Dispensing and preparation apparatus for powdered food or beverage products

Abstract

The present invention relates to a dispensing and preparation apparatus for powdered food or beverage products, the apparatus comprising a dispensing device () and an associated preparation or extraction device (); the dispensing device () comprising one or more housings for receiving one or more containers () with a powdered food or beverage product; the dispensing device () comprising a reader () to obtain the information of the product parameters of the powdered food or beverage products from the one or plurality of containers (); the dispensing device () further comprising a control unit configured to dispense a certain amount of powdered food or beverage product from each container () according to these product parameters and/or according to a recipes database () as a function of the beverage to be prepared; the dispensing device () further comprising an encoder () to encode the beverage information on programmable identification means () on a product holder () in the dispensing device (), to where the dispensed powdered food or beverage product is sent; the preparation or extraction device () being configured for receiving the product holder () and comprising reading means () to identify the beverage information in the said product holder identification means (), the extraction device () further comprising a control unit to extract the beverage according to the beverage information retrieved from the product holder () and/or from the beverage information retrieved from a beverage database in this control unit. The invention further relates to a method for dispensing powdered food or beverage products and preparing a beverage from them using a dispensing and extraction apparatus as the one described. The invention also relates to the use of a dispensing and extraction apparatus as the one described for delivering a certain beverage from powdered food or beverage products.