A beverage forming apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a beverage carafe having a body defining an interior space for holding a beverage, and an opening through which the beverage is dispensable into the interior space; a housing having a carafe receiving area to receive the carafe and in which the carafe is associated with the housing to receive the beverage dispensed into the opening; a detector arranged to detect the presence of the carafe when the carafe is at the carafe receiving area; a liquid supply system supported by the housing for providing precursor liquid to the beverage forming station; characterized in that the apparatus comprises: a drip tray positionable at the carafe receiving area, wherein the carafe is only detectable by the detector at the carafe receiving area if the drip tray is removed from the carafe receiving area; a beverage forming station supported by the housing and arranged to combine a precursor liquid with a beverage material to form the beverage that is dispensed from an outlet at the carafe receiving area; and a control circuit arranged to control the liquid supply system to deliver precursor liquid to the beverage forming station to dispense more than a threshold volume of beverage only when the detector detects the carafe, and arranged to control the liquid supply system to deliver precursor liquid to the beverage forming station to dispense only less than the threshold volume of beverage when the detector does not detect the carafe. a beverage carafe having a body defining an interior space for holding a beverage, and an opening through which the beverage is dispensable into the interior space; a housing having a carafe receiving area to receive the carafe and in which the carafe is associated with the housing to receive the beverage dispensed into the opening; a detector arranged to detect the presence of the carafe when the carafe is at the carafe receiving area; a liquid supply system supported by the housing for providing precursor liquid to the beverage forming station; characterized in that the apparatus comprises: a drip tray positionable at the carafe receiving area, wherein the carafe is only detectable by the detector at the carafe receiving area if the drip tray is removed from the carafe receiving area; a beverage forming station supported by the housing and arranged to combine a precursor liquid with a beverage material to form the beverage that is dispensed from an outlet at the carafe receiving area; and a control circuit arranged to control the liquid supply system to deliver precursor liquid to the beverage forming station to dispense more than a threshold volume of beverage only when the detector detects the carafe, and arranged to control the liquid supply system to deliver precursor liquid to the beverage forming station to dispense only less than the threshold volume of beverage when the detector does not detect the carafe. a drip tray positionable at the carafe receiving area, wherein the carafe is only detectable by the detector at the carafe receiving area if the drip tray is removed from the carafe receiving area; a beverage forming station supported by the housing and arranged to combine a precursor liquid with a beverage material to form the beverage that is dispensed from an outlet at the carafe receiving area; and a control circuit arranged to control the liquid supply system to deliver precursor liquid to the beverage forming station to dispense more than a threshold volume of beverage only when the detector detects the carafe, and arranged to control the liquid supply system to deliver precursor liquid to the beverage forming station to dispense only less than the threshold volume of beverage when the detector does not detect the carafe.