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Nerdy Science in the Kitchen

Best Carbonation Machines for Sparkling Water

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three mason jars of infused water on ice and mint leaves with white background
What’s better than sparkling water? Infused sparkling water. Make your own with your own carbonation machine for sparkling water.

According to a recent survey by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as 40% of adults in the United States do not drink enough water.

See my favorite water carbonator for sparkling water at Amazon.

For the average adult male, the Institute of Medicine recommends about a gallon. That’s roughly 125 fluid ounces of water per day.

And for women it’s about three fourths of a gallon which is about 91 fluid ounces.

Climate, exercise, and other factors can raise these numbers. It’s far easier to drink too little water than too much, so drinking more than you think you need may be the best idea!

And if you consider that our bodies are made up of 70% water, it makes sense that we should be drinking more of the stuff.

For many adults, water gets overlooked, with many opting instead for more flavorful beverages, from juice and soda to coffee and beer.

While all beverages contain water, other ingredients can offset the healthy benefits of pure water. Sugar, alcohol, and caffeine can all increase the risk of dehydration, making it more important to drink pure water.

Best Carbonation MachinesWhy We Like It
1. SodaStream Source Sparkling Water Maker sleek, streamlined, and non-electric
2. Twenty39 Qarbo Sparkling Water Maker and Fruit Infuser comes in four hues to match any kitchen
3. iSi Stainless Steel Soda Siphon Bottle It has a safe auto-off feature and is also dishwasher safe.

But Water is so Boring!

Many people, particularly children, lament the ‘boring’ nature of pure drinking water. For this reason, the often opt for flavored (small print: big sugar) drinks.

The nasty additives in sodas and many juices and other sweetened beverages come with so many health risks that the benefits of hydration are basically negated.

Drinking a bottle of juice that contains forty grams of sugars in the form of corn syrup and calling it healthy is like calling your sundae health food, because it comes with a cherry on top.

Therefore, it is important to seek out healthy alternatives for those who are simply not satisfied with drinking water.

Sparkling Solutions

sparkling water carbonators
Sparkling water is not a modern idea. It dates back to the 18th century

One of the most traditionally embraced alternatives is hardly an alternative: sparkling drinking water. Bubbly water has been a favorite for a long time.

Sparkling water, as it is understood today, originated in mid-18th century England.

Bona fide Renaissance man Joseph Priestley suspended a bowl of water above a beer vat in a Leeds brewery.

And the ‘fixed air’ emitting from the fermenting beer infused the water with carbon dioxide.

Priestley served the cool, refreshing drink to his friends, calling it ‘soda water,’ because it was created by running carbon dioxide (a similar compound to sodium bicarbonate—baking soda) through water.

Taking on various forms over the years, sparkling water has retained a loyal following through generations. It is a favorite for those avoiding alcohol, supplying a fizzy, non-alcoholic drink popular in bars worldwide.

Additionally, it’s one of the best solutions for those looking for a livelier alternative to plain drinking water.

Making Soda at Home

Unfortunately, a steady diet of factory-made sparkling water comes with many of the drawbacks of purchasing bottle spring or mineral water.

Potentially toxic leaching agents are liable to seep into water, and the ecological disaster created by plastic bottles certainly isn’t helped with the purchase of cases of bottled sparkling water.

Fortunately, the modern age of all things do-it-yourself is upon us, and there are many wonderful options for creating your own refreshing alternatives to still water, without the negative financial and environmental implications.

Let’s take a look at a few of the best carbonation machines on today’s market, so that you may be better informed when investing in one of these clever kitchen gadgets.

The Best Carbonation Machines for Fancy Water

Water, water all around! Here are my 3 top tops for water carbonation machines on the market…

SodaStream Source Sparkling Water Maker

SodaStream Jet Sparkling Water Maker, Kit w/60l Cylinder, Silver

View on Amazon

Everyone and their mother knows SodaStream! They’ve cornered the carbonation machine market in a fairly remarkable way.

With so many models, it’s easy to see how this brand name has come to be used as the general product description, much in the way many people refer to facial tissue paper as Kleenex.

While SodaStream offers many fantastic models, their industry standard Source machine may well be their defining model.

The Source Sparkling Water Maker Starter Kit features everything you need to get started making your very own sparkling water drinks at home.

The sleek machine looks good in any kitchen, and its streamlined design offers a no-nonsense soda maker.

The machine requires no electricity and utilizes an included can of compressed carbon dioxide to infuse water of your choice in the enclosed carbonating bottle.

And the adjustable carbonation level lets you customized carbonation levels to suit every taste.

Twenty39 Qarbo Sparkling Water Maker and Fruit Infuser

Twenty39 Qarbo Sparkling Water Maker and Fruit Infuser - Premium Carbonation Machine with Two 1L BPA Free Bottles - Infuses Flavor while Carbonating Beverages, Use Standard Gas Cylinder (not included), Metallic Red

View on Amazon

For the more elegant aesthetic, the kitchen technology pioneers at Twenty39 offer this sparkling water and fruit infusing carbonation machine.

This carbonator boasts a modern, sleek design that comes in four shades to match any kitchen. The fun and easy to use carbonation lever discharges carbon dioxide gas into one of the two included bottles.

You can cut up fruit and put it into the bottle to infuse your healthy hydration. The Twenty39 comes with a recipe book to create new and interesting carbonated drinks.

The whole kit uses standard CO2 cylinders that are also available on Amazon.

iSi Stainless Steel Soda Siphon Bottle

iSi Stainless Steel Soda Siphon, 1 Quart

View on Amazon

The ingenious development team at iSi offers the Stainless Steel Soda Siphon for a more transportable carbonation machine.

This relic of soda machines from the past is as simple as possible. High quality stainless steel construction features a measuring tube to prevent overfilling, and a pressure control valve to customize carbonation.

Instead of the bulkier cans of carbon dioxide featured in another carbonation machines, this unit utilizes single-use carbon dioxide cartridges, which are readily available in retail and online outlets.

Cartridges are easily screwed into the included adapter, the button is depressed, and perfectly infused carbonated water comes out!

Hydrate with Taste and Style

With one of these innovative carbonation machines, you can end dehydration before it begins.

All of these machines are customizable with different flavors, whether a conservative pinch of lime or a full-fledged cocktail of sweet and savory fruit flavors.

Now you know what’s out there. So you can pick the one you like and never get tired of pure water again!

Need something with more kick than a glass of fizzy water? You might want to check out these great espresso makers.

Kitchen Professor author
About the Author: Rose Reinhard

Rose Reinhard is a Thai-American foodie from Chiang Mai, Thailand. She's been a creative writer since she could speak and enjoys making vegetarian/vegan dishes and reading about food science. She claims her air-fryer is the best purchase she’s ever made to date.

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