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A device for preparing hot beverages which includes an arrangement for circulating a liquid to a beverage supply exit and a combustion heater, such as a burner, for supplying combustion heat to the liquid that is circulated to the supply exit. The combustion heater can be associated with an electric

A device for preparing hot beverages which includes an arrangement for circulating a liquid to a beverage supply exit and a combustion heater, such as a burner, for supplying combustion heat to the liquid that is circulated to the supply exit. The combustion heater can be associated with an electric heater for additionally or alternatively supplying electric heat to the liquid that is circulated to the supply exit or with a heat regulator for controlling the amount of heat supplied to the liquid from the combustion heater, the electric heater or both heaters.

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1. A device for preparing a hot beverage, comprising: a liquid supply;an extraction or infusion head that contains a beverage forming ingredient;an arrangement for circulating liquid from the liquid supply to the beverage forming ingredient in the extraction or infusion head for contact therewith to

1. A device for preparing a hot beverage, comprising: a liquid supply;an extraction or infusion head that contains a beverage forming ingredient;an arrangement for circulating liquid from the liquid supply to the beverage forming ingredient in the extraction or infusion head for contact therewith to form a hot beverage that is dispensed from a beverage supply exit;a combustion heater for supplying combustion heat to the liquid that is circulated from the liquid supply to the extraction or infusion head and the supply exit;an electric heater for supplying electric heat to the liquid that is circulated from the liquid supply to the extraction or infusion head and the supply exit; anda heat regulator configured to regulate the heat supplied to the liquid from the combustion heater and the electric heater, the heat regulator comprising a temperature sensor which is arranged to measure directly or indirectly the temperature of the heated liquid for comparing the measured temperature with a target temperature, the electric heater and the combustion heater are arranged to adjust at least one of the supply of the electric heat or the combustion heat based on the difference between the measured temperature and the target temperature,the heat regulator further comprising a control unit that is configured to operate (i) in a first mode in which the combustion heater supplies combustion heat to the circulating liquid while the electric heater does not supply the electric heat to the circulated liquid, (ii) in a second mode in which the electric heater supplies electric heat to the circulating liquid while the combustion heater does not supply the combustion heat to the circulating liquid, and (iii) in a third mode in which the combustion heater supplies the combustion heat and the electric heater supplies the electric heat simultaneously to the circulating liquid. 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the electric heater comprises a thermoblock having a metal-based body with a through passage for the circulation of the liquid and one or more resistances for supplying electric heat to the metal-based body. 3. The device of claim 2, wherein the metal-based body has a generally tubular shape with a generally helicoidal through passage for the circulation of liquid, and the combustion heater is arranged to supply heat to the liquid via the metal-based body of the thermoblock. 4. The device of claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor is associated with the electric heater such that the temperature sensor is arranged to measure directly or indirectly the temperature of the heated liquid, with the electric heater being arranged to: compare the measured temperature with a target temperature; andadjust the supply of the electric heat based on the difference between the measured temperature and the target temperature,wherein the combustion heater is arranged to supply an amount of combustion heat to the liquid which is below the heat required for the liquid to reach the target temperature. 5. The device of claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor is associated with the combustion heater such that the temperature sensor is arranged to measure directly or indirectly the temperature of the heated liquid, the combustion heater being arranged to: compare the measured temperature with a target temperature; andadjust the supply of the combustion heat based on the difference between the measured temperature and the target temperature,wherein the electric heater is arranged to supply electric heat to the liquid which is below the heat required for the liquid to reach the target temperature. 6. The device of claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor is associated with both the electric heater and the combustion heater, with the temperature sensor arranged to measure directly or indirectly the temperature of the heated liquid, and with the electric heater and the combustion heater arranged to: compare the measured temperature with a target temperature; andadjust the supply of the electric heat or combustion heat based on the difference between the measured temperature and the target temperature. 7. The device of claim 1, wherein the electric heater and the combustion heater are configured or configurable so that: the electric heater and the combustion heater supply heat simultaneously to the liquid; oronly one of the electric heater and the combustion heater supplies heat to the liquid at a particular time, orthe electric heater and the combustion heater sequentially supply heat to the liquid. 8. The device of claim 1, wherein the combustion heater comprises a combustible supply arrangement for supplying combustible material to a burner for consuming the combustible material, and the combustion heater comprises a valve between the combustible supply arrangement and the burner for controlling the supply of combustible material from the supply arrangement to the burner. 9. The device of claim 8, wherein the valve is a variable valve or an on-off valve and wherein the combustion heater is associated with an ignition and a heat regulator configured to regulate its heat supply, with the heat regulator arranged to control the valve. 10. The device of claim 6, wherein the arrangement for circulating a liquid comprises a pump, and the device is powered with (i) an electric current supply that includes at least one of a battery-type low voltage supply and (ii) the mains, with the electric heater powered by the mains and with the combustion heater powered by the battery-type low voltage supply. 11. The device of claim 1, wherein the combustion heater comprises an arrangement for supplying combustion from a source of combustible material to a combustion area; and wherein the combustion heater further comprises within or adjacent to the combustion area a catalytic device for inhibiting flame formation by combustion of the combustible in the combustion area. 12. The device of claim 11, wherein the catalytic device becomes active for inhibiting flame formation upon preheating, with the arrangement for supplying combustible material to the combustion area comprising a control valve for supplying combustible material to the combustion area at a lower rate during preheating of the catalytic device and at a higher rate upon preheating of the catalytic device. 13. The device of claim 12, further comprising a housing containing the combustion area and one or more passages for evacuating combustion gases from the combustion area to outside the housing, with the lower rate being such that combustion flames generated during preheating of the catalytic device are inhibited from extending outside the housing via the passages. 14. The device of claim 13, further comprising a temperature sensor which is arranged to measure directly or indirectly a temperature of the catalytic device to monitor its activity. 15. The device of claim 13, which is arranged to estimate by a predictive model a temperature of the catalytic device so as to monitor its activity. 16. The device of claim 11, wherein the combustion heater comprises at least one combustible material supply conduit associated with at least one control valve to adjust a rate of supply of combustible material to the combustion area via the supply conduit, with the control valve comprising a variable valve. 17. The device of claim 11, wherein the combustion heater comprises a plurality of combustion material supply conduits, each conduit being associated with a corresponding control valve comprising one or more on-off control valves. 18. The device of claim 11, wherein the combustion heater comprises a plurality of combustion material supply conduits having inlet sides that are in fluid connection, the inlet sides being associated with a plurality of parallel control valves. 19. The device of claim 11, wherein the catalytic device has a porous, foraminate, perforated or grid-like structure arranged for a flow of the combustible material therethrough and includes an active surface made of or comprising one or more noble metals as a catalyst. 20. The device of claim 1, which is powered with (i) an electric current supply that includes a battery-type low voltage supply and (ii) the mains, with the electric heater powered by the mains and with the combustion heater powered by the battery-type low voltage supply. 21. A device for preparing a hot beverage, the device comprising: a liquid supply;an extraction or infusion head;an arrangement for circulating liquid from the liquid supply to the extraction or infusion head for contact a beverage forming ingredient therein to form a hot beverage that is dispensed from a beverage supply exit;a combustion heater configured to supply combustion heat to the circulating liquid;an electric heater configured to supply electric heat to the circulating liquid; anda heat regulator configured to regulate the combustion heat supplied to the circulating liquid from the combustion heater and the electric heat supplied to the circulating liquid from the electric heater, the heat regulator comprising (i) a temperature sensor arranged to measure directly or indirectly the temperature of the heated liquid, and (ii) a control unit that is configured to compare the measured temperature with a target temperature;wherein at least one of the combustion heater or the electric heater is associated with the heat regulator, the device having an arrangement selected from the group consisting of:(i) the combustion heater is configured to adjust the supply of the combustion heat based on the difference between the measured temperature and the target temperature, the electric heater is configured to supply an amount of the electric heat to the circulating liquid which is below the heat required for the circulating liquid to reach the target temperature, and the reminder of the heat required for the circulating liquid to reach the target temperature is supplied by the combustion heater simultaneously or sequentially; and(ii) the electric heater is configured to adjust the supply of the electric heat based on the difference between the measured temperature and the target temperature, the combustion heater is configured to supply an amount of the combustion heat to the circulating liquid which is below the heat required for the circulating liquid to reach the target temperature, and the reminder of the heat required for the circulating liquid to reach the target temperature is supplied by the electric heater simultaneously or sequentially.