Making your own sparkling water or other beverages is a great way to save money. I’ve utilized the SodaStream for years and was excited when I heard of a new kid on the block – Sparkel.
Sparkel gives you a great alternative to the SodaStream system with some excellent advantages. In fact, after using Sparkel for several months, I discovered three reasons you’d want to purchase Sparkel instead of its competitors.
But first, how does Sparkle work?
How Sparkel Works
With Sparkel you don’t have to connect a C02 cylinder or refill a C02 tank like most carbonation beverage systems. It uses a unique carbonation process.
How do you use setup up Sparkle to use?
- Add water to the reservoir.
- Add your ingredients to the bottle.
- Add the carbonator to the top of the unit.
- Add the bottle to the system and close the lever.
- Choose your level of carbonation and then press start.
The C02 is created in a sealed chamber using a carbonation mix (a unique concentration and granulation of sodium bicarbonate and citric acid) which creates C02 and then released into the bottle. It’s important to note that none of the carbonation or solution mixes ends up in the bottle – just the C02 it creates.
This will infuse any ingredients you add to the water, such as fruit. As the C02 travels into the bottle, the pressure infuses the ingredients to give you a perfect beverage every time.
I personally tasted several beverages created with the Sparkle system, which all taste great.
You choose the level of carbonation that you want, and Sparkel does the rest.
What I Liked About Sparkel
I used Sparkel for several months, and if you’re thinking of purchasing a beverage system and you’re wondering if Sparkel is a good fit for you, continue to read.
By the way, I own both Sparkel and SodaStream – so I’ll give you an accurate comparison between both systems.
I love Sparkel because you can carbonate anything!
With SodaStream, you can’t carbonate juices or teas, only water, and then you add the syrup. If you add the syrup to the water and then add it to the SodaStream, you’ll have a volcanic mess.d
Sparkle gives you far more options and allows you to be far more creative with your beverages. If that’s something that is important to you, then you need to purchase Sparkle today.
I also love that one packet of Carbonators allows you to add as much fizz as you want. With the SodaStream, the more fizz you add, the more C02 you use. If you lean toward the cheaper side, you’ll probably use less C02 because it’s cheaper. This means less fizz and a worse experience.
Speaking of C02, I love that you don’t need any. You don’t have to guess how many times you press a button to add the C02 to get your perfect soda. With Sparkle, it’s automated.
You add the Carbonator powder; you choose the level of carbonation – 1, 2, 3, or 4. Then you just hit the button to start the process.
That’s all there is to it.
What I Didn’t Like About Sparkel
It’s not a perfect system.
So I used the Sparkle for several weeks and got to know its PROS and CONS reasonably well.
I didn’t like that the Sparkle wasn’t portable. You have to plug it in, which may be a deal breaker for many people.
There was a place on our counter where we always put our SodaStream, but the Sparkle couldn’t go there because it needed an outlet. Guess what? There were no outlets close.
The SodaStream is great for portability. You don’t need a power outlet, just the C02 tank. Now, don’t get me wrong. The C02 tank isn’t perfect either. I hate when you run out of C02 before you finish carbonating your beverage. The Sparkle still uses carbonator packets, but you don’t have to guess when it’s soon to run out. I guess having an extra C02 tank is a must! You should add one to your cart on Amazon.
I also noticed that the Sparkle made a little more of a mess than the SodaStream.
I found that removing the bottle from the Sparkle System could cause a little mess to be cleaned up. Because you can only carbonate water with the SodaStream, it seems less of a mess to clean up if it does spill. Getting juice all over your counter is a pain which is what my kids did.
I don’t know, maybe it’s not made for kids.
The bottom of the Sparkle bottle has an opening where the C02 is pushed into the bottle. You can get a few drops spilling from there sometimes. I usually wipe it down before placing it on my counter. It’s supposed to lock and seal, but I didn’t trust it. Maybe I have trust issues.
Sparkle Beverage System
With that being said, if you’re careful, you shouldn’t have a big problem.
I was not too fond of the Sparkle because it was more complicated. You have to add water to the back reservoir (which is used to create the C02), add the carbonators to the top, empty the excess reservoir, and fill up the bottle with your beverage.
Obviously, you don’t have to do that every time you make a sparkling drink, but they are steps that you cannot miss over time.
Lastly, the time of the process has to be mentioned.
With the SodaStream, a couple of button presses, and you’re done. With Sparkle, it can take 5 minutes before you’re ready to go. When I tested the Sparkle and SodaStream side-by-side, the SodaStream was done and resting, and Sparkle was still going strong. Just something you should know.
How Does Sparkle Taste?
This is where I believe Sparkle has a slight advantage over SodaStream. Sparkle just tastes better!
I tested just plain water. I added roughly the same amount of “sparkles” and left it up to a blind taste test.
Which sparkling water was better?
The answer is Sparkle.
When it comes to making sparkling water, Sparkle does a better job. It just tastes better and more robust than SodaStream. I let my kids taste it as well, and both agreed that the Sparkle was better.
Both did a great job, but Sparkle had the advantage in taste.
Conclusion
Is the Sparkle a replacement for SodaStream? It’s a complicated question. It’s a solid alternative but not always the right choice for everyone.
I have to say that I was impressed with the process, and it makes excellent soda water. It also gives you the opportunity to carbonate whatever you wish. My kids love adding juice to the sparkle, and my wife loves adding fruit. The sky is the limit to what you can sparkle.
The Sparkle will cost you $129 to purchase the system and comes in great colors. By the way, that also comes with free shipping and a 30-day money-back guarantee. The SodaStream costs about $147 with your C02 tank.
To continue to use the Sparkle, you’ll need to purchase more carbonator packets. This will cost you $40 for 90 or about 45 cents each. You can save 10% by going with a monthly subscription.
With SodaStream, you’ll pay $15 to refill your C02 container, which costs around 30 cents to carbonate a bottle, plus you’ll need to buy their syrups.
The price is similar, and the quality of each unit is the same.
It all comes down to which one works for you the best and which process of C02 do you want.
Sparkle Beverage System
