Patent ID: 8600223

Claim:
An in-line heater for a liquid food or beverage preparation machine, in which machine liquid is circulated through the heater and then guided into a brewing chamber for brewing a food or beverage ingredient supplied into the brewing chamber, with the heater comprising: a body incorporating an inlet, an outlet and a heating chamber extending therebetween, with the inlet, outlet and heating chamber forming together a rigid passage for guiding the liquid circulating through the body, with the body having an outer face arranged to delimit an upstream part of the brewing chamber, with the rigid passage of the body extending into the brewing chamber, wherein the body comprises a generally tubular or prismatic outer member and an inner core or insert that delimits with the outer member the heating member, with the inner core being is generally eccentric with respect to the tubular or prismatic outer member; and heating means cooperating with the body for supplying heat into the chamber.