The invention relates to a form-retaining pad, an assembly and a method for preparing a beverage suitable for consumption. For this purpose, the pad is provided with a covering, in which a water-soluble substance, such as milk powder/creamer and sugar, is included. The covering comprises a top sheet and a bottom sheet. The pad is further provided with a form-providing stiffening body, placed between the top sheet and the bottom sheet, with the top sheet and the bottom sheet extending at least partly substantially parallel to each other and to a surface. The stiffening body has a top side adjacent to the top sheet and a bottom side adjacent to the bottom sheet, and, by providing a compartmenting wall configuration therein, has a grid structure transmissive to liquid, in which structure at least a part of the soluble substance is accommodated and each compartment formed by the wall configuration is surrounded by that wall configuration, the top sheet and the bottom sheet.

A disposable milk pod including an internal chamber containing fluid, a bottom portion, a top portion, wherein the top portion comprises a barrier, and a wall portion connecting the bottom and top portion. Prior to the disposable single serving milk pod engaging with a pod processing device, the barrier, the bottom portion, and the wall portion seal the milk within the internal chamber. In response to the single serving milk pod engaging with the pod processing device, the pod processing device pierces one or more portions of the barrier and injects a hydrous liquid such as water and/or steam into the internal chamber, such that the milk mixes with the hydrous liquid.

An apparatus and method for cooking food by providing a water permeable container, such as a mesh bag or pouch, that contains both food and spices, flavorings, and the like, and boiling the bag, along with its contents. In one particular example, the food is dry peanuts in the shell, and the spices and flavorings are formed into a densely packed mass, such as a ball or cube that is placed into the bag or pouch along with the peanuts. The densely packed flavoring mass (also referred to herein as a spice ball) may be formed from any desired spices, and may be formed using any desired method of production. The spice ball is preferably dense enough to sink in water so that it is non-buoyant, and preferably heavy and dense enough to aid in submerging the bag of peanuts to the bottom of a container of water during the boiling process.

A beverage capsule (10) for use in a beverage preparation machine to prepare a beverage by passing a fluid therethrough. The beverage capsule comprises: a cup-shaped body (12) having a base (14) and a sidewall (16); a lid (22) sealed to the cup-shaped body; and a punctured support plate (20) positioned inside the cup-shaped body and dividing the interior volume into a first compartment for holding beverage ingredients (24) and a second compartment. The punctured support plate is located at a distance from the base which is larger than a piercing height of a draining member of the beverage preparation machine. The cup-shaped body, the lid and the punctured support plate are made of a material comprising metal.

Single-serving beverage pods can include a first chamber operable to contain a dry beverage material and a second chamber operable to contain a second beverage material. A seal layer is disposed between the first chamber and the second chamber to prevent fluid communication between the first chamber and the second chamber. The seal layer can be operable to be breached by a brewing pin such that the brewing pin is received in the second chamber. The second beverage material can then be removed from the beverage pod via the brewing pin.

A food capsule has a cup-shaped capsule body enclosing a cavity with an opening at a first end, a second end including at least one outlet communicating with the cavity; an injection wall closing the opening, and at least one partition within the cavity extending from the injection wall to the second end of the capsule body. The at least one partition divides the cavity into chambers. Each chamber houses a quantity of an alimentary substance and communicates with at least one outlet including an independently-operable closure member in the second end.

Method for the preparation of a foamy or creamy instant drink, wherein at least two capsules are sequentially injected with cold water to produce an instant milk-based drink, the first capsule to be injected comprising milk powder, a creamer component and sugar, the second capsule comprising milk powder, a soluble main flavour component and sugar.

A drink pouch includes an outer bag and an inner bag. The inner bag is floatingly disposed in the outer bag. The inner bag contains at least one brewable substance. A porous structure is formed on a surface of the inner bag. Water is able to be filled in the outer bag and brew the at least one brewable substance in the inner bag through the porous structure to form a beverage.

The present disclosure is directed to a single-serve beverage pod having an additive enclosure and methods of making and using the same. The additive enclosure may serve to hold an additive that, when brewing a single-serve beverage, combines with a beverage precursor to yield a beverage infused with the additive. The present disclosure has recognized the difficulty in introducing a precise amount of desired additive in beverages, as well as the possibility of the additive being absorbed by or adversely affecting the beverage precursor, and provides a solution to making and using a single-serve beverage pod with a precise amount of desired additive.

A card for containing food or beverage ingredients includes a substantially planar and rigid base portion, at least two ingredient compartments for storing the ingredients, and at least two discharge portions. Each of the discharge portions are linked to one of the compartments and extend along the plane of the base portion. At least one sealing member is provided on the base portion covering the compartments and discharge portions on the base portion side of the card. The card is designed for insertion in a food and beverage preparation device in order to dispense the ingredients from the compartments via the discharge portions. Further, a food and beverage preparation system includes such a card and also a food and beverage preparation device. A method for preparing food or beverages uses the card.