A soda machine or soda maker is a

home appliance A home appliance, also referred to as a domestic appliance, an electric appliance or a household appliance, is a machine which assists in household functions such as cooking, cleaning and food preservation. The domestic application attached to ...

for carbonating

tap water Tap water (also known as running water, piped water or municipal water) is water supplied through a Tap (valve), tap, a water dispenser valve. In many countries, tap water usually has the quality of drinking water. Tap water is commonly used f ...

by using carbon dioxide from a pressurized cartridge. The machine is often delivered with flavorings; these can be added to the water after it is carbonated to make soda, such as orange, lemon, or

cola Cola is a Carbonation, carbonated soft drink flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, citrus essential oil, oils, and other flavorings. Cola became popular worldwide after the American pharmacist John Stith Pemberton invented Coca-Cola, a trademarked br ...

flavours. Some brands are able to directly carbonate any cold beverage. Examples of well known soda machine manufacturers are

SodaStream SodaStream International Ltd. () is an Israel-based manufacturing company best known as the maker of the consumer home carbonation product of the same name. The company's soda machines, in the style of soda siphons, add carbon dioxide to wate ...

of Israel, DrinkMate of the United States, and Aqvia by AGA of Sweden. Soda machines are often either connected to a dedicated water tap in the house, or configured as a freestanding unit. Some refrigerators are delivered with a built-in soda machine.

Construction

Soda machines normally use refillable TR21-4 thread gas cartridges, which are normally filled with 410 grams of carbon dioxide. The water to be carbonated is filled in special pressure resistant bottles which are attached to the machine in a pressure proof way. The gas is then added to the water via a pipe and valve system which is activated by pushing a button. The resulting amount of carbon dioxide is determined by the pressure in the CO₂ cartridge and how long the button is held down. If the pressure is too large, residual pressure is relieved through a

blowoff valve A blowoff valve (also called dump valve or compressor bypass valve) is a pressure release system present in most petrol turbocharged engines. Blowoff valves are used to reduce pressure in the intake system as the throttle is closed, thus preventi ...

Advantages

Depending on the size of the gas cartridge, a soda machine can produce up to 100 liters of carbonated water before the cartridge needs to be replaced. Compared to buying carbonated water in the store, this eliminates packaging and transportation costs, and also results in less waste and possible less use of storage space. ''

Consumer Reports Consumer Reports (CR), formerly Consumers Union (CU), is an American nonprofit consumer organization dedicated to independent product testing, investigative journalism, consumer-oriented research, public education, and consumer advocacy. Founded ...

'' estimated that a

Fizzi would save a consumer $233 and 1,248 cans at the end of two years. Gas cartridges and compatible water bottles can be purchased in many super markets. The pressure resistant bottles can also be used to store the carbonated water. Some newer machines can also be used with glass bottles. Some newer

PEN PEN may refer to: * (National Ecological Party), former name of the Brazilian political party Patriota (PATRI) * PEN International, a worldwide association of writers ** English PEN, the founding centre of PEN International ** PEN America, located ...

-bottles can also be machine washed.

Flavoring

Makers of soda machines also offer a selection of flavors which can be added after the water has been carbonated. Some of these are sugar free. Alternatively, normal squash can be used. The DrinkMate maker allows users to directly carbonate flavored beverages (such as Gatorade, juice, wine, and flat soda).

Health risks

Teeth

Carbonated water has a low pH-value, and overuse of carbonated water can therefore lead to

acid erosion Acid erosion is a type of tooth wear. It is defined as the irreversible loss of tooth structure due to chemical dissolution by acids not of bacterial origin. Dental erosion is the most common chronic condition of children ages 5–17, altho ...

of the teeth, similarly to consuming other sour beverages and food (like soda or fruits). A 2017 study by the American Dental Association showed that, although seltzer water is more erosive than tap water, it would take over 100 years of daily drinking to cause damage to human teeth.

Drinking straw A drinking straw is a List of eating utensils, utensil that uses suction to carry the contents of a beverage to one's mouth. A straw is used by placing one end in the mouth and the other in a beverage. By applying suction with the mouth, the air ...

s can be used to prevent acid erosion by minimizing direct contact between the sour drink and the teeth.Bruk sugerør hvis du vil spare tennene , ABC Nyheter
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Bacteria

In a study by the Institute of Hygiene and Environmental Medicine at the

University of Mainz The Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz () is a public research university in Mainz, Rhineland Palatinate, Germany. It has been named after the printer Johannes Gutenberg since 1946. it had approximately 32,000 students enrolled in around 100 a ...

, (Germany), blue

coliform bacteria Coliform bacteria are defined as either motile or non-motile Gram-negative non- spore forming bacilli that possess β-galactosidase to produce acids and gases under their optimal growth temperature of 35–37 °C. They can be aerobes or ...

were found in 39% of the tests when water was carbonated in soda machines, compared to 12% in the tests of water straight from the tap. In addition to the pollution contaminants from the gas cartridge or the machine itself, the water's microbiological quality was also poorer due to a

biofilm A biofilm is a Syntrophy, syntrophic Microbial consortium, community of microorganisms in which cell (biology), cells cell adhesion, stick to each other and often also to a surface. These adherent cells become embedded within a slimy ext ...

on the inside of the bottles. In addition to insufficient cleaning (by not following the manufacturer instructions), a possible cause for the increased amount of bacteria could also be the poor design of the soda machines. It is recommended to regularly perform simple cleaning routines according to the manufacturer instructions. This includes cleaning the bottles with hot water (above 50 °C), using soap and a clean cleaning brush.Soda-Club GmbH
Kohlensäure hält Trinkwasser frisch und rein
(PDF; 21 kB), Pressemitteilung, 4. September 2006

Gallery

Sodastream-offen.jpg, A Sodastream machine from 1999, opened from the rear showing the CO₂ cartridge

References

{{Home appliances Kitchen Home appliances 19th-century inventions