Beverage preparation machines

A beverage preparation machine configured to prepare beverages from a cartridge containing one or more beverage ingredients and to dispense a beverage through an outlet nozzle, the outlet nozzle comprising one or more sides defining a conduit between an entrance and an exit through which the beverage may pour down and further comprising one or more air passages, each of the one or more air passages extending through the one or more side walls of the nozzle to provide fluid communication between the conduit and atmosphere, wherein the conduit widens downstream of the entrance to form a wider portion and wherein each of the one or more air passages is located in an elevated position in the wider portion above the exit of the outlet nozzle, such that, in use, air is drawn into a head space around the flow of beverage through the conduit and is not entrained into the beverage flow;

• the beverage preparation machine further comprising a cartridge holder arranged to hold the cartridge and provided with a hole through which beverage exiting the cartridge may flow, the cartridge holder being positioned relative to the outlet nozzle such that the beverage flowing through the hole in the cartridge holder pours into the outlet nozzle;
• and
• the beverage preparation machine further comprising a piercer positioned to pierce the underside of a cartridge when placed in the cartridge holder, the piercer having a hollow centre to form an outlet for beverage to exit the cartridge, and wherein the entrance to the hollow centre of the piercer forms the entrance to the outlet nozzle.