotating about an axis, comprises:

a first end element and a second end element;

longitudinal elements extending along the axis between the first end element and second end element;

scraping elements which are removably couplable to the longitudinal elements, the scraping elements having a portion that is partly helical in shape.

A micro puree machine including a housing, a power shaft, a bowl assembly and a platform. The power shaft extends from the housing. The bowl assembly including at least one locking bowl element. The platform includes at least one complementary locking platform element that is configured to engage the at least one locking bowl element such that rotation of the bowl assembly relative to the platform is prevented at times the bowl assembly is positioned thereon. The platform is rotatable from a first position to a second position relative to the housing such that the platform raises the bowl assembly towards the power shaft during the rotation of the bowl assembly and platform. The raising of the bowl assembly facilitates connection between the power shaft and a blade assembly that is positioned in a lid assembly on the bowl assembly.

A refrigeration subsystem removably received within a base machine to cool an object. The subsystem includes a body with an opening that receives the object. An evaporator thermally communicates with the object, which is cooled by refrigerant flowing through the evaporator. A compressor receives the refrigerant downstream of the evaporator and increases a refrigerant pressure. A condenser receives the refrigerant downstream of the compressor, which cools the refrigerant. An expansion device receives the refrigerant downstream of the condenser and decreases its pressure, the evaporator being downstream from the expansion device. A refrigerant circuit fluidly couples the evaporator, compressor, condenser, and expansion device such that the refrigerant flows therebetween, all of which are coupled to the body and move together therewith. The refrigerant circuit forms a closed loop that remains unbroken when the body of the refrigerant subsystem is removed from the base machine.

Embodiments of the invention may provide a frozen beverage dispenser capable of dispensing multiple frozen beverage flavors.

The present disclosure relates generally to a beverage nucleator system that can initiate ice crystal nucleation by application of a directed flow of pressurized gas to the exterior of the fluid container containing a supercooled beverage. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a beverage nucleator system for a supercooled beverage container which may include a frame having a beverage container aperture for receiving a beverage container therein and a gas outlet positioned within the beverage container aperture for directing a flow of pressurized gas at a beverage container received therein.

A machine for making liquid or semi-liquid products, including a first container adapted to contain a basic mixture, having an inside surface and an outside surface and equipped with a stirrer disposed inside the first container; a thermodynamic system comprising a circuit for circulating a heat exchanger fluid and a first heat exchanger associated, in use, with walls of the first container, the first heat exchanger is defined by at least one element which is fixable, in use, to the outside surface of the first container, having an open cavity, extending uninterruptedly and defining, when coupled with the outside surface, a channel for circulating heat exchanger fluid, the element also having at least one inlet and one outlet for the heat exchanger fluid.

A machine for liquid or semi-liquid food products, including: a container for containing a liquid or semi-liquid food product; a thermal treatment system, equipped with at least one heat exchanger associated with the container for absorbing or releasing heat to the liquid or semi-liquid food product inside the container; a stirrer positioned inside the container; a dispensing device, including: a supporting element having a front wall; an outlet channel, formed in the supporting element and in fluid communication with the container; a shutter which is movable inside the channel between a closed position of the outlet channel and an open position of the outlet channel; a lever having a first end operatively connected to the shutter to allow the movement between the above-mentioned closed position of the outlet channel and the open position of the outlet channel and also having a second end configured for being gripped by a user.

A beverage preparation machine 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.

An individual frozen drink dispenser includes a housing having a base configured to support a blender cup, a dispensing chamber disposed above the blender cup and configured to support a frozen beverage container containing frozen ingredients suitable for preparing a frozen drink, at least one dispensing mechanism configured to move from a pre-dispense position to a dispense position in which the dispensing mechanism drives the frozen ingredients from the frozen beverage container into the blender cup, and a drive mechanism coupled to the housing and configured to drive the movement of the dispensing mechanism from the pre-dispense position to the dispense position. A method of preparing a frozen drink is further disclosed.

There is provided a frozen food product, such as frozen juice, and the method of providing same. This involves cooling the food product, such as a juice, to a slurry temperature within a freezing temperature range for the juice to provide a slurry, the juice slurry comprising a liquid juice component and a frozen juice component; providing the juice slurry to a container; and freezing the juice slurry within the container.