Customer Reviews

iSi Soda Siphon 1- Quart , Black

5 star:		(60)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

Since there's so much discussion - both good and bad - regarding this product, I thought I'd put in my 2 cents...

Yes, I really like this item...but I was initially so-so until I figured out the right method to make the water as fizzy as possible.

Like others, I was initially dismayed about the quality of the fizz, however after about 20 CO2 cartridges worth of trial and error, I think I've figured out the best possible method to make the water very fizzy:

1. Use cold water. Yes... I know, everyone has been suggesting this...but seriously, this really makes a difference. I'm not talking about cool water here... the water needs to be COLD. And the secret trick that no one really seems to be talking about here is that the cold water needs to be poured into a chilled siphon! Before first use, put the empty metal siphon in the freezer to get it nice and chilled. After that, every new batch will stay cold since you'll be storing the siphon in the fridge before refreshing it.
2. after dispensing the (single) CO2 cartridge into the water, SHAKE THE CANISTER VIGOROUSLY 20 TIMES BEFORE PUTTING IT INTO THE FRIDGE. The instructions suggest shaking it 5 times. I found 20 works alot better
3. keep it in the fridge for at least an hour before dispensing for the first time.

By following the steps above, you should get a premium-level output. Sure, its not going to be ultra fizzy like the artificially charged soda can drinks, but the seltzer water is of surprising quality when following these directions.

Lastly, I wanted to make a few additional comments about this product that haven't been discussed too much in the other reviews:

1. The siphon is of high quality. It's very solidly built.
2. It's made in Austria, not China like many of the knockoffs here on Amazon and Ebay
3. This is actually a very cost-effective way of making soda water if you purchase the co2 in bulk. I bought a 100-pack of chargers here for about 34 bucks... making the cost per quart 34cents!
4. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BUY THE ISI CARTRIDGES! ANY 8 GRAM "FOOD-GRADE" CO2 CARTRIDGES WILL WORK PERFECTLY INCLUDING NTG, MOSA AND THE WHIPIT BRAND (CO2 NOT NO2!!)

Hope this helps some of you on the fence about this product.

I read some other reviews here and on other sites and it seemed that the biggest problem this product has is that the water is not as carbonated as store bought water.

The first time I tried this product it seemed the other reviews were correct. The water was just barely carbonated and I was rather disappointed with it. However, I found that once you pressurize the bottle; letting it sit in the refridgerator for a while will really carbonate it up. To me it now "seems" just as good as store bought carbonated water or at least very close.

Probably the only complaint I now have about it is that I empty the bottle too quickly and I have to wait a while for another bottle to be ready. Besides that it works very well and I am happy with it.

Sometime last year I got fed up with buying sparkling water in glass or plastic bottles and then tossing out the empties. Although I recycled, I just couldn't justify the resource-intensive packaging of a single-use product like that. Not to mention the carbon footprint of a product shipped from someplace like Italy.

So I did my research, bought this soda syphon, and I LOVE IT! It totally gets the job done. It's best to start with pre-chilled water, then shake it vigorously after you've discharged the gas cartridge, then put it back in the fridge for about an hour before drinking. All these steps help the water to absorb more gas and make for fizzier soda.

I use filtered water from my tap filter (of course, no bottled water here...that would kind of defeat the purpose) and it tastes fabulous plain, mixed with fruit juices, or with just a squeeze of lemon or lime. Lasts for a few days in the fridge. Sure the fizziness decreases with time, but so would bottled soda water, so what would you expect?

Since buying this model I've also bought the larger version because it makes a bit more...good for dinner parties or cocktails.

I even ran the numbers once, and figured that with the cost of the steel CO2 cartridge (which you should and can recycle) you'll end up paying about .50 a liter. So GO FOR IT! You'll be saving financial resources AND natural resources and it's just the right thing to do.

Some may wonder why bother when seltzer water comes in bottles.

1. Makes excellent, high-quality carbonated water. For a TRUE diet soda without chemicals, or add it to cocktails.
2. It's fun and easy to make. Just screw in the chargers and shake.
3. Great design. A conversation piece. Nostalgic and Retro. Just like the bars in the old movies.
4. Economical. Less than 70 cents per soda charger for one liter.
5. Great gift idea.

Drawbacks:
1. The CO2 soda charges can be tough to find. Amazon had them, then they didn't. They may again. Buy in bulk.
2. The one liter dispenses quickly

I have been using iSi soda siphon for about 2-3 months right now. Overall I am happy with the
way it works. Although, when I followed the instruction the siphon content was coming out
of every pore of it. I then realized if I don't fill it the way the instruction mentioned,
but rather leave some space then the siphon worked pretty good. One drawback is that
the soda water has a taste to it!!! It gets the plastic flavor of the straw it uses. Even
if I transfer it to another bottle right after making it, it still has a light taste to it.
Another draw back which I think is inherent to all siphons is that, it does not maintain the
bubble for more than 3-7 days. The ones you buy at stores like Safeway keep for 2weeks.
Finally it is not as cheap as I thought. The cartridges come to about $1.14 which is same price
as Safeway bottles. I was hoping to make my own for lot less, say 50-80 cents a bottle.
Still, you get to make your own flavored drinks.


--Steve

iSi 32-Ounce Soda Siphon SLL, Black

We drink a bottle of fizzy water every dinner, so we were on the hunt for something less expensive and more convenient than lugging something home every night. This product filled the bill. As other reviewers have noted, make sure that it's completely filled and chilled. We keep and refill a bottle of chilled filtered tap water that we use to make the soda. Make sure the lid is tightly screwed on. And Voi-la! Water so fizzy it almost has a head like beer. The cartridges are a cost and it's one per bottle, but Amazon so far has the best price. We'd like to find a place to buy them in bulk (?). Otherwise, good to go.

Immediately got great results from this bottle. Here are the critical secrets for doing so:

1. You must, must, must refrigerate the bottle at all times, so that it will always be ready to use. This thing works great if you use ice-cold (refrigerator, not freezer compartment) temperature water. It won't work very well at all if both the bottle and the water are not c-c-c-cold.

2. Keep a separate pitcher of water in the fridge at all times, so that you will always have cold water ready to refill the bottle, and of course you already are keeping the bottle in the fridge based on point #1, above. Water takes hours to cool down because it is very dense.

3. The bottle comes with an overflow regulator tube stuck in the throat of the bottle; LEAVE IT THERE. With this tube in place you basically cannot overfill the bottle and can put in the maximum amount of water with no guesswork. The Siphon tube goes into the overflow-regulator tube.

4. Pour the ice-cold water into the ice-cold bottle, put the siphon tube back into the overflow tube, screw the cap apparatus onto the bottle very tightly, and using the CO2 cartridge and cartridge holder, tighten the cartridge holder until the CO@ is released into the water with a "whoosh." Then, shake the bottle at least 30 times, which takes about 15 seconds if you use both hands. Easy.

5. Remove the CO2 cartridge holder and put the shiny cap over the cartridge charging and puncturing orifice. Put the bottle into the fridge for 15-60 minutes before using.

Do ALL of these steps (taking about 2 minutes, total) and you will enjoy great seltzer water at a minimal price, without having to lug home heavy water bottles. Buy the CO2 cartridges in lots of 100 and they'll only cost 40 cents each. Cheap.

This little item makes the best soda water and without all the sodium in the store-bought soda.

It's easy to use and has performed flawlessly. My only complaint is that to snug down the top, prior to charging, one has to use the spout as a grip. I wonder if this will shorten its life?

my initial experience was similar (negative) to what others have posted. I am extremely satisfied now. It all has to do with following the right procedure.

1. Fill the siphon's container to the brim with water. Remove a bit from the top. Incidentally, the iSi chargers come with instructions stating that you only half fill the container. That is inaccurate.
2. Insert the stem (the one with a disk on top attached to a "straw." Make sure that the disk is resting flat on top of the container.
3. Screw on the top, making sure that it is perfectly and securely screwed.
4. Insert the charging capsule into its sleeve. Screw in the sleeve. At some point, you will hear a "whoosh," which indicates that the tip of the charging capsule has been punctured and the gas has gotten into the container. If you have done everything right, you will not see any of the water leaking.
5. Finally, and most important, leave the siphon in the fridge for a few hours.
6. Enjoy!

I have now owned this Soda Siphon for about a week and a half and could not be more pleased with it. Don't ignore the other reviews here, the trick to getting good carbonation level is to leave the siphon in the refrigerator. Also, the water needs to be cold, not just cold but ultra cold works best. I leave a pitcher of water in the refrigerator and then just before I am ready to fill the siphon I put plenty of ice in the pitcher and swirl the ice around for a minute or so before pouring it into the siphon. Lastly, don't just shake it 5 times like the instructions say to do, I tend to shake it vigorously 20 to 30 times. Shaking it is very important if you don't shake it you will get water with no carbonation. If you follow these steps you'll have really great soda water to drink. This is a well built piece and a great conversation piece as well. One last thing to remember is that this is a 1 litre/1 quart soda siphon so you are only going to get about 2 16 oz glasses of soda water from this before having to fill it up again. If you have more then one Soda water drinker in the family you may want to consider getting two.