Have you purchased a Sparkel seltzer or sparkling water machine? This machine carbonates your beverages without CO tanks, like Sodastream uses. Instead it used special sachets to create carbon dioxide for your beverage naturally.
How to make your own carbon dioxide water carbonator?
One advantage of the machine is that if you don’t want to pay for and deal with the waste associated with pre-portioned plastic sachets of carbonator, you can make your own. Note: Sparkel does not approve of making your own carbonator as this may void the warranty or cause problems. Learn more here.
What is Sparkel carbonator?
Sparkel carbonator is just two things: citric acid and sodium bicarbonate, each in its own little packet. Sparkel says this combination mixes with the water and generates CO2 gas naturally when mixed with water.
Citric acid is found naturally in citrus fruits, especially lemons and limes. It’s what gives them their tart, sour taste. A powdered form of citric acid is commonly used as an additive in food, cleaning products, and it’s used as a preservative. It’s largely odorless and colorless. You can get it at soapmaking or natural health stores or find it on Amazon. I’ll put a link below.
Milliard Citric Acid 5 Pound (2.2 kg) on Amazon
MAG365 | ITL Health | Pure Food-Grade Citric Acid Powder | 2.5lb (1.13kg) on Amazon
You’ll be familiar with sodium bicarbonate under another name… baking soda. This powder gives lift to baked goods and creates those lovely air pockets in things like cakes and muffins. You can get it in grocery stores in boxes or pick it up in bulk to save money.
Here’s how to make Sparkel carbonator powder
I measured out Sparkel’s sachets with measuring spoons so this isn’t super precise, but it works for me: To make your own Sparkel carbonator powder, measure 1 tablespoon of citric acid and just under 1 tablespoon of baking soda. Pour them into your Sparkel and close the lid.
Go through the carbonation process as you normally would. This works just as well as the company’s own branded sachets. It’s less expensive and creates less waste.
That’s how to DIY your Sparkel. Of course you can also keep it simple and order the sachets right from Sparkel or pick them up at the store where you got your machine.
Shop Sparkel Carbonator 30-pack and 90-pack on Amazon.
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9 Comments
can you just make a huge batch of it, and scoop out 2 tbsps at once? I would imagine, yeah?
I imagine it would be too easy for the mixture to shift and become less effective; I think precision matters here.
Why does my drinks always taste funny? I wonder if the off label stuff gets into my water.
Have you had any problems with the diy method in the sparkel system?
Can I just add the Sparkel packets to a cup of water? No system?
No you can’t.You can’t drink the sachets.
So I need to have the Sparkle system…I can’t add the 2 packets into a tall glass of water? Just clarifying. Thank you 😊
Correct. because the Sparkel unit keeps the sachet mix in a separate area, only the CO2 gas enters your drink, not the powders. Don’t add powders to your drink.
Say “sa-shay” not sa-chett