Apparatus for making a beverage, capsule for making a beverage and combination of an apparatus and at least two different capsules for making beverages

An apparatus for making a beverage by passing hot water through a powdered food substance (2) contained in a capsule (3), (4), comprising:

• an extraction unit (5) which forms an extraction chamber (6) and which is switchable between an open configuration in which in use it allows a capsule (3), (4) to be inserted in or extracted from the extraction chamber (6), and a closed configuration in which in use it can retain a capsule (3), (4) in the extraction chamber (6);
• hot water feeding means for feeding hot water to the extraction chamber (6);
• evacuating means for evacuating a beverage from the extraction chamber (6);
• and
• a selecting unit (23) for selecting from at least two different types of beverages;
• the hot water feeding means in turn comprising a tank (14), a feeding duct (15) extending from the tank (14) to the extraction chamber (6), a pump (16) mounted on the feeding duct (15), a boiler (17) mounted along the feeding duct (15) downstream of the tank (14), a temperature measuring device (18) associated with the boiler (17), and an electronic control unit (19) equipped with an electronic memory and operatively associated on one side with the pump (16), with the boiler (17) and with the temperature measuring device (18) and on the other side with the selecting unit (23), for causing the supplying of a beverage in accordance with a type indicated by the selecting unit (23);
• wherein
• for a first type of beverage selectable using the selecting unit (23), saved in the electronic memory there are first data which include a first supplying start temperature value, a first steady-state supplying temperature value, a first total supplying time and a first activation mode for the pump (16) during the first total supplying time;
• for a second type of beverage selectable using the selecting unit (23), saved in the electronic memory there are second data which include a second steady-state supplying temperature value, a second supplying start temperature value that is greater than the first supplying start temperature value, a second total supplying time that is greater than the first total supplying time and a second activation mode for the pump (16) during the second total supplying time;
• and
• the electronic control unit (19) is programmed to cause the supplying of the first type of beverage using the first data for controlling the pump (16) and the boiler (17), and to cause the supplying of the second type of beverage using the second data for controlling the pump (16) and the boiler (17);
• and wherein:
• the first total supplying time comprises in sequence a pre-infusion time, a wait time and an infusion time;
• the first activation mode for the pump (16) comprises activating the pump (16) during the pre-infusion time and the infusion time and not activating the pump (16) during the wait time;
• the second activation mode comprises activating the pump (16) for the whole of the second supplying time;
• and
• the first activation mode comprises, during pump (16) activation, an electricity supply to the pump (16) with a first average power that is greater than a second average power used during pump (16) activation in the second activation mode.