Patent ID: 7863546

Claim:
A beverage preparation machine comprising: a tank sized to contain at least a predetermined volume of an aqueous medium at a first temperature; a chamber configured to receive a cartridge containing a predetermined volume of a liquid concentrate at a second temperature; a metering device to form a beverage by diluting the predetermined volume of liquid concentrate with the predetermined volume of aqueous medium; a discharge arranged to direct the beverage into a receiving receptacle; and a controller operative to sense the first temperature and to select a heater temperature based on a ratio of the predetermined volume of aqueous medium to the predetermined volume of liquid concentrate such that the beverage in the receiving receptacle will consistently and reliably be delivered at a predetermined final temperature that is plus or minus about 5Â° F. from the predetermined final temperature; and a sensor to measure the second temperature of the liquid concentrate within the cartridge, and wherein the controller varies the heater temperature based on the sensed second temperature, and wherein the sensor is disposed on the cartridge.