Abstract: A beverage preparation machine (100) comprising: a brew head (101) for receiving in use a cartridge (200), the cartridge (200) being of a type that comprises one or more beverage ingredients and has a code (201) associated with the cartridge (200) for determining a standard set of brewing parameters; a code reader (104); an activation element (102); and a controller (103) configured to control operation of the beverage preparation machine to prepare a beverage from the one or more beverage ingredients of the cartridge (200) in response to actuation of the activation element (102); the controller (103) being configured to receive a user selection to prepare the beverage using at least a first operating mode or a second operating mode; in the first operating mode the beverage is prepared using the standard set of brewing parameters obtained at least in part from reading the code (201) associated with the cartridge (200) received in the brew head; and in the second operating mode the beverage is prepared using a

Abstract: A beverage preparation machine (100) comprising: a brew head (101) for receiving in use a cartridge (200), the cartridge (200) being of a type that comprises one or more beverage ingredients and has a code (201) associated with the cartridge (200) for determining a standard set of brewing parameters; a code reader (104); an activation element (102); and a controller (103) configured to control operation of the beverage preparation machine to prepare a beverage from the one or more beverage ingredients of the cartridge (200) in response to actuation of the activation element (102); the controller (103) being configured to receive a user selection to prepare the beverage using at least a first operating mode or a second operating mode; in the first operating mode the beverage is prepared using the standard set of brewing parameters obtained at least in part from reading the code (201) associated with the cartridge (200) received in the brew head; and in the second operating mode the beverage is prepared using a

Abstract: A local voltage adjustment apparatus for connection to a power utilization meter comprising a line in for connection to the meter, a line out, a transformer connected to the line in and line out. The transformer has an adjustable voltage conversion ratio of an output voltage level to an input voltage level. The transformer may comprise an autotransformer. A control device is in electrical communication with the line out to sense the level of the output voltage, and is configured to adjust the voltage conversion ratio of the transformer based upon the output voltage level. The control device is configured to select the voltage conversion ratio for the transformer that reduces the output voltage level from the input voltage level to a voltage in a target voltage range. The target voltage range may be from approximately 100 volts to approximately 112 volts.