Soda makers work mostly the same way. You mix your drink, you bring it to the soda maker, and you carbonate it by pressing a button to release fizz into the drink. Done. It’s a simple enough process, but it does require you to make drinks from scratch. If you want a soda maker that can deliver a simpler single button push experience, you might want to try the Ninja Thirsti.
A Keurig-like take on the soda fountain, the device lets you put in different flavor cartridges, along with the water and the CO2 canister, so you simply choose any blend you want and wait for the machine to dispense it straight to your glass. No more mixing up your own custom concoction – this thing does the mixing and carbonating for you with a few button presses.
The Ninja Thirsti is a countertop soda maker that measures 16 x 8.8 x 14 inches (height x width x depth), so it doesn’t take up a whole lot of room, allowing it to fit on many household’s kitchens. To get the system ready, you need to add three things. First, you need to add water to the tank. Then, you screw on a CO2 canister into its designated slot. Lastly, you need to add two cartridges of what the outfit calls Flavored Water Drops, which are, basically, concentrates it will use to add flavorings to the water. Once all that’s set up, you’re ready to crank out drinks.
The appliance offers a number of options for customizing the drink. You can choose any drink size up to 24 ounces, as well as select the level of carbonation, complete with the option to not use carbonation for a specific drink. It also lets you choose which flavor cartridge to mix into the drink, with the option to choose just one or both, after which you can select how intense you want the flavor, so you can go light to keep things watery or go heavy for a stronger dose of flavor. Once the selections are done, you just wait for the drink to dispense straight to your cup.
The Ninja Thirsti can be equipped with two of the outfit’s Flavored Water Drops at a time. As of the moment, there are four different categories available, namely Splash, Vitamins, Hydrate, and Energy. Splash is, basically, just fruit flavors of various kinds, while Vitamins bring flavors reinforced with vitamins B3, B6, and B12. Hydrate, on the other hand, combines flavors with electrolytes, while Energy throws in caffeine with various flavorings. According to the outfit, all the cartridges have zero calories and zero sugar, with only natural flavorings included. Each cartridge, by the way, can make up to 20 12-oz beverages.
Is this better than just buying soda? If you don’t like all the extra sugar in canned and bottled drinks, then it definitely is. Plus, with the wide selection of flavors, there’s a good chance you’ll find a few you’ll really like. Is it better than a standard carbonating Soda Maker? If you want the convenience of the machine doing your drink mixes for you, then yes, but if you prefer being able to make your own concoctions, it might be a better idea to stick with the SodaStream.
The Ninja Thirsti is available now, priced at $179.99, with flavor cartridges retailing for $6.99 each.