Abstract: A coffee machine is described. The coffee machine includes a water reservoir, a water heater, a water pump, a coffee vessel for receiving ground coffee, and a water delivery system having a water delivery head for delivering heated water to the coffee vessel. A closing and/or tamping system is provided for compacting the ground coffee in the coffee vessel by providing relative movement between the water delivery head and the coffee vessel. The closing and/or tamping system includes a hydraulic actuator, where a water outlet from the water pump is coupled to the hydraulic actuator by a first fluid coupling and the water outlet is coupled to the water delivery head by a second fluid coupling which includes a passive in-line valve. The passive in-line valve opens when a pressure reaches a desired pressure.

Abstract: A coffee machine is described. The coffee machine has an exterior mounting port to which a coffee vessel is removably fitted. A water delivery head is positionally fixed with respect to a main housing of the coffee machine, and a tamping system is used to displace the coffee vessel (or part thereof) relative to the water delivery head, thereby to provide tamping of coffee grounds contained in the coffee vessel.