A passive valve arrangement is described. The passive valve arrangement is used in a hydraulic circuit of a coffee machine. The passive valve arrangement includes an inlet channel and an outlet channel with a valve member between the inlet and outlet channels. The valve member is biased to isolate the inlet and outlet channels. Further, the valve member couples the inlet and outlet channels in response to a pressure present at the inlet channel. An integrated valve status detector is used to provide valve status feedback.

A passive valve arrangement is described. The passive valve arrangement is used in a hydraulic circuit of a coffee machine. The passive valve arrangement includes an inlet channel and an outlet channel with a valve member between the inlet and outlet channels. The valve member is biased to isolate the inlet and outlet channels. Further, the valve member couples the inlet and outlet channels in response to a pressure present at the inlet channel. An integrated valve status detector is used to provide valve status feedback.

A coffee maker and a method of brewing coffee are disclosed. The coffee maker includes a first roaster fitted, a second roaster fitted, and a funnel detachably attached to the first roaster providing a passage for a first amount and a second amount of coffee beans. Further, a grinder including a discharge door and a blade is detachably attached to a bottom of the funnel, a brewing container detachably attached to the bottom of the grinder. A color panel is included with a plurality of buttons, each of the plurality of the buttons corresponds to a color of a coffee desired after brewing, and a coffee-color controller configured to control the first temperature and the second temperature of the first roaster and the second roaster, respectively, based on the color of the coffee selected from the color panel.

A coffee maker and a method of brewing coffee are disclosed. The coffee maker includes a first roaster fitted, a second roaster fitted, and a funnel detachably attached to the first roaster providing a passage for a first amount and a second amount of coffee beans. Further, a grinder including a discharge door and a blade is detachably attached to a bottom of the funnel, a brewing container detachably attached to the bottom of the grinder. A color panel is included with a plurality of buttons, each of the plurality of the buttons corresponds to a color of a coffee desired after brewing, and a coffee-color controller configured to control the first temperature and the second temperature of the first roaster and the second roaster, respectively, based on the color of the coffee selected from the color panel.

A coffee compacting assembly (22) that receives ground coffee to compact the coffee in a filter cup (25) having a floor (39), the coffee compacting assembly (22) including: an auger (33) having an axis (30) about which the auger (33) is rotated to compact the ground coffee in the filter cup (25), with the auger (33) extending angularly and longitudinally relative to said axis (30); a motor (51) coupled to the auger (33) to rotate the auger (33) about said axis (30); and an auger positioning device (40) engaged with the auger (33) to provide for movement of the auger (33) between a start position and a raised position above the start position, with the start position being predetermined so that the auger (33) is located at a predetermined location within the filter cup (25).

A coffee compacting assembly (22) that receives ground coffee to compact the coffee in a filter cup (25) having a floor (39), the coffee compacting assembly (22) including: an auger (33) having an axis (30) about which the auger (33) is rotated to compact the ground coffee in the filter cup (25), with the auger (33) extending angularly and longitudinally relative to said axis (30); a motor (51) coupled to the auger (33) to rotate the auger (33) about said axis (30); and an auger positioning device (40) engaged with the auger (33) to provide for movement of the auger (33) between a start position and a raised position above the start position, with the start position being predetermined so that the auger (33) is located at a predetermined location within the filter cup (25).

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.

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.

Apparatuses, systems, and methods for brewing a desired portion of a beverage, such as a single-cup portion of coffee, are provided. The system can include one or more hopper assemblies configured to provide a controlled dose of beverage material to a brew chamber. The system can also include a water input system configured to wet the ground beverage material as the grinds enter the brew chamber and substantially prevent steam from reaching grinder components of the system. Further, the system can include an automatic cleaning mechanism such that a user does not need to manually clean components of a brewing machine between brew cycles.

The invention relates to a roasting and grinding apparatus for coffee beans comprising a roasting device (50) and an associated grinding device (60); the roasting device (50) being configured for receiving coffee beans of a certain type that will be roasted, the roasting device (50) comprising reading means (53) to identify the characteristics of the coffee beans dispensed to it, the roasting device (50) further comprising a control unit configuring the roasting profile of the beans according to the characteristics retrieved from the reading means (53) and/or from the characteristics of the beans in a database (51) in this control unit and/or according to the user’s input; the roasted coffee beans being dispensed into a beans container (10, 20), the beans container (10, 20) comprising programmable identification means where product parameters of the roasted coffee beans of a certain type are encoded on it by an encoder (52) in the roasting device; the grinding device (60) comprising one or more housings for receiving one or more beans containers (10, 20); the grinding device (60) comprising a reader (62) to obtain the information of the product parameters of the roasted coffee beans of the one or more beans containers (10, 20); the grinding device (60) further comprising a control unit configured to adapt the grinding size and the quantity of roasted coffee beans to be delivered from the coffee beans containers (10, 20) for obtaining a certain coffee quantity and/ or a certain coffee blend quantity from each beans container to be grinded according to these product parameters and/or according to a recipes database (64), and/or according to the user’s input. The invention further relates to a method for roasting and grinding coffee beans using a roasting and grinding apparatus as the ones described, and to the use of such a roasting and grinding apparatus.