Instant beverage cartridges and methods

A cartridge for producing a single serving of a beverage, the cartridge comprising:

• a cup comprising a shoulder, a bottom wall, and a sidewall extending between the shoulder and the bottom wall;
• a lid sealed with the shoulder, the lid and the cup forming a chamber;
• a single serving of an instant beverage component disposed in the chamber;
• and
• a membrane configured to maintain the instant beverage component in a first portion of the chamber and inhibit the instant beverage component from accessing a second portion of the chamber, the membrane further configured to dissolve when a water-soluble liquid is introduced into the cup thereby releasing the instant beverage component into the second portion of the chamber, the instant beverage component mixing with the liquid to produce the beverage.

A cartridge for producing a single serving of a beverage, the cartridge comprising:

• a cup having a bottom wall and a shoulder disposed generally opposite the bottom wall;
• a lid joined with the shoulder;
• and
• a single serving of an instant beverage component disposed in the cup, the instant beverage component being compressed into a block such that substantially all the air has been removed therefrom,
• wherein the block of the instant beverage component is configured to break apart when a liquid is injected into the cup, thereby facilitating mixing of the instant beverage component with the liquid to form the beverage.

A method of manufacturing a single-serve beverage cartridge for use with a single-serve beverage machine, the method comprising:

• forming a cup having a bottom wall and a shoulder disposed generally opposite the bottom wall;
• joining a lid with the shoulder;
• placing a single serving of an instant beverage component in the cup;
• and
• placing an insert in the cup, wherein the insert is configured to facilitate mixing of the instant beverage component with a liquid introduced into the cup to produce the beverage.

A method of manufacturing a cartridge for producing a single serving of a beverage, the method comprising:

• forming a cup comprising a shoulder, a bottom wall, and a sidewall extending between the shoulder and the bottom wall;
• sealing a lid sealed with the shoulder, the lid and the cup forming a chamber;
• placing a single serving of an instant beverage component in a first portion of the chamber;
• and
• sequestering the instant beverage component from a second portion of the chamber with a membrane, the membrane being configured to dissolve when a water-soluble liquid is introduced into the cup thereby releasing the instant beverage component into the portion of the chamber.

A method of manufacturing a cartridge for producing a single serving of a beverage, the method comprising:

• forming a cup having a bottom wall and a shoulder disposed generally opposite the bottom wall;
• joining a lid with the shoulder;
• compressing a single serving of an instant beverage component into a block such that substantially all the air has been removed therefrom;
• and
• placing the block in the cup,
• wherein the block of the instant beverage component is configured to break apart when a liquid is injected into the cup, thereby facilitating mixing of the instant beverage component with the liquid to form the beverage.