An apparatus for making a beverage includes a housing, a first receptacle, a second receptacle, a cutting assembly, a water source, and at least one water outlet. The first receptacle is positioned in the housing for accepting a first beverage container containing a liquid. The second receptacle is positioned in the housing for accepting a second beverage container containing a liquid. The cutting assembly has a cutting blade that is movable relative to the first and second receptacles for opening the first and second containers substantially simultaneously so that liquid stored therein can be at least in part evacuated. The water source is coupled to the housing The at least one water outlet is associated with one or more of the first and second receptacles for adding water to the liquid from the first and second beverage containers from the water source.

An autofill pitcher assembly having hidden venting is provided. The assembly includes a pitcher wall defining an opening at a top edge of the pitcher and a lid removably received in the opening. The lid includes a top wall, a skirt extending from a bottom surface of the top wall, a gasket disposed on the skirt, and a vent formed in the skirt between the gasket and the bottom surface of the top wall.

A pitcher with an alternate dispensing feature for use in an autofill pitcher system in a chamber of a refrigerator appliance is provided. The pitcher defines a height direction, a width direction, and a depth direction. The pitcher comprises a pitcher wall connected to a pitcher bottom defining a pitcher volume. The pitcher further comprises a spigot defining an axis, with the spigot disposed on the pitcher wall such that the axis is generally parallel to the width direction.

A system includes a carousel apparatus, a support structure configured to hold a receptacle, and a linear actuator apparatus configured to move the support structure. The carousel apparatus includes: a holder in which a first plurality of openings and a second plurality of openings are formed, and a first motor coupled to the holder and adapted to rotate the holder around an axis. A linear actuator apparatus includes: a linear guide which extends underneath the holder and is coupled to the support structure, and a second motor coupled to the linear guide and adapted to move the support structure along the linear guide underneath the holder.

An apparatus for making a beverage includes a housing, a first receptacle, a second receptacle, a cutting assembly, a water source, and at least one water outlet. The first receptacle is positioned in the housing for accepting a first beverage container containing a liquid. The second receptacle is positioned in the housing for accepting a second beverage container containing a liquid. The cutting assembly has a cutting blade that is movable relative to the first and second receptacles for opening the first and second containers substantially simultaneously so that liquid stored therein can be at least in part evacuated. The water source is coupled to the housing The at least one water outlet is associated with one or more of the first and second receptacles for adding water to the liquid from the first and second beverage containers from the water source.

An apparatus for making a beverage includes a housing, a first receptacle, a second receptacle, a cutting assembly, a water source, and at least one water outlet. The first receptacle is positioned in the housing for accepting a first beverage container containing a liquid. The second receptacle is positioned in the housing for accepting a second beverage container containing a liquid. The cutting assembly has a cutting blade that is movable relative to the first and second receptacles for opening the first and second containers substantially simultaneously so that liquid stored therein can be at least in part evacuated. The water source is coupled to the housing The at least one water outlet is associated with one or more of the first and second receptacles for adding water to the liquid from the first and second beverage containers from the water source.

A dispenser cradle is disclosed that includes a front portion, a neck channel situated in the front portion and configured for receiving a neck of a dispensing bottle therethrough, a central channel configured for supporting the dispensing bottle thereon, where the central channel further includes a channel ramp portion extending from proximate the rear wall to a channel aperture, and where the channel aperture is configured for receiving a shoulder portion of the dispensing bottle therethrough when the dispensing bottle is positioned in at least one of a primary position and a secondary position, and when the dispensing bottle is in the primary position, a central axis of the dispensing bottle is situated at a first angle relative to a horizontal axis, and when the dispensing bottle is in the secondary position, a central axis of the dispensing bottle is situated at a second angle relative to the horizontal axis.

A pitcher with an alternate dispensing feature for use in an autofill pitcher system in a chamber of a refrigerator appliance is provided. The pitcher defines a height direction, a width direction, and a depth direction. The pitcher comprises a pitcher wall connected to a pitcher bottom defining a pitcher volume. The pitcher further comprises a spigot defining an axis, with the spigot disposed on the pitcher wall such that the axis is generally parallel to the width direction.

One example device includes a computer configured to receive a beverage order, a carousel with bottles and configured to rotate one or more of the bottles into a dispense position and provide one or more liquid dispense operations to a container disposed in a beverage dispenser area based on one or more bottle selection commands included in the beverage order, and actuation elements affixed to a corresponding motors which actuate one or more release valves of a liquid dispenser nozzle linked to different liquid sources to provide one or more additional dispense operations to the beverage dispenser area based on one or more liquid source selection commands included in the beverage order.

An autofill pitcher assembly having hidden venting is provided. The assembly includes a pitcher wall defining an opening at a top edge of the pitcher and a lid removably received in the opening. The lid includes a top wall, a skirt extending from a bottom surface of the top wall, a gasket disposed on the skirt, and a vent formed in the skirt between the gasket and the bottom surface of the top wall.