A machine for preparing and dispensing a beverage, such as tea, coffee, hot chocolate, cold chocolate, milk, soup or baby food, such machine comprising: - a main body containing a unit (11,12,13,14,15) for preparing said beverage to be dispensed via an outlet to an external user-recipient at a user-recipient placement location, such as a beverage preparation unit (11,12,13,14,15) comprising at least one of: a source of liquid e.g. water, a liquid sensor e.g. a flowmeter, a pump for driving a liquid from a or said source to the outlet, and a thermal fluid conditioner such as a heater and/or a cooler; - a beverage dispensing head that includes the outlet and that is movable relative to the main body inwards into the main body into a retracted head position and outwards from the main body into a deployed head position, the user-recipient placement location being optionally located vertically below the outlet when the head is in its deployed position; and - a control unit for controlling the preparation unit (11,12,13,14,15) to supply said beverage to the outlet, optionally a control unit connected to a user-interface (17,17'), such as a user-interface (17,17') located on the dispensing head and movable therewith, e.g. a user-interface that is accessible to a user when the head is in the deployed position and that remains accessible to a user when the head is in its retracted position and/or a user-interface that is accessible to a user in the deployed position and inaccessible to a user in the retracted position, optionally the outlet is confined in the main body when the beverage dispensing head is in its retracted position, characterised in that, the control unit is configured to: - maintain or leave the beverage dispensing head in its retracted position when the beverage preparation unit (11,12,13,14,15) is not operated to process a liquid such as said beverage, the control unit being typically configured to operate the preparation unit (11,12,13,14,15) to prepare said beverage when the beverage dispensing head is in its deployed position; and/or - move the beverage dispensing head into its deployed position or maintain or leave it in this position only when the control unit operates the preparation unit (11,12,13,14,15) to process a liquid for dispensing via the outlet. - a main body containing a unit (11,12,13,14,15) for preparing said beverage to be dispensed via an outlet to an external user-recipient at a user-recipient placement location, such as a beverage preparation unit (11,12,13,14,15) comprising at least one of: a source of liquid e.g. water, a liquid sensor e.g. a flowmeter, a pump for driving a liquid from a or said source to the outlet, and a thermal fluid conditioner such as a heater and/or a cooler; - a beverage dispensing head that includes the outlet and that is movable relative to the main body inwards into the main body into a retracted head position and outwards from the main body into a deployed head position, the user-recipient placement location being optionally located vertically below the outlet when the head is in its deployed position; and - a control unit for controlling the preparation unit (11,12,13,14,15) to supply said beverage to the outlet, optionally a control unit connected to a user-interface (17,17'), such as a user-interface (17,17') located on the dispensing head and movable therewith, e.g. a user-interface that is accessible to a user when the head is in the deployed position and that remains accessible to a user when the head is in its retracted position and/or a user-interface that is accessible to a user in the deployed position and inaccessible to a user in the retracted position, - maintain or leave the beverage dispensing head in its retracted position when the beverage preparation unit (11,12,13,14,15) is not operated to process a liquid such as said beverage, the control unit being typically configured to operate the preparation unit (11,12,13,14,15) to prepare said beverage when the beverage dispensing head is in its deployed position; and/or - move the beverage dispensing head into its deployed position or maintain or leave it in this position only when the control unit operates the preparation unit (11,12,13,14,15) to process a liquid for dispensing via the outlet.