DrinkMate Soda Maker Review: The Right Soda Machine for You?

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Do you want to make delicious, healthy carbonated beverages at home quickly and easily? Then you’ll need to seriously consider the DrinkMate Soda Machine. Read our buying guide packed with information to help you decide if it’s right for you.

DrinkMate Soda Maker Review

The DrinkMate is similar in style and function to SodaStream or the Aarke Soda Maker but it’s actually meant to fizzify beverages besides water. To be clear, you can make bubbly wine and other carbonated beverages, but they don’t come without risks (and messes). Even SodaStream advises against doing so. But iSoda’s DrinkMate guarantees cocktails, carbonated juice, wine and of course, plain old water.

Where Can I Get It?

Does it sound like the right kitchen appliance for you? You can check it out over on Amazon and you’ll often get free shipping with a Prime membership:

Carbonation Qualities

Like other similar devices, the DrinkMate does not require power. Instead, it uses a CO2 canister that you can attach to the back of the machine. It features a plastic bottle, cap, and a Fizz Infuser, which is the name for the special cap that you attach to the bottle when you’re ready to fizz. It comes with a tab that you pull up to release the pressure in the bottle post-carbonating. That way your wine doesn’t splash around like a fountain.

Be Careful With How Much Liquid You Use

DrinkMate Carbonated Beverage Maker with 3 oz Test Cylinder (Matte Black)

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You’ll have to keep watch on how much liquid you put into the bottle (use measurement lines for assistance) and how long and frequently you tap the big silver button at the top which injects the CO2 into the bottle.

There are some beverages get foamier than others – cold brew coffee, for instance, took a few tries before it was right. It ends up looking somewhat like a root beer float with lots of button presses, but the consistency is far better than just topping off iced coffee carbonated water (something that we do every morning, irrespective of the weather).

Very Easy to Use

DrinkMate is now manageable than a SodaStream due to the Fizz Infuser’s tabs. When you flip up, there’s a slow release that releases the pressure slowly when dealing with beverages that are more finicky than water. If you are not patient, then you can hit the blue quick-release tab that’s found underneath the slow-release.

But you should be careful because the foam could rise to the top of the bottle quickly and start spitting out of the Infuser. That’s where you have to close the tab and let things settle down a bit. There were a couple of times – maybe because we don’t fit the Infuser properly – when the pressure caused the cap to pop open. The bottle was still attached to the Infuser, so there were no spills, but we did have to reattach the cap before adding CO2 again.

Not Dishwasher Safe

If you don’t like washing dishes, then you’ll be unhappy to know that iSoda advises against putting the bottle in the dishwasher. It is unable to handle hot water, so washing it in scalding water isn’t going to fly either. That’s one shortcoming, especially if you’re filling the bottle with things like juice, coffee or beer.

What Do People Think About the Drink Mate Soda Maker?

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“I was pretty addicted to Diet Coke and the amount of recycling each week was frankly getting quite embarrassing. I made the switch to carbonated water with a little bit of lime or lemon juice and it’s been kind of a game-changer. It’s way healthier and also a whole lot cheaper.”

“I used the Sodastream for a few years until it broke, but decided to give the DrinkMate a try because I wanted to use it for things other than water. Seriously love it and find it far more user-friendly than the Sodastream.”

“Worked great for a few months, but then just stopped. However, I contacted the company and they send me a free replacement that’s now been going strong for almost a year. Overall, am very happy with my purchase!”

Drink Mate Carbonation Machine Review

It Isn’t Quite Bubbly

We tested out an array of beverages with the DrinkMate, from juices to cold brew to him fizzes to wine, with differentiating results. Let’s get one thing straight: DrinkMate isn’t going to turn white wine into champagne, but it certainly made mediocre-boxed wine more palatable to non-wine marks. But this doesn’t mean you can put just anything in the bottle, though; the company recommends no-pulp orange juice over the thicker variety for example. The DrinkMate did ok in revitalizing a semi-flat beer, but that wouldn’t have been our first choice for the machine.

“Why do I want my tequila fizzy” was what one friend of ours asked as we pulled out the DrinkMate during a weekend trip. He was making tequila cocktails, which required sparkling water. But instead, we put all of the ingredients in the DrinkMate and began adding CO2. It isn’t what you should really be doing with every cocktail, but it certainly does give some drinks more of a sparkle than simply adding some soda water. Though you should still add plain water into the mix, or else the cocktail could turn into a fizzy shot.

The Replacement Cannisters

The DrinkMate features a 3-ounce canister, but it can also fit 14.5-ounce varieties as well, according to the company. At the moment, swapping an empty canister for a full one is only one option in Michigan, so you can either but them on iSoda’s website or use a compatible SodaStream product. The 3-ounce canister that we used, ran out quickly after only a few weeks of testing, but Target had larger SodaStream options on hand. The 14.5-ounce canister costs $30 but some of the stores can exchange an empty canister for a full one for half the price.

We’ve calibrated the numbers on buying SodaStream against just buying sparkling water from a store and discovered that you have to knock back a lot of fizzes to break even. The DrinkMate does deepen the hole in your pockets, but it’s only because you’re not just limited to water.

Warranty for the Drinkmate Soda Machine

DrinkMate provides a two-year manufacturing warranty on the appliance and Fizz Infuser, but not the bottle.

Thanks to its ingenious tab system on the Fizz Infuser, DrinkMate allows you to carbonate just about any beverage you can think of. It’s not exactly life-changing, but if you love bubbles in your beverages than just in water, then it’s really easy and effective.

Any Other Alternatives?

SodaStream is obviously one to beat, and the DrinkMate surpasses the single-release-speed, water-only device. But if you’re still looking for a SodaStream alternative for political reasons, you might stick to using its CO2.

Or, if you’re looking for a premium option, you may want to consider the KitchenAid Soda Machine. It has a beautiful, retro look and looks awesome on your countertop.

What about SodaStream vs the DrinkMate?

It’s an excellent question and an obvious one to ask. In the head to head battle of these two popular soda machines, which one reigns supreme? Let’s find out in this video below:

How Long Does It Last?

The device comes with an ongoing cost in the form of the CO2 cartridges, but the bottle won’t last forever either. It has an expiration date that is a couple of years away. Most people use it up far before that though.

Sound You Consider Buying the Drinkmate?

If you feel the need to start your morning with some sparkling orange juice or foamy coffee (highly recommended) drink LaCroix as if it’s going out of style, and are curious about giving a carbonated margarita a go, then the DrinkMate is preferred.

Picture this…your next movie night with the family. Instead of wasting money on soda for everyone out of the can or bottle, you pull the Drinkmate out and make some cheap (and healthier) flavoured drinks for everyone. Make some homemade popcorn too of course, along with some special flavourings.