Methods for treating and preparing chocolate. In one aspect, a method includes heating a quantity of chocolate to a temperature of about 46 degrees Celsius; decreasing the pressure of in a pressure-controllable environment to about 25 Torr; holding the pressure of the pressure-controllable environment at about 25 Torr for a first predetermined period of time; decreasing the pressure of the pressure-controllable environment to about 5 Torr; and holding the pressure of the pressure-controllable environment at about 5 Torr for a second predetermined period of time. Other aspects include ceasing heating the quantity of chocolate; decreasing pressure occurs at an average rate of about 150 Torr per minute; decreasing pressure occurs at an average rate of about 4 Torr per minute; and others.

An apparatus for autonomously cooking a food product and dispensing said food product into a container, the apparatus comprising: a housing; a plurality of cooling chambers, a plurality of cooking chambers, a plurality of storage chambers, a plurality of primary dispensing chambers, and a plurality of secondary dispensing chambers disposed in a column arrangement within the apparatus; at least one food container disposed within at least one of the plurality of cooling chambers; a plurality of mixer augers disposed within the at least one food container; a series of induction plates adapted to be heated by a series of induction energizers, the series of induction plates and induction energizers being associated with each cooking chamber; and roller conveyor tables disposed throughout the pluralities of primary and secondary dispensing chambers, the roller conveyor tables being adapted to traverse the container such that to receive the cooked food product.

A water ejecting apparatus includes a case and a water ejection unit connected to one side of the case. The water ejection unit includes a fixed cover, a lifting cover, a lifting motor, a water ejection nozzle, a touch bar, a detection sensor, and a controller. The fixed cover is connected to the case. The lifting cover is movably received in the fixed cover and coupled to the lifting motor. The water ejection nozzle is installed at a lower end of the lifting cover and configured to eject water. The touch bar is at least partially received in the lifting cover and moves when in contact with a container placed below the water ejection nozzle. The detection sensor detects movement of the touch bar. The controller changes operation of the lifting motor when the detection sensor detects movement of the touch bar.

A beverage dispenser for dispensing either a hot or cold beverage, for example tea, from a common mixing chamber and a method for making and/or operating the same is disclosed. The dispense has a source of hot water, usually a heater, and a source of water, a refrigeration system to cool the water and one or more sources of flavor. The hot or cold water, or both can be provided to the common or same, mixing chamber and mixed assisted with a static and/or dynamic mixer and then dispensed. The last portion of the water is used to rinse for the next beverage. Flavor or syrup pump current is sensed to provide the appropriate amount of flavor concentrate to a known quantity of water to form a beverage of appropriate strength or syrup.

The present application provides a beverage dispensing system for dispensing beverages with low solubility ingredients. The beverage dispensing system may include a sweetener flow, a first diluent flow, a low solubility ingredient premixing system for mixing a low solubility ingredient with a second diluent flow to create a mixed flow, and a nozzle to mix the sweetener flow, the first diluent flow, and the mixed flow.

A system comprising, a pressurized container including hollow portion and outer portion, pressurized container maintains pressure level in the hollow portion, transport system including two conduits, one transport being coupled to an interface and a valve port, the interface coupled to the hollow portion, the interface maintains pressure level in the hollow portion, one valve port allows flow of liquid volume through one conduit to a dispensing interface via another valve port, an external container is airtight and operable to dispense another liquid volume stored within, another conduit is coupled to the external container and further valve port to refill the liquid volume via the valve, pressure regulation system connected to pressurized container, pressure regulation system including a pressure conduit extending from outer portion through a pressure interface, pressure regulation system operable to compress liquid volume in the environment and a control system controls the valve and pressure regulation system.

Machines, devices, and methods for generating and dispensing mixed beverages are disclosed. An exemplary beverage machine includes a liquid storage container, an additive ingredient chamber, a mixing chamber, a piston for providing fluid movement into and/or out of the mixing chamber, and a cooling system. The cooling system may be configured to recycle heat rejected from the liquid storage container to provide a heat source for warming a mixed beverage contained in the mixing chamber, in addition to other functions and components.

A dispensing appliance prepares and dispenses a malt based fermented beverage (MBFB) by mixing an MBFB concentrate with a carbonated diluent. The dispensing appliance has a mixing chamber for mixing the MBFB concentrate and the carbonated diluent. The mixing chamber is defined by walls and is divided by a mid-plane normal to a longitudinal axis, X, into an upper portion and a lower portion. The mixing chamber has (a) a concentrate opening located in the upper portion and is provided with a fixing device for fixing a container containing an MBFB concentrate, (b) a diluent opening located in the upper portion and provided with a diluent connection to a source of carbonated diluent, (c) an outlet oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis and located in the lower portion, for discharging an MBFB composed of a mixture of MBFB concentrate and carbonated diluent, (d) a core defined by a core surface and mounted in the chamber such the core surface defines with the walls of the chamber a flow passage of width, w, measured normal to the core surface. The core is movingly mounted in the chamber, such that it can be translated along the longitudinal axis in order to control the width of portions of the flow passage.

A pouch for use in a beverage dispenser is a soft pouch having a liquid or slurry contents stored in a compartment thereof. The pouch has a front panel, a rear panel, and a base panel. The front and rear panels are joined together by a common seal around their side edges and an upper edge thereof. An upper portion of the pouch has a top edge, upper side edges and rounded shoulders that are connected to the side edges of the front and rear panels. The top edge has a width that is narrower than the pouch width. The pouch is formed of a laminated material.

The present application provides an ingredient mixing module for mixing a number of ingredients. The mixing module may include a mixing chamber, a number of entry ports positioned about the mixing chamber, a mixer positioned within the mixing chamber, a brushless motor positioned about the mixing chamber so as to drive the mixer, and a nozzle downstream of the mixing chamber.