GreatWhip GRT-SODAMAKER-COCO Soda Maker: Full Review

Sodamakers have recently surged in popularity as a convenient way to make sparkling water and homemade sodas at home. With a sodamaker, you can carbonate plain water and add natural flavorings to create a bubbly, refreshing beverage without artificial ingredients, preservatives, or additives. This allows health-conscious consumers to enjoy fizzy drinks while controlling exactly what goes into them.

Sodamakers provide an inexpensive alternative to buying cases of commercial soda, which can contain large amounts of sugar and other unwanted substances. They also present a reusable and eco-friendly option compared to purchasing plastic bottles and cans. The ability to customize flavors and carbonation levels is another big draw for sodamaker fans. From fruity combinations to fizzy cocktails, the possibilities are endless.

For those seeking a fun DIY project or desiring more variety and control over their sparkling beverages, a quality countertop sodamaker can be a wise investment. As the market expands, models like the GreatWhip provide compelling options with their own unique features and selling points.

Overview of the GreatWhip SodaMaker

The GreatWhip GRT-SODAMAKER-COCO is a compact countertop soda maker that allows you to make sparkling water and carbonated drinks at home. It has a simple and sleek design that will look good on any kitchen counter.

The soda maker includes the main carbonating unit, a 60L CO2 cylinder, and a 1 liter BPA-free reusable carbonating bottle. The bottle is dishwasher safe for easy cleaning. There is an LED indicator light on the unit that lets you know when the carbonation process is complete.

The GreatWhip soda maker utilizes sodastream-compatible CO2 cylinders, so you can swap out empty cylinders for full ones easily. It is compatible with sodastream flavors and syrups, allowing you to customize your homemade carbonated beverages.

One of the standout features is the adjustable carbonation from light to heavy fizz, giving you control over the bubbly intensity. There is also a safety mechanism that prevents over-carbonation and unsafe pressure buildup.

Setup and Ease of Use

Setting up the GreatWhip SodaMaker is quick and straightforward. The unit comes with clear, easy-to-follow instructions that walk you through the initial setup process step-by-step. Most users report being able to unpack the soda maker, read the instructions, and make their first homemade soda in under 10 minutes.

On a daily basis, the GreatWhip is extremely simple to use. Making a batch of sparkling water or flavored soda takes just a few quick steps:

1. Fill the BPA-free plastic carbonating bottle with cold water.
2. Add flavoring if desired. The soda maker is compatible with common syrups and flavors.
3. Attach the bottle to the unit.
4. Press the button to inject carbon dioxide and start the carbonation process.
5. Wait 2-3 minutes for carbonation to finish.
6. Enjoy your freshly carbonated drink!

The intuitive buttons and straightforward process makes it easy for anyone to create great-tasting homemade sodas and sparkling water. Even kids can use the soda maker with minimal supervision. The ease of use makes the GreatWhip a great choice for households looking for an convenient way to make their own bubbly beverages.

Carbonation

The GreatWhip SodaMaker excels at producing quickly carbonated, fizzy water and sodas. Its high-pressure system injects carbon dioxide into water rapidly for perfectly bubbly drinks in just seconds.

The carbonation level is easily adjustable via a knob with markings from 1 to 5. Lower settings produce lightly carbonated beverages, while higher numbers make very fizzy drinks. Most users find level 3 provides the right amount of carbonation for flavorful but not overly bubbly soda water and sodas.

The SodaMaker consistently delivers excellent carbonation across all settings. Many reviewers highlight the immediate carbonation effect and how their drinks achieve the perfect level of fizziness for them. Overall, the precision carbonation abilities of the GreatWhip allow you to fine tune bubbles to match your preferences.

Flavor Options

The GreatWhip SodaMaker is designed to work with most major brands of soda syrups including Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Store Brand varieties. It comes with 12 reusable CO2 cartridges that carbonate up to 60 liters of water, letting you make many bottles of soda.

The machine is compatible with common syrup bottle connectors, making it easy to use your favorite soda flavors. Simply insert the reusable carbonator, connect your syrup bottle, and fill the bottle with sparkling water. Push the lever to dispense soda on demand.

In addition to premade soda syrups, you can get creative and make customized flavors. The carbonated water produced by the SodaMaker has a clean, crisp taste, so it takes on flavors very well. Consider making Italian sodas with flavored syrups and a splash of cream. Or create your own healthier soda flavors with pureed fruit, herbs, spices, and natural sweeteners like honey or maple syrup. The possibilities are endless!

The SodaMaker gives you the flexibility to enjoy big brand sodas, artisanal flavors, or your own homemade concoctions fizzy deliciousness. With the ability to control ingredients, you can craft sodas to suit your taste and dietary needs.

Build Quality

While GreatWhip's GRT-SODAMAKER-COCO is not designed for heavy or industrial use, it is reasonably durable and well constructed for home soda making. The main components like the carbonating bottle, flavor bottles, and CO2 canister housing appear sturdy and made from quality plastics that should hold up well over time with proper care.

Reviewers do not report any issues with cracking or breaking under normal use. The release tabs and hinges on the flavor bottles have a decently firm action. The CO2 canister screwing mechanism and threading feel solid.

There are some removable silicone gaskets and o-rings that may wear out eventually with repeated use and washing. But these appear to be fairly standard parts that are easy to replace as needed. Replacement parts are also available direct from GreatWhip.

Overall the construction quality seems suitable for home kitchen use and periodic soda making. While not built for extremely high volume production, the GreatWhip soda maker should easily last for years with proper maintenance and parts replacement as needed. For casual home use, the build quality is impressive for the price.

Cleaning and Maintenance

The GreatWhip SodaMaker is relatively low maintenance, but does require periodic cleaning to keep it functioning properly and prevent buildup. The manufacturer recommends cleaning the unit every 5-7 uses.

Cleaning the SodaMaker involves disassembling the main components and washing them either by hand or in the dishwasher. The process is straightforward, but can be time consuming with multiple parts to clean. The carbonating bottle, spout assembly, and any flavored syrup attachments will need to be cleaned after each use.

Overall, cleaning is not difficult but does take some time and effort. Following the manufacturer's instructions and cleaning schedule is important to keep the SodaMaker fresh and prevent mold or bacterial buildup in the system from residual sugars. Allowing all parts to dry fully before reassembling and using again is also critical.

With proper care and cleaning, the GreatWhip SodaMaker should provide reliable performance and great tasting homemade soda. Just be prepared for the cleaning involved to keep the unit in optimal condition.

Value

The GreatWhip SodaMaker offers decent value for the price point. At around $70 on Amazon, it's priced competitively compared to similar products from leading brands like SodaStream and DrinkMate.

While it doesn't have some of the premium features or exact build quality of the more expensive models, the GreatWhip gets the job done well for a budget-friendly soda maker. For the casual seltzer lover who wants to enjoy fizzy drinks at home without a huge upfront investment, the GreatWhip is a solid option.

The ability to use standard CO2 cylinders instead of being locked into a proprietary system also helps provide value over time. Refills of the CO2 cylinders can cost as little as $15, making each liter of homemade soda quite affordable. Given the cost savings over purchasing packaged carbonated beverages, the GreatWhip can pay for itself fairly quickly.

So for those looking for an entry-level soda maker with decent carbonation and simple operation, the GreatWhip SodaMaker merits consideration. While it may lack some bells and whistles, it provides quality sparkling water and soda for a wallet-friendly price.

Pros

• Makes high-quality sparkling water. The GreatWhip SodaMaker produces carbonated water that is smooth, bubbly, and tasty according to users. It effectively carbonates water without over-carbonating it.

• Wide variety of flavor options. You can carbonate water and add all kinds of syrups and juices to create your own custom flavors and sodas. It comes with 6 free flavor mixes to get you started.

• Easy to use and set up. The SodaMaker is simple to assemble right out of the box. Just attach the carbonator and connect the CO2 cylinder. Making sparkling water involves just pressing a button.

• Durable stainless steel and BPA-free construction. It's made of stainless steel and BPA-free plastic so it's built to last and is safe to use. The carbonator has a solid metal build.

• Affordable price point. Considering its build quality and performance, the SodaMaker is competitively priced compared to other similar models on the market.

Cons

• Smaller water capacity (makes 0.5L) compared to some other models on the market that offer 1L or more capacity. This means you'll need to make soda in smaller batches.

• Only compatible with GreatWhip's proprietary CO2 cylinders. You can't use cylinders from SodaStream or other brands. Replacement CO2 cylinders must be purchased from GreatWhip.

• Flavor syrups must also be purchased separately from GreatWhip. The soda maker does not come with any flavor syrups. The flavor selection is more limited compared to a widely available brand like SodaStream.

• Build quality is decent but plastic parts feel a bit flimsy. There are some reports of gas leaks or breakages after prolonged use. Durability is not on par with higher-end soda makers.

• No dishwasher-safe parts. The bottle and components have to be hand washed. This makes cleanup a bit more inconvenient.