There are a number of carbonated beverages on the market for you to choose from and I’m sure you’ve also heard about the at-home machines that you can use to make your own. In fact, I remember my aunt and uncle having one many years ago when I was young. The idea of being able to make our own soda at home was fascinating to me. Since the ’80s, companies have spent time updating and perfecting these machines. I wanted to purchase one of these machines for my son as he enjoys drinking carbonated, lightly flavored beverages like Bubly and Bubbl’r.
I found Drinkmate® ($120 or you can get the Ultimate bundle for $165) and thought it would be a good fit for him. While SodaStream® is the one I’ve heard most about lately, I wanted to try something different. The Drinkmate comes with the sparkling beverage maker, a 14.5 oz (60 L) CO2 carbonator (you can buy more CO2 Supplies here), 1 L BPA-free reusable carbonating bottle, Fizz Infuser, and an additional bottle. I really like how sleek and small this machine is. It is only 8” L x 5” W x 16” H so it doesn’t clutter up my countertops or take up a lot of cabinet or pantry space. It’s perfect for his small apartment. Another thing I really like is that this machine doesn’t use any electricity or batteries and is super easy to operate and clean.
One thing I don’t love about the Drinkmate is that the carbonating bottle is not dishwasher safe. To best clean it, you need to remove the bottom. While this isn’t a deal-breaker, it is one negative. It does help that you don’t have to have a bottle cleaner on hand to wash the bottle, but if you’re in a hurry, it’s nice to be able to throw your bottle in the dishwasher and let the machine do the work.
Of course, I needed to try out the Drinkmate before handing it over to my son. I mean, it’s the responsible thing to do, right? So, I decided to carbonate some apple juice. It was delicious. I also purchased the Stur Classic Variety Pack ($22) to flavor my water with fruit punch, strawberry watermelon, blue and blackberry, orange mango, and pomegranate cranberry. With zero sugar and calories, and high in antioxidant vitamin C, these mix-ins make 100 8-oz glasses of flavored, carbonated bliss. What I like about these types of flavorings is that you can add as much or as little as you’d like. My favorite flavor was the orange mango! I didn’t realize (this is what happens when you don’t thoroughly examine the website!) that Drinkmate sells premium Italian syrups. You can get these syrups in delicious flavors like Italian blood orange and Sorrento Lemonade, energy drink, and mocktail (Mojito).
If you’d like to save some money in the long run and make your own carbonated beverages, I would very much recommend the Drinkmate. It’s a great product that can be used by anyone. Go for it…your kids will love it, too!
