[QUOTE=subether, post:35, topic:427606]
No, you cannot, unless you want to clean the machine out when you relieve the pressure on the bottle- it will foam and go everywhere.
(don’t ask how I know this.)
On a side note, the return on investment on the sodastream and it’s ilk really shines for making your own sodas, especially if you pop for the conversion kits to run the machine from either a paintball cylinder or a larger (5/20 pound) bottle.
Now if I can just find a good clone of the Dr. pepper recipe…
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Let me know if you can ever find a clone of Dr. Pepper. I haven’t found one that is right. Only searching for the other half. I like my fizzy water mixed as an Italian soda.
I can confirm the quality of the Mastrad Purefizz. My research on the internet has found a near unanimous agreement that the intensity and consistency of the carbonation is pretty much the best in its class. I always wanted to get started with basic home carbonating but was intimidated by all the choices available, so I was pretty surprised to see so many reviewers lining up to praise this simple device from a company I’d never heard of before. So I decided to get one at full price, and was not disappointed.
The cost of the cartridges are pretty reasonable in bulk (I recommend Leland), but I’ve never been too hung up on the cost of premade vs homemade soda. I used to drink a lot more than I do today, so the convenience and flexibility of the device over buying soda in bulk is what wins me over. I originally started with recarbonating old soda, or mixing the seltzer with flavors like Mio or other Soda mixes (You can use sodastream mixes, just fill to 75% of the top line and mix before carbonating), even experimenting with other stuff like carbonated juice (not recommended, insane amounts of fizz and usually makes a mess. Mix seltzer with juice for a much better experience). Important fact: using Sodastream to carbonate anything BUT water voids the warranty, look it up! Eventually I just developed a taste for pure seltzer and I’ve been pretty happy. I always keep the Purefizz in the refrigerator with a supply of fresh seltzer, either made the night before or earlier in the day. Once I empty the carafe I immediately refill from my supply of pre-refrigerated water and leave it to carbonate through the day/night. I find giving it the extra time to absorb really helps to deepen the carbonation and mellow the bitterness some, but you probably don’t need to keep it in as long as I do (I use it at least once a day).
I wholeheartedly recommend the Purefizz, and I think the friends I’ve converted will appreciate being referred to this sale. It may not be as widely available as the Sodastream or as inexpensive as other options, but it’s probably the best starting point for somebody curious about home carbonation. Each cartridge carbonates a single bottle (.75 liters) and the cartridges can be recycled (I haven’t looked for a local facility yet so I just save them). You can carbonate with a second cartridge if the first one isn’t enough, but I can’t fathom how just one wouldn’t be sufficient for somebody.
I have one of these and I love it. I buy the Leland cartridges in bulk off of Amazon, the same as a lot of the other commenters.
There’s a bit of a learning curve to this, but once you get the hang of it you’ll get awesome, consistent results every time. First, make sure your liquids are COLD before you carbonate. Once you carbonate, take the bottle and shake the hell out of it for 10-15 seconds. Then let it sit in the fridge for a few minutes before you open it. You don’t have to do all these steps, but I’ve found I get the best results when I do. Plus, we’ve had good luck with the carbonation lasting a few days in the fridge if for some reason we don’t drink it all at once.
We do mostly water with half a lemon or lime squeezed in, or with a crushed knob of ginger added to the bottle, or maybe mint… so nice!
I paid almost twice as much for mine and I’d pay that much again… I’m seriously considering picking up a couple of these as gifts.
I bought one of these because I have experience with a similar product - the SodaPlus which has double the capacity - 1.25l vs the Maastrad 750ml. Both bottles use the same 8g chargers, so the Maastrad is going to have more carbonation.
I like that with the bottle carbonators you can carbonate things other than water. I also don’t want another large appliance device sitting on my countertop.
Key to having success with these bottles and really any carbonator - having cold liquid, shaking it a few times after you inject the CO2, and then letting it sit in the refrigerator for a little while - I tend to do it overnight. Once we finish carbonating a bottle, we pour it into a glass bottle with stopper for ease of access (rather than having to unscrew everytime we want water).
I have had a few different soda siphons, although not this particular one. I would actually just recommend biting the bullet and getting a Soda Stream. They get the water more carbonated and the single use cartridges used by the siphons are annoying.
Another vote for home carbonating units here. I have the SodaStream (I’ve had one for a very long time - back when nobody carried the replacement cartridges, and the only place that sold them or could refill the CO2 was an hour drive from my house - a brewing supply store). For me, the $$ advantage is that I make only what I want to drink right now. When I buy seltzer, to do it economically, I would buy 2 liter bottles, which are far more than I would drink in one sitting. Since it is only me in the house, often I was throwing out flat seltzer, if I was unable to finish it soon enough. And I can make this as carbonated as I like.
Someone above mentioned that carbonated beverages are bad for you. I would love some citations about seltzer being bad for you. The only thing I’ve read is that colas and other sodas with phosphorus are bad. Home made seltzer doesn’t have anything but water and CO2 in it. So, what would be bad about it?
I think I’ll just stick with the bag in box soda fountain I installed in my basement as well as the soda gun I installed in my kitchen where the soap dispenser used to be…
(I know some guys that auction restaurant equipment from closed businesses near my house, the fountain was particularly interesting because it was the same one I used when I worked for Circuit City Corp, they chose well after they abandoned that sinking ship…)
[QUOTE=editorkid, post:47, topic:427606]
So those of us with Sodastreams know how loud they are. In fact, my neighbor two floors down hates mine. Are these quieter?
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Well, there’s no real machinery to speak of to make noise. There’s just a small puff of air when you insert the cartridge and when you relieve the pressure, along with the shaking of the canister. If they don’t protest such small things like that, I don’t think there’s anything to worry about.