The Hamilton Beach Fizzini Carbonated Soda Maker is a hand-held and very inexpensive soda maker that attaches to a carbonating bottle to turn ordinary water into sparkling water. This is the soda maker you buy if you want a cheap and simple way to make your own soda.
Features:
• Bottle Lock Mechanism: 1/4 turn connection
• Size: 17″H x 3.2 W” x 3.2″D.
• Refill Method: 8g CO2 Cartridges
• Construction: Plastic
• Warranty: 1 year warranty
What’s Included
The Hamilton Beach Fizzini Hand-Held Carbonated Soda Maker comes with the soda maker, 10x8g CO2 cartridges and a reusable one liter carbonating bottle.
How To Use
- Insert CO2 cartridge.
- Adjust fizz control dial.
- Connect Fizzini to carbonating bottle using the 1/4 turn connection.
- Turn the CO2 release knob.
- Wait 10 seconds.
- Shake.
- Press the release button.
The Fizzini is relatively easy to use but the whole process is quite lengthy and might become tiresome after a while.
Refills
To refill the Hamilton Beach Fizzini, you can use generic 8g CO2 cartridges. These can be bought in bulk on Amazon for roughly 40 cents a cartridge. Each cartridge is good enough to carbonate one bottle.
Advantages
- Very affordable especially when on sale.
- Can use Leland 8g CO2 cartridges (30 cents each)
- Simple to use.
- Small investment.
Disadvantages
- Many users have reported that their soda maker has broken.
- Can take a while to carbonate large quantities of water.
- Not the best carbonation.
- Possibility of leakage.
- Low quality/made of plastic.
What Others are Saying
The good
Users praise the Fizzini’s price and portability since it is the cheapest soda maker available. On top of the price, they enjoy the fact that it replaces traditional heavy and expensive soda bottles.
The bad
Many people have complained about their model breaking after a couple of uses, the soda machine making a mess but mostly the fact that you need to replace the CO2 cartridge after each use. Other consumers have complained about rust developing in the carbonating bottle, the Fizzini not adding enough carbonation and the overall quality of the soda maker. Also, one buyer reported that you must immediately pour the water since it will go flat due to a lack of seal.
This device literally blew up after using it a couple of times. It actually did not last more than a month. I followed all the instructions that came with the package, and I did not allow the water to get to the freezing temperature. During carbonation, however, I saw some ice at the edge of the tube (carbonation nozzle). As such, the carbon dioxide did not manage to get into the bottle. Instead, a lot of pressure promoted the washer to be displaced at the section where the carbonated cartridge rests, and so the CO2 was forced to enter the carbonation unit. Another thing, the backpressure damaged the latch that supports the door that protects the carbonation unit. Thus, it was almost impossible to close the door entirely or to open it up.
This particular Soda Station works perfectly with the carbonated cartridges by the manufacturer. To achieve the best fizz for your soda water, you need to use unfrozen, coldest water you can find, and then shake the content for about twenty seconds. Shaking makes the water absorb the carbon dioxide gas available in the tank.
Even though this device does work well, it still has some significant issues with the cheaper Leland Mr. Fizz bulk carbonated cartridges as it is a bit longer. When you open the charging knob, twist it gently if it appears to stop.
However, ordinary cartridges will fit just fine. In fact, I use mine with no door, but it has vice grips to stop the jammed door when getting rid of the spent cartridge. It has the screw and pin that help to hold the cartridge in place, so I am not worried there.
However, keep in mind, you will have to stop to screw down the charging section because even a single twist can discharge it, or you can easily damage the small gasket surrounding the piercing pin.
The current price of these devices is fair. So, if you use up to ten cartridges, you have got your cash’s worth as opposed to bottled water. I have already made an order for the second unit to keep it as a spare. But this is not a wise approach to saving money on bottled water.
But you can break even if you get lucky. I use my soda maker to make magnesium bicarbonate mineral water in my house. I can see it works just fine. However, if you are looking for something cheaper seltzer water, I would advise that you purchase an affordable bottled brand of fizzy water, and enjoy your water.
I tried to use this device four times before I could manage to make half-bottle of water, which I could say was almost fizzy. If you are looking for a product that produces less fizz, then this one could work for you. In addition, it is pretty small, which is economical as it holds only a liter and functions well, I could compare it to San Pellegrino if you follow the instructions. If you love bubbles, the unit comes with a CO2 cartridge that measures 8 grams. A single preparation could produce up to 15 ounces of carbonated water, although things could get trickier. Personally, I like adding fruit juice concentrate, although clear juices such as white grape and apple work well. However, do not use fruits with a lot of sediments, such as red grape and pineapple.
We started to experience issues with the bottle after using it only a couple of times. After storing the water in the fridge overnight, it had a metallic taste when I tasted it the next morning.
We threw the device in the trash already after using it for only a month, and I do not think I will ever purchase another one. So, please do not waste your time and money on this product.
We appreciated the fact we could make our own soda water and started to try out various flavors, but when it began to act up, things did not work well with us. Well, we might try to purchase another brand and see if it will work.
If you’re looking for a soda machine that will save you money, this is NOT it. You have to use a new cartridge for every bottle. Horrible design.