A portion capsule for the preparation of a beverage with the aid of a beverage production machine, the portion capsule having a base element with a cavity for receiving a beverage raw material and having a capsule lid which closes the cavity, the base element includes a capsule bottom, a circumferential flange, and a capsule wall which extends from the capsule bottom to the circumferential flange, the capsule lid being fastened to the flange, the portion capsule having a feature which can be visually detected, in particular, by a detector of the beverage production machine.

An infused beverage brewing assembly having a solvent flow management system (SFMS) operably configured to receive a solvent and induce a flow of the solvent through a first solvent conduit and a second solvent conduit, a solvent temperature modulation system (STMS) operably configured to thermally modulate a solvent within the first solvent conduit to join with a solvent in the second solvent conduit to form a resulting solvent conduit with a resulting solvent. The assembly has a brewing chamber in fluid communication with the resulting solvent conduit and for housing a solute disposed to receive the resulting solvent to produce an infused beverage, an outlet for discharging the infused beverage based on the desired resulting solvent flow and temperature desired within the brewing chamber.

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.

This disclosure provides methods and apparatus for a beverage brewer. The beverage brewer including a burner, a reservoir, a controller, and a thermoelectric generator. The burner produces combustible heat across a surface. The reservoir stores a brewing fluid. The controller controls a brewing process. The thermoelectric generator is structured with a supply side, a waste side and a power output. The supply side is directed towards the surface of the burner. The waste side contacts the reservoir. The power output powers the controller.

A coffee machine for producing and dispensing coffee-based beverages comprising: at least one hydraulic pump, a boiler and a brewer unit equipped to receive ground coffee and pass through hot water received from the boiler, and comprising a flow meter to measure the flow of water and a control unit receiving electrical signals from the flow meter and controlling the at least one hydraulic pump to regulate the flow rate of water, wherein the coffee machine incorporates an input of the control unit that establishes a variable set-point value of the flow rate that depends on a desired fixed extraction time of the ground coffee received in the brewer unit, wherein the control unit is arranged to calculate a difference between the variable setpoint value of the flow rate, and a measured value from the flow meter, and that the control unit supplies this difference as an error value to a control tool, and wherein the control tool drives a converter that converts DC power at a powerline into an amplitude variable electrical pulse signal at a driver line that drives the at least one hydraulic pump.

A brewed beverage-making machine comprising: a supply line having a branch point; a mixing unit configured to receive and mix water at a first temperature with water at a second temperature higher than the first temperature to generate a mixture; a first fluid path connecting the branch point to the mixing unit and configured to supply the water at the first temperature to the mixing unit; a second fluid path connecting the branch point to the mixing unit and configured to supply water at the second temperature to the mixing unit, said second fluid path being in parallel with the first flow path; a first nozzle and a second nozzle arranged respectively along the first and the second fluid path, said first nozzle and second nozzle being configured to define respectively the fluid flow rate along the first fluid path and the second fluid path.

A machine is provided for preparing a desired beverage product from infusible materials. The machine includes a brew chamber that is adapted to hold the infusible materials, the brew chamber having an inlet and an outlet. An inlet tube is provided for transferring a fluid from a fluid receptacle to the inlet of the brew chamber and a dispensing tube is provided for transferring fluid from the outlet of the brew chamber to the receptacle. A fluid pump is provided for recirculating fluid through the brew chamber. In another aspect, a machine is provided for preparing a desired beverage product containing a gas. The machine includes a fluid pump for recirculating fluid from a fluid receptacle through an inlet tube to a dispensing tube and back to said fluid receptacle. The machine further includes an air pump disposed between the inlet tube and the fluid pump for introducing air into said beverage fluid that is recirculated by said fluid pump. A pod for use with the machine is also provided.

A machine (1) for preparing a beverage (3) has a beverage processing unit (10, 20) formed of a first processing unit member (10) and a second processing unit member (20) that delimit a chamber (21) and that are movable between a distant configuration in which a flavouring ingredient (2) is received in the chamber (21) and a proximate configuration in which the flavouring ingredient (2) is held and mixed with water (4) in the chamber (21). The machine includes: a water source for delivering the water (4) towards the processing unit (10, 20); a water guide (30) for guiding the water (4) between the water source and the chamber (21); a support structure (70), such as a frame, having a base (72) that is stationary during beverage preparation, the processing unit (10, 20) being rotatably mounted to the support structure (70) about a processing unit axis (71‘); and an actuator supported by the support structure (70) that has a driving output member (61) rotating about an output axis (61’). The output member (61) is coupled to the processing unit (10, 20) for driving the processing unit (10,20) in rotation. The output member (61) is coupled to the processing unit (10, 20) by a transmission (611, 612, 62) such that the output axis (61‘) is off-set relative to the processing unit axis (71’).

A flow delivery system to deliver and monitor a liquid flow, using a pump, and a monitoring device (e.g. a flow meter) are described. A controller determines if the flow is a liquid flow or a gas flow by reducing a drive signal for the pump from a first drive signal to a second drive signal. This changes the characteristics of both the pump drive signal and the characteristics of the resulting flow. Based on the change in the characteristics, the flow is determined to be a liquid flow or a gas flow.

A machine for dispensing coffee comprising: includes at least one pump, at least one heating device, and at least one delivery group. The pump sends pressurized water to the delivery group, and the heating device heats the water sent to the delivery group.

The machine further includes at least one container of ground coffee; and a dispensing opening adapted to deliver, into a cup, coffee obtained by percolating the pressurized heated water through a dose of coffee powder in the container, wherein the coffee includes liquid coffee and coffee cream;

The machine includes, in proximity of the dispensing opening, a coffee quality optical sensor adapted to intercept the coffee flow exiting the dispensing opening which detection is processed by a processing and control unit to generate a signal indicative of the properties of the coffee cream and/or a signal proportional to the extraction of coffee in the liquid coffee.