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

A method or apparatus for forming frozen beverage blocks from a liquid beverage. The method may include introducing a beverage into a beverage receiving reservoir. Next, the beverage may flow from the beverage receiving reservoir into a holding tank. The flow from the beverage receiving reservoir into the holding tank may be done entirely via gravity. Upon the temperature of the beverage located within the holding tank being measured at or below a predetermined lower threshold temperature, the beverage may be permitted to flow from the holding tank into a cool beverage reservoir of a freezing subsystem. The freezing subsystem may be configured to convert the beverage from a liquid into frozen beverage blocks.

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.

An ice cream mould table for moulding ice cream products, comprising a plate that has a plurality of mould pockets that each protrude from a bottom side of the plate, and a spray nozzle arrangement including a plurality of spray nozzles that is arranged to spray heating fluid on the exterior of the mould pockets to facilitate releasing of ice cream from the mould pockets. At least one spray nozzle comprises a first spray opening arranged to spray heating fluid towards a target mould pocket and in a first direction that is inclined by a first angle relative the vertical direction, and a second spray opening arranged to spray heating fluid towards the target mould pocket and in a second direction that is inclined by a second angle.

An interface assembly for a frozen dessert machine is disclosed that includes a freezer door having opposed front and rear sides and including at least one recessed mounting pocket formed in the rear side thereof, the at least one recessed mounting pocket including a cornice covering an upper portion thereof, and at least one elongated baffle having opposed proximal and distal end portions, the proximal end portion of the at least one baffle including a retention flange that is dimensioned and configured for detachable reception within the at least one mounting pocket of the freezer door behind the cornice.

A machine used for making liquid or semi-liquid food products, specifically ice cream, comprises a container for processing liquid or semi-liquid base products by means of a stirring device driven by a motor. The stirring device comprises an external mixing structure to which a shaft is fixed so that the motor can drive it in rotation. Keyed to the shaft are scraping elements which scrape the product off the inside walls of the processing container.

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.

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

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

A method of manufacturing shelf-stable gelato is provided. The method may include blending cream and sugar in a proportion. The blend may be frozen into units. The units may be freeze-dried in order to remove water content.