Enjoy fizzy, carbonated or soda water but are tired of having to pop to the shops every time you run out? After all, water is free and comes out of the tap, so why should you have to pay to enjoy a fizzy version? If something that annoys you too, then you’re in the right place. In this article, we’re going to look at a few simple ways to make carbonated water at home. Some of them you might have heard of, while others you might not have.
Carbonated water is a health alternative to fizzy drinks. Generally, fizzy water doesn’t have the sugar and other additives that most fizzy sodas do. That means it’s better for your health. But drinking carbonated water can get expensive if you keep having to buy it. So why not make it at home? It’s fun, and it could save you a lot of money in the long run. Some of these methods will require you to purchase a bit of extra equipment or technology, but we’re even going to look at how to make carbonated water at home without having to buy any new machinery. So let’s get started. How do you make carbonated water?
How to make carbonated water
Carbonated water is a lot more expensive than it used to be, but it needn’t be. You can make it for a few cents at home, saving you thousands over the years. The main way to make carbonated water is by adding CO2 to it. You normally have to force CO2 into the water, making it carbonated. Hence the name, carbonated water. This isn’t the same as soda water, but it is similar.
Soda water has been enhanced with minerals like potassium. If you can add those, you might be able to achieve the same effect, but this article is mainly going to be about simple carbonated water. That’s water, with fizzes. What are the different ways to make carbonated water at home?
SodaStream
You’ve probably seen one of these. They’ve been around for decades. They’ve actually made a recent comeback. While you’ll have to buy the equipment and pay for refills, they’re still a great way to make carbonated water quickly and easily. But they’re obviously not the cheapest option. If you’re thinking about getting a SodaStream, have a look around for some special offers and see what you can find. There are some good bargains available out there. Try doing a search online.
The benefit of a SodaStream is that isn’t well-made and easy to use. All the instructions are in the box. They’ve come a long way in design in the last few decades, and you can get a sleek new unit for much less than you might think.
To use a soda stream, simply put the liquid you want to fizz in (water in this case), make sure it’s got CO2 and hit the button. It won’t take long. That was easy, wasn’t it? Make sure you follow any additional instructions your particular model has. There are tons of different SodaStream models out there, as they’ve been around for a long time—and they aren’t all exactly the same. The good news is that they’re easy to use and should have instructions with them. if you found an old unboxed SodaStream without instructions, try doing a search for that particular model online. THere’s no reason why you can’t use your old SodaStream really well if it still works, so there’s no reason to go out and buy a new one.
Benefits of a SodaStream are that they’re portable, easy to use and reasonably cheap. But they aren’t the cheapest. Children might struggle to use them. The refills can get expensive.
You can also modify a SodaStream to make them even better. If you do a search for the right bit of kit, you can find a SodaStream COs adapter mod which means you can use standard CO2 capsules from a paintball store rather than the official SodaStream ones. These paintball ones are much cheaper to buy or refill. However, be careful with the quality of the gas you use. Official SodaStream ones are obviously made to drink, but not all CO2 is. The paintball ones might have other gases mixed in and may not be fit for human consumption.
With a seltzer bottle
The traditional way to make carbonated water could be done at home relatively easily. You can find some of these seltzer bottles on ebay or in vintage stores. They have a simple yet effective glass design that has a siphon attached to a gas canister to carbonate water. They’re a bit like SodaStreams, but old-school!
You need to be much more careful doing this than when using a SodaStream. The bottle could explode. You’ll need to find detailed instructions and follow them carefully. You’ll still also need to buy OC2, making it not super-cheap. Again, make sure you’ve got CO2 that is safe for human consumption and not mixed with other gases.
Build your own system
Instead of buying a ready-made system, there are loads of options to build your own. This can be complicated, so you’ll need to find a specific design online and follow it closely. Be careful when doing this sort of thing. If you’re someone who enjoys making things, you should get an extra sense of satisfaction from building your own drinks fizzer. It might also be a lot cheaper than the alternatives. You’ll need to be happy and experienced using regulators and gas canisters, so this isn’t for everyone.
A kegerator
Kegerators are for kegging beer, and you can buy them online. But they’re also good for adding CO2 to water. This might be an option you want to look at that’s a bit easier than building your own, but definitely for serious carbonated water drinkers.
Have a look and see which method might work for you. There are loads of options out there if you want to carbonate your own water.
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