A temperature-regulating apparatus is provided to rapidly cool a beverage to a desired temperature. In some variations, the geometry of the temperature-regulating apparatus is configured to rapidly cool a beverage incorporating one or more inner portions that contain a temperature regulating material, such as a phase change material having a high heat capacity. The geometry of the interior of the container may be configured to aid in rapid heat transfer between the beverage therein and the outer shell of the inner portion and may have a length to width aspect ratio of at least 4:1. The inner portion may be formed between the exterior wall of the container and by a single piece of formed metal that extends along the length, width and base walls to form the interior for receiving a beverage. The cavity formed between the outer shell and the exterior wall may be at least 15 mm deep.

A beverage chiller assembly has a bottom vessel portion and a top portion comprising a plurality of extruded tubes arranged in an array. The bottom and top portions fit together to receive and expeditiously chill a beverage, such as an individual portion of hot coffee, to produce ice coffee, or a bottle of white wine, or a serving of another beverage. The tubes are pre-cooled and extend vertically down into the beverage or fluid volume, and are arranged and dimensioned to provide effective, fast and substantially uniform cooling of the intended beverage volume to a specified serving temperature. Embodiments quickly convert hot coffee to iced coffee, or chill white wine to a proper temperature for serving. Specific embodiments may attain a stable final temperature and also function as serving vessels at table.

The device includes a container (10) having a top (12) and a bottom (14). A receptacle (15) is formed in the container and joined to an orifice (22) at the bottom (14). A cooling medium (26) is contained within the receptacle and able to retain a cooling environment to cool the beverage. In one embodiment, a beverage container has an opening (72) that permits the emptying of the beverage from the container and a coolant capsule (73) within said container. The cooling capsule (73) contains a cooling medium and the capsule is dimensioned such that the capsule is larger than the opening (72) but has surface characteristics (77,78) which permit the beverage within the container to bypass the capsule (73) and to exit the opening.

A brewing assembly for a refrigerator appliance includes a dispensing assembly for selectively dispensing a flow of water within a chilled chamber of the refrigerator appliance. A pitcher is removably positioned below the dispensing assembly and includes an upper reservoir for receiving, storing, and slowly distributing the flow of water into a brew module positioned below the upper reservoir and comprising a plurality of canisters for receiving brewing contents and the flow of water to create a brewed beverage. A lower reservoir is positioned below the brew module for receiving the brewed beverage from the plurality of canisters.

A beverage dispensing machine (e.g., coffee maker) has a cooling unit. The cooling unit includes a thermal mass. The cooling unit is operable to freeze at least a portion of the thermal mass to provide a cold storage reservoir. The cooling unit also includes a passageway within which a brewed beverage flows, the passageway being in thermal communication with the thermal mass that cools the brewed beverage as it flows within the passageway to chill the brewed beverage before it is dispensed.

Disclosed is a refrigerator. The refrigerator includes a body which includes a storage compartment, a door which opens and closes the storage compartment and includes a dispenser, a water tank case disposed in the door, a water tank separably mounted in the water tank case, a water level sensor configured to sense a water level inside the water tank when the water tank is mounted in the water tank case, and a water tank valve configured to guide water supplied from a water supply source to the dispenser or the water tank and to prevent water from being supplied to the water tank when the water level sensor senses that a certain amount of water is stored in the water tank.

Disclosed is a refrigerator. The refrigerator includes a body which includes a storage compartment, a door which opens and closes the storage compartment and includes a dispenser, a water tank case disposed in the door, a water tank separably mounted in the water tank case, a water level sensor configured to sense a water level inside the water tank when the water tank is mounted in the water tank case, and a water tank valve configured to guide water supplied from a water supply source to the dispenser or the water tank and to prevent water from being supplied to the water tank when the water level sensor senses that a certain amount of water is stored in the water tank.

A drinkware container system includes a container body having an outer wall and an inner wall spaced from the outer wall to define a cavity. The inner wall extends between an opening of the container body and a base wall. The inner wall and base wall define a chamber that receives a liquid, the bottom wall spaced below the base wall. A cold-side heat sink is located in the cavity in thermal contact with the inner wall and/or the base wall. Optionally, a phase change material is located in the cavity and in thermal communication with the chamber and with the cold side heat sink, the phase change material spaced apart from the outer wall. The cavity can optionally be filled with an insulation material or be under vacuum. Optionally, the container body can have magnet(s) that can removably couple it with a cooling unit. The cooling unit can have a first heat sink configured to contact the container body when the container body is placed on the cooling unit, thermoelectric module(s) in thermal communication with the first heat sink, and a second heat sink in thermal communication with the thermoelectric module(s) so that the thermoelectric module(s) are interposed between the first and second heat sinks. The thermoelectric module(s) are operable to draw heat from the first heat sink and transfer it to the second heat sink to cool the first heat sink to thereby draw heat from the container body to cool it.

A electronically cooled container assembly for cooling a beverage includes a base is positionable on a support surface. A thermoelectric cooling coil is positioned within the base and the thermoelectric coiling coil is in thermal communication with the base. The thermoelectric cooling coil absorbs heat from the base when the thermoelectric cooling coil is turned on thereby cooling the base. A pitcher for containing a beverage is provided and the pitcher is comprised of a translucent material. The pitcher is positionable on the base such that the pitcher is in thermal communication with the base. Moreover, the thermoelectric cooling coil cools the pitcher when the thermoelectric cooling coil is turned on for cooling the beverage.

Disclosed is a beverage chiller having a bottom portion and a top portion. The bottom portion includes a perimeter wall defining a receiving vessel for receiving a beverage to be chilled. The top portion includes at least first and second cooling tubes. The bottom and top portions interfit such that the cooling tubes extend vertically down into the beverage and chill the beverage to a desired temperature by thermal contact with said cooling tubes when the top portion is positioned on the bottom portion. The first and second cooling tubes have first and second perimeters, respectively, within a horizontal cross-section of the top portion, and the first and second perimeters have substantially a same size and shape.