Sodastream users... what's the best way to refill?

[PeterB]

I've just come to the end of my current cartridge... I had to buy a replacement after trying unsuccessfully to refill the previous one with dry ice. I could try to do it again with dry ice (knowing now what I did wrong the last time), or just go for a more permanent solution... since refilling with dry ice is likely to get tedious after awhile.

What I'm seeing around are various adapters to attach your own CO2 canister, but the concern I have is the quality of the CO2. I read/see people saying that there's no difference in CO2 quality, but I'm not convinced.

I'm looking for the best combination of price and convenience... not sure I have space for a huge tank, but obviously it'd be nice not to have to continuously worry about refilling...

What say you?

TiA

[GGD]

The Dry Ice seems to have the lowest initial investment cost of all options to get the total cost of ownership down the quickest. It gets a bit less tedious if you have a second cylinder, and refill two (or more) at the same time.

I'm seeing Dry Ice for $1.19/lb, starting with 3.5 lbs one could fill two cylinders with a bit more than a normal purchased refill (about 450-475 grams vs 410). That's about $1.97/fill including tax.

With Dry Ice, you need a good scale that can weigh grams for filling, and it's also good as a way to check how much is left in the cylinder that's in use to predict when the next fill will be needed, and maybe buy the Dry Ice when it's convenient a little before it runs out, and waste a few grams CO2 to fill it a bit early.

Our family has been averaging about 3 weeks per cylinder, so with two cylinders that's a refill session every 6 weeks

Costco has had the SodaStream Source Metal version on sale for $80 recently, it's a special bundle that includes two of the 1 liter bottles, it's a reasonable cost way to get an extra CO2 cartridge, two extra bottles, and have a spare machine as a backup.

[Chakravartin]

PeterB wrote: ...the concern I have is the quality of the CO2. I read/see people saying that there's no difference in CO2 quality, but I'm not convinced.

What say you?

All the CO2 tanks/cartridges designed for food prep are pretty much the same and so long as the liquids you use have the same qualities the solutions at the end will have the same qualities.

CO2 cartridges designed for BB guns contain all sorts of nasty stuff, including deadly industrial lubricants. Try to avoid using those.

The mods that permit using paintball cannisters are probably fine. The compressors that they have at paintball shops are just pulling the gas out of the air.

[PeterB]

Thanks guys. The cartridge I have now barely lasted 2-3 weeks, so I'm thinking it may be time to think about a larger-scale option. The dry ice would have been OK, except it's a bit of a hassle to get. (The dry ice source I thought I had nearby turns out not to sell it any more... they're just using freezer packs now.)

[Golfer]

I take mind to work and refill it :wiggle:

[Mr Downtown]

I have the older model with the bigger CO2 tank, so I only have to deal with it every 8 months or so. With no good place to store a full-size gas tank, I just bicycle the two empties (and a couple of coupons) over to my Bed Bath & Beyond and exchange them.

For years I've dreamed of a solution that would avoid having to fill the bottles with water, though. I've studied the various solutions found on the web and talked to a couple of places that install basement bars about getting a simple soda gun for my kitchen counter, but I've never figured out how to arrange a cold plate to run the lines through.

[PeterB]

Hmmm... I just got quoted $270 for a 20-lb. CO2 tank of food-grade CO2 from my local gas supplier... ouch! (Admittedly the 20-lb. would likely last a long, long time...)