iSi North America Classic Sodamaker, 1 Quart - Stainless Steel Carbonation System for Sparkling Water, Fresh Beverages, Handcrafted Cocktails - Portable & Professional Soda Maker for Restaurant Use

This thing is great, it has saved me a ton on club soda. So far I have made a couple hundred bottles. We use them for cocktails, and sparkling water a S*** load. The trick is using the dispenser right…not correctly as defined by the instructions, but right. It’s absolutely perfect if you do the following:1. Fill about 6/7ths full of cold water. Fridge disp is prob fine but we use distilled out of a 5gal dispenser @41f so no residue.-You can use room temp water, it’s not quite as good but still not bad.-Distilled is best or you risk damaging seals which causes leaks and a short lifespan.-room temp distilled or R.O. Is better than cold unfiltered tap -trust me!-Make sure the water is about 1” from the top of the container!!!2. Twist on a CO2 cartrage slowly - we use the mr fizz ones. (Been through several hundred)-You do not want to hear a thunk but you also don’t want to let gas out of the holder before it makes a good seal. (Don’t worry, it won’t explode…)-A small very very small amount of CO2 escaping is not a big deal, and if a lot escapes, *read further.3. Shake violently for a second or two…wait a couple seconds…again (violently)…again…again (4-6 times within about 20 secs)-You might feel some small thunks at the beginning of each shake. (Fast CO2 in to water from cartridge, don’t worry)4. Wait. A couple minutes is all you need, so most of the bubbles are gone from end tip. Then dispense some fizzy water.-Don’t remove CO2 cartridge. (You can, but better if you don’t)-Not necessary but reduces super gas out the dispenser line when lever is squeezed.-You WILL GET GAS the first time you dispense seltzer. (Don’t worry, totally normal for all human beings)-The dispenser will burp small bits of air at this time. (Don’t worry totally normal)5. MOST IMPORTANT PART. After the first drink has been dispensed (approximately 6-10 oz) LOAD ANOTHER CO2 CARTRIDGE!!!-Your bottle should be about 5/6 - 3/4 full at this point.-Twist the new cartridge in slowly just like step 2, but no real need to shake so violently or much.-You may hear the release seal on container open a bit - don’t worry.-It will spit a bit at the beginning of first dispense just like before.6. Enjoy.Comments:This will yield super fizzy seltzer like a fresh opened bottle through the entire container. I have left one sit for 2 months and it was still exactly the same. The water temp is not a huge deal but colder is better. This seems like a long complicated process but once you get it, takes less that 1 minute. I have tried making seltzer every way imaginable including the other guides here in reviews, this is the best if extra-fizzy-new-bottle is what you want through the entire dispenser.TLDR: You need two CO2 cartridges for a bottle but not back-to-back.Cheers!

I feel like I received a used item. There's no instructions only safety instructions. Delivery was very disappointing

This bottle worked great the first couple of times! Looks stunning and gave the old timey soda jerk feel this was purchased to achieve. However, I opened it this morning and noticed it has begun to rust after just 3 uses RIGHT INSIDE THE NOZZLE. It’s on the seal inside as pictured. I couldn’t believe it for something that seemed so well made and beautiful. Very disappointed as I will have to go back to the drawing board on what to do for my friend’s party. In using the co2 chargers as well, I noticed that the water didn’t hold bubbles once syrup of any kind was added. The bubbles were very weak already (more like an artisanal soda) but once flavor is added, it immediately goes flat. I also tried to see if batches could be made up ahead of time and bottled (so many different flavors could be stored simultaneously). Everything went flat. I followed all instructions and nothing worked. Also capsules have to be recycled at a scrap yard (not a problem for us) which may not be convenient for most people. There is no way to clean inside the bottle so you can only use water in it as it can’t be taken apart aside from the nozzle. Not worth it regardless of the price but to be so expensive, it was a HUGE FLOP! Don’t waste your money or time on this product.

This soda water maker has an elegant, old-fashioned feel. Unlike the soda makers of yesteryear, this one is made of clear, hard plastic rather than glass. (My guess is polycarbonate). I consider that a plus, as the plastic cannot shatter into dangerous shards. (I believe that the traditional mesh in old-fashioned soda makers may have been there to collect the shards in the event of breakage.)The mesh is not the chain mail of yesteryear, but it gives both a good grip on the bottle and has "the look". Mechanically, it has worked well in the 2 days that I've had it. It is more exciting than pouring soda water from a store-bought bottle, or from a "sodastream" bottle. Not only is it more exciting to see the soda water jet out when the lever is pressed, it has the significant advantage that the water near the finish of the bottle will not go flat as does sodastream and store-bought soda!The CO2 cartridges that charge the cold water that you place into the Soda Siphon are not very expensive, and they give a really quick, strong charge. They never run-down or need refilled....if you have a box of them, you know that each cartridge will give you a zippy charge of soda water. These cartridges never leak, unlike the CO2 bottles of the sodastream soda-making system that I mentioned above.These recent sodastream-type "innovations" in soda water makers, have problems. I had one, and I tired of the fussing. One must buy refills of an aluminum cylinder containing the CO2, which are supposed to charge 60 liters of water. They do not. After 45-50 charges they become sluggish, as you try to make a liter of soda water from a cylinder that is almost out of gas.I've also used the opaque iSi soda makers, which work on the same manner as this Soda Siphon Classic Mesh Sodamaker. The opaque aluminum ones work. But I prefer this transparent one because I can see how much soda water remains, and I enjoy the traditional flair that it imparts.If you are entertaining, you could dully poor some soda water out of a bottle, or you can prepare the drink with a snappy jet of energetic soda water!For me the only choice is this soda maker.... or the opaque iSi soda maker, if you want to save money.The sodastream is very expensive, and they recently discontinued the blue CO2 cylinders with a screw-on connection, in favor of a pink CO2 cylinder with some kind of clip-on connection. Note: all sodastream customers must buy brand-new equipment, as the blue and pink cylinders are not interchangeable. (There are no adapters, to my knowledge.)I have only one negative comment, which is why I gave 4 stars instead of 5: I ordered this 3 times in a period of 2 weeks. The first one I never received, and it was returned to Amazon with an indication that it was damaged and undeliverable. Amazon issued a credit without my intervention (I sure like that.) I immediately re-ordered. The same thing happened! I called Amazon to report it. The agent was concerned and put in a request that the stock be checked....the agent seemed genuinely concerned that defective stock might be being shipped. I ordered a third time, and the iSi North America Soda Siphon Classic Mesh Sodamaker was delivered without a hitch.I'll never know what happened with those first two Soda Siphons, but I'm glad that i persisted!Hope you find this counsel helpful!