Apparatus for producing a beverage, in particular coffee, includes brewing cylinders adjusted in the manner of a carousel about an axis of rotation, each with an extraction cell and an extraction piston, and beneath the brewing cylinder at least two pistons. The pistons are positioned to be pushed into a brewing cylinder or extracted from it. Provided above the brewing cylinders are at least two feed channels and, arranged at a distance therefrom, at least two extraction pistons. These feed channels can each be connected, in a specific position of the brewing cylinders, at least above a brewing cylinder for loading of beverage powder, into which a piston can in each case be inserted from below. The extraction pistons are each insertable into a brewing cylinder adjacent to the loaded brewing cylinder or removable from it.

A coffee brewer contains a brewing unit in which coffee grounds having been poured in are compressed by a plunger driven by an actuator. Heated water flows through the compressed coffee grounds. A control device controls the actuator in accordance with signals of an angle of rotation sensor. The control device first moves the plunger against a stop in an ejection position to calibrate the sensor, then moves the plunger by a predetermined distance in a downwards direction into a pouring-in position. Afterwards the control device moves the plunger by a second distance into the brewing position, a length of the predetermined distance and the second distance corresponds to a number of pulses of the sensor which are stored in the memory. The control device subsequently moves the plunger by a third distance back into the ejection position in which the coffee grounds are removed from the plunger.

A machine (1) for serving a beverage (7) via a dispensing outlet (8) to a consumer receptacle (9) by mixing water (3) from a water source (3) with a flavouring ingredient (2), has a mixing unit (10) that comprises: a stationary support (11); a seat (12) having an ingredient opening (120); a closure part (13) configured to close and open the ingredient opening (120); and a wall part (14) that is movable inside the seat (12). The seat (12), the closure part (13) and the wall part (14) are: mounted to the support (11); and relatively movable between a transfer configuration and a mixing chamber configuration in which the seat (12) and the closure part (13) and the wall part (14) form a mixing chamber (12′) fluidically connected with the water source (3′). The mixing unit (10) has a closure seal (15) which is located between the closure part (13) and the seat (12) when closed by the seat (12) so that the closure seal (15) is urged between the seat (12) and the closure part (13) in a direction that is substantially parallel to a direction of opening and/or closing the seat (12) by the closure part (13).

A system for brewing a desired portion of a beverage, such as a single-cup portion of coffee, is provided. The system may have more than one brew module. The system allows a user to quickly and easily brew a variety of types of single-cup portions of a beverage. In some embodiments, the system may brew a single-cup portion of coffee in a relatively short period of time based on a combination of certain parameters. The system may include an automatic cleaning mechanism such that a user does not need to manually clean components of a brewing machine between brew cycles. The system may also include apparatus configured to substantially prevent steam from reaching grinder components of the system. The system may also include apparatus configured to provide a precise dose of material based on, for example, volume of the material. Methods and apparatus for brewing a beverage are also disclosed.

A beverage extraction device includes a cylinder having a bottomed cylindrical shape; a piston member configured to move close to and away from a bottom portion of the cylinder, the beverage extraction device being configured to extract a beverage from a beverage raw material and hot water that are fed through an upper surface opening of the cylinder by a movement of the piston member and discharge the extracted beverage through a discharge passage connected to the bottom portion; and a cover member configured to move between a fully opened position and a fully closed position. The cover member includes a scraper portion configured to remove an extraction residue placed on the piston member closing the upper surface opening when the cover member moves from one to another of the fully opened position and the fully closed position.

An infusion unit having a closing piston, an infusion cylinder, and an ejection piston (for ejecting spent coffee). The piston can slide inside the infusion cylinder, between a retracted position and an extended position, for ejection of the spent coffee. Operation of the ejection piston can involve an oscillating rocker having a first arm (for driving the ejection piston) and a second arm (for engaging the oscillating movement of the rocker). The oscillating rocker can involve a first control cam arranged to generate oscillation in a direction driving toward the extended position of the ejection piston, or a second control cam arranged to generate oscillation in a direction driving toward the retracted position of the ejection piston.

A brewing cavity and a coffee brewer including the brewing cavity are provided. The brewing cavity includes a brewing cavity shell and a brewing chamber having a groove with an inner diameter less than that of the brewing chamber. A side wall of the groove has a coffee outlet communicatively connected with an exterior. A bottom portion of the groove is provided with a through hole internally provided with a coffee seal ring. A pressure sealing water outlet element is fixedly mounted on an upper end surface of the groove. A filtering portion for filtering coffee is arranged above the pressure sealing water outlet element. A first sliding hole in the filtering portion, a second sealing sliding hole in the pressure sealing water outlet element and a third sealing sliding hole in the coffee seal ring are internally provided with discharge portion capable of sliding along the through hoe axially.

A brewing unit for a piston coffee machine is designed as a spindle brewing unit with an outer spindle and inner spindle, and with a brewing slide as a brewing chamber, two piston units in the form of a showerhead and a plunger, a drive motor, and at least one gearing mechanism.

An automatic machine for preparing beverages, in particular American coffee, including a unit to feed the coffee powder, a mobile infusion unit having an infusion cylinder which delimits an infusion chamber, and a hydraulic circuit configured to heat the water for the infusion and feed it to the infusion chamber, where the infusion unit has an expulsion piston slidable inside the infusion cylinder and delimiting at the lower part the infusion chamber, and a valve device provided with a valve body and a closing piston which can engage with the infusion cylinder in order to close the infusion chamber.

A machine (1) for serving a beverage (7) via a dispensing outlet (8) to a consumer receptacle (9) by mixing water (3) from a water source (3′) with a flavouring ingredient (2), has a mixing unit (10) that comprises: a stationary support (11); a seat (12) having an ingredient opening (120); a closure part (13) configured to close and open the ingredient opening (120); and a wall part (14) that is movable inside the seat (12). The seat (12), the closure part (13) and the wall part (14) are: mounted to the support (11); and relatively movable between a transfer configuration and a mixing chamber configuration in which the seat (12) and the closure part (13) and the wall part (14) form a mixing chamber (12′) fluidically connected with the water source (3′). The machine (1) has a control unit (C) that is configured to control a preconditioning of the flavouring ingredient after an introduction into the seat's ingredient opening (120). The preconditioning of the flavouring ingredient comprises a portion loosening supply of water (3) from the water source (3′) into the mixing chamber (12′).