Soda Club Sparkling Water Maker
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What it is: A countertop seltzer maker with a carbonator that makes 110 quarts of sparkling water
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Bonnie: I don’t know when the love affair began.
For as long as I can recall, I’ve been passionate about sparkling water, AKA seltzer or club soda.
(An aside about club soda before I continue: It usually contains “salt” from the sodium additive—often sodium bicarbonate. Those watching their salt intake should choose other sparkling waters more often.)
When eating out, I’ll order Perrier before or San Pellegrino with a meal as the latter’s bubbles are smaller making it a better accompaniment to food. Seriously. I learned that at one of the water tastings held for food editors.
At home I drink sparkling water by the gallons, literally. I’d lug home quarts and ½-liter bottles of whichever of my favorite brands were on sale. As with other carbonated beverages, the fizz would often be gone before the liquid in the bottle was. There’s nothing worse than expecting fizz and getting flat as you begin to quench your thirst.
My sons were raised on spritzers, my blend of juice and carbonated water. No soda, pop or whatever you call it in your part of the country in our home, other than for parties as others always requested it.
I tried those siphons with cartridges, the ones that make just one quart. I found this process too expensive for the amount of seltzer we drank.
Back to lugging the bottles. Bags and bags of bottles. Heavy bottles.
And then I learned about Soda Club. Their countertop gadget works on the same principle as the siphons and cartridges I just mentioned, but instead of needing a cartridge for each bottle, Soda Club’s makes about 110 bottles, depending on how much or how little carbonation you add to your water. This gadget is also meant to make flavored soda as the company produces syrups too, but that’s of no interest to me.
I love my seltzer maker. It proudly sits on my counter awaiting the next bottle of chilled water to be made as fizzy as I like it. And that chilled water is always in my fridge, in Soda Club’s quart containers, ready and waiting to be fizzed. That’s any water. Tap water, filtered water, mineral or any other bottled water. The choice is yours.
Now when company asks for sparkling water, I ask, “How fizzy?”
Bryan: I will go ahead and toss myself in the lot of club-soda lovers here. Being raised by a dietitian has different angles. No cake (except on your birthday) is a drawback; being raised without the ubiquitous American addiction to soda is a giant leap forward. I ALWAYS have a bottle (generally the quart size that keeps carbonation better than larger bottles) of seltzer in my fridge. My favorite mixes for it are with heavy pulp OJ or just a dash of (real) cranberry and lemon juice. Artificial soda is one of the worst things you can put in your body (period). Parents—stop giving your children sugar water! Do them a favor and mix up some natural ‘spritzers’. The countertop seltzer maker is an amazing product that allows easy access to sparkling water anytime…
Eric: Mother, don’t deceive your adoring readers, I think my first introduction to weight lifting during my teenage years was lugging the 20-pound bags of on-sale soda water brands from the car to the house; so don’t over exaggerate about the “heavy” bottles. How you must miss honking the horn when you drive into the garage (my signal to come help) followed by hearing the pitter-patter of feet running down the stairs to carry the bags back up to the kitchen. However, I must give credit where it is due; you started me on my love affair with sparkling water. The soda maker is one of my favorite appliances to ever grace the kitchen counter in my mother’s house, and to this day I still love the ability to play with the amount of carbonation I can add to the water. If you’re a soda water fan, then I can tell you nothing makes better than this machine. Its simplicity, ease and size just add to its value.
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31 Comments on “Soda Club Sparkling Water Maker”
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Bonnie,
I wanted to say your love affair with seltzer _ matches mine: and if my sons were to read your sons comments . . . they would say, “Ditto!”
Like your kids, mine could not have soda growing up so; I also mixed seltzer with juice (as you did) and we called it “Special Water” To this day (if they’re being funny – ages 35, 31 & 24) they may ask for 'Special Water'. I guess being a chef/recipe developer/ foodie _ we run along the same lines of thinking. And all this time I thought I was original! Who said “. . . and there is nothing new under the sun”?
The sparkling water maker definitely intrigues me!!!
I love your site!
Pam Simmons
Hi Bonnie, This is your cousin Gail (Grosshandler) Rubinsky!! Great to hear from you and am enjoying your site. Carl and I have had our Soda Club Maker for 5 months and love it. We also never had soda in our house but hadn't really discovered how great the
"2 cents plain" really is. We use a wedge of lime or lemon in ours.
Looking forward to all The Bites and wish you well in this new venture.
Couldn't get the crowns to turn gold –I would give it a 5 crown.
Your "cousin" Gail
Glad you too love Soda Club! Love making my own seltzer. Thanks for the well wishes!
To turn the crowns gold (only once per user) mouse over the crown area just below the comments and just above "Leave a Comment or Write a Review." Then refresh the page!
I have been using SodaKing soda maker to make seltzer for over one year. I can control the amount of carbonation and can have a bottle in about a minute. There is no need to store cases of seltzer or soda since each CO2 cartridge makes over 100 bottles. It is also much less expensive than store bought seltzer Each bottle costs about 18 cents without the cost of the machine. After about 9 months I had a problem with the machine and it was replaced free of charge. I recommend the product
I'm considering buying this, but I HATE plastic bottles (even ones you keep instead of throwing out), and I don't want a whole liter of seltzer at a time - I'm single, and it goes flat before I have a chance to drink it all.
I know they have a "Penguin" model at $300, but I don't want to spend that much.
So I'm wondering about the top of the plastic bottle that fits in the seltzer-maker. Can I use a regular glass bottle instead? What size are the threads?
Thanks for any help!
Antony,
As far as I know, you must use their plastic bottles (which, by the way, are good for at least a year) — but I will verify that with the Soda Club. Not to worry if the water you've made goes flat, it is just water with a few cents of carbonation — use the "flat" water for your plants!
If you'd like to buy a Soda Club Sparkling Water Maker — they start at $69 with the BiteoftheBest.com exclusive savings of $30 off any soda maker. Just use the code BESTBITE at sodaclub.com
Hi Anthony -
In the interest of 'full disclosure': I am the marketing manager for Soda-Club USA, and Bonnie asked me address your question…
Right now, the Penguin is the only glass-bottle carbonating machine we offer.
The plastic bottles that come with the Fountain Jet and Edition 1 soda makers are high-strength, reusable bottles. They are made with a thicker PET than usual store-bought bottles and they are reusable up to three years. There are no glass bottles that are compatible with the Fountain Jet or Edition 1. With these machines, there isn't any protective covering that surrounds the bottle during carbonation (such as the steel flask that encloses the Penguin bottles). The relative elasticity of the plastic bottle is a much safer, shatterproof material in which to carbonate.
You can, however, purchase the Penguin glass carafes as a la carte items from the sodaclubusa.com website. They are $14.99 each and they come with special fizz-preserving closures. So, you could make sparkling water in the plastic bottle and then transfer it to a glass bottle — Penguin or your own — for storage.
Feel free to contact Soda-Club Customer Support if you have additional questions or need more information: support@sodaclub.com
Best, Kristin
Kristin, thanks so much for your answers. Very much appreciated.
just had a demo at the launch party — love this machine need to get one pronto. Susan Richard
With a seltzer-maker like the Penquin, I ought to be able to dress-up a party!
This product sounds fabulous and just what I'm looking for. However when researching the product on-line I have come across several comments about the difficulty and expense of buying refills. What has your experience been when reordering CO2 refills?
I always keep a spare one in the closet — as I can't imagine being without my seltzer. As for ease? I go to a Boater's World shop about 20 minutes from where I live, bring them my empty, fork over about $21 and they hand me a full one. Simple.
Perhaps there's a store near you that also carries them.
[…] where I discovered the Soda Club Seltzer Maker and other interesting items, including Stixx Designs for Living (a wine opener with a suction cup so […]
I gave the Edition 1 Soda Club machine to my husband for his birthday in November. What a hit! The seltzer is so fresh tasting we can't believe the difference. We enjoyed most of the flavors, especially the cola. It is reminiscent of Coke in the green glass bottles of the late 50's. The best part is no bags of returnables to bring back. Making the seltzer is quick and easy and fun!
I LOVE this porduct! What a fun way to cut a lot sugar and calories from soda without giving up great taste. So fast and easy to use and the made soda last for a long time. I can't say enough, I love it love it love it!!
Dear Bonnie,
I have received the Soda Club Sparkling Water Maker that I won. WOW! What a nice prize! Thank you for drawing my name as the winner of the giveaway. Bite of the Best is the greatest!! Thanks again.
Sincerely,
Joyce Russell
Hi, we're interested in a home seltzer system…No flavors, just bubbly water. How much for the gadget? How much for the cartridges? What to order each time? Shipping costs?
Please let us know…Phil and Cheryl Waikoloa,HI 96738
Hi Phil -
Thanks for your interest! Soda-Club packages start just under $100 and go up from there depending on the package configuration (e.g. multiple carbonators, extra bottles, etc.) You can order CO2 refills ($19.99) as needed; each carbonator adds fizz to approx 110 liters. In a typical fizzy water lover's home, that would last 3-4 months.
Shipping costs vary based on order contents and delivery address. Unfortunately, however, we can't ship carbonators by air (compressed CO2 is considered hazmat) which means we don't service HI, AK, PR, VI, etc.
But we'd love to set up retail service in Hawaii…There seems to be a lot of interest coming from there. So if you know someone we should talk to about selling the product locally - please let me know!!
Best,
Kristin Harp
Marketing
Soda-Club USA
Kristen,
Some times it is frustrating to live in Hawaii. What kind of business would you be interested in talking to in Hawaii regarding selling the products locally?
Scott
Hi Scott (and any other Hawaiians who might be reading…) -
Soda-Club products tend to do well in small, specialty retail shops where the staff can demonstrate and answer questions about the product when necessary. It's still a pretty new concept to most Americans, so there is some product education involved, though we're definitely starting to see a strong word-of-mouth trend, especially among green-minded consumers.
We've done well in boating supply stores because the product saves the lugging and storage issues associated with packaged drinks (our primary US retail outlet at present is Boater's World.) We also do well in kitchenware/housewares and gourmet shops, naturally, where consumers tend to drink a lot of sparkling water and also enjoy the do-it-yourself aspects of the system.
If you have any ideas or want more info, feel free to contact me directly at kristinh(at)sodaclub(dot)com
I'm supporting this idea all the way! I can not imagine who would disagree with it. On the whole - make posts like this more often.
I won the soda Club and I/WE LOVE it. I just followed the instructions and had some great soda! When I first pulled it out of the box everyone gathered around and my youngest 6yo says you can't make soda…So I demo'ed it for them and he now thinks I am "magic" cause it taste just like the kind you buy in the store. My 16yo Loves it cause he likes to drink the sparkling water, he likes to add a lil fruit juice and makes his own!
as far as the CO2's we have alot of boat places around so I might try one of them, If not I know I can order online!
Thanks for picking me a winner on this Awesome new toy!
I am trying to order some refill cartridges, but nobody has called me back. My zip code is 90211 and my phone number is 310-271-7671
Please call me or e-mail me. Thanks
Hi Barbara -
I'm sorry you've been having trouble reaching us! We try to respond to all inquiries within one business day, but with Father's Day this weekend, our support staff has been even busiiner than usual. I have asked them to call you back as soon as possible. Meanwhile, you can always order your refills online at sodaclubusa.com. Click on 'Order Supplies' and you'll be on your way! Or check the 'Where to Buy' page to see if there are retailers near you where you can exchange your empty carbonators in person.
Best, Kristin
Hi,
I own a coffeeshop and am making Italian Sodas that require carbonated water. I am tired of lugging bottles and have been looking for a supplier that can provide
oop…hit the enter button!
I am looking for a supplier who can provide the bottles but no luck.
I need to know if your product can be used in a commercial environment or only in the home?
Hi Joni -
One of our models - the Penguin - is ideally suited to cafe or small restaurant use. (It's the only one with glass bottles, to go in the dishwasher…You could use the model Bonnie featured, but you'd have to wash the bottles by hand.) We actually are running a pilot with a small restaurant in NJ and it is going quite well so far. I'd be happy to talk to you more about commercial use of Soda-Club products if you want to contact me directly kristinh(at)sodaclub(dot)com
Best, Kristin
Hi Kristin,
just wondering if you had luck in setting up an operation here on Oahu, HI. I am a European Mineralwater addict and just plain hate to pay big bucks for fizzy water from half around the world (not to mention the carbon imprint).
I have a 10 year old soda stream that I would like to replace with a new one … unfortunately, I still have no one who will sell me cartridges and does the refill … I have checkes with every fire extinguisher place and paintball outlet … not one will refill me the cannister.
Any idea what to do? Much Mahalo!
Julie
Hi Julie -
No news on Hawaii yet, but we are getting close! Stay tuned…hopefully very soon. Meanwhile, if you have any other leads for distributors there, please let me know.
Terrible customer service: I have a sodaclub penguin which I was very happy with for six months until it gradually stopped working. I have sent repeated emails and calls to the sodaclub customer service to find out where to send the machine for repairs and have gotten no response whatsoever. I can only assume at this point that they do not intend to honor the three year warranty and am exploring other options. Note that unless the machine works for two years it is not cost effective. I strongly recommend not purchasing a sodaclub product.
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Hi Jennifer -
Sorry to hear of your experience with Soda-Club customer support! Earlier this month we expanded to 24/7 live phone coverage, and as such we have a lot of brand new reps on board, and we're still sorting out some roles and assignments. I hear from the support team leader that we spoke with you and are sending a replacement Penguin. All Soda-Club (and Sodastream) soda makers come with a 3-year warranty, which we stand behind 100%. I do hope you reached a satisfactory solution in the end, and if not…I encourage you to contact me directly at kristinh(at)sodaclub(dot)come to further discuss the matter.
Happy fizzing!
Kristin Harp
Marketing Manager, Soda-Club USA