MonTen Soda MB-SW Maker Soda Maker: Full Review

Soda makers have become an increasingly popular kitchen appliance in recent years. Allowing users to carbonate plain water and transform it into sparkling soda water or flavored soda at home. The ability to create fizzy drinks without artificial ingredients, preservatives, or high costs has made them a favorite of health-conscious consumers and families. With a wide range of models now available from budget manual options to high-end electric soda makers, there's something for every home. Soda makers provide an easy and affordable way to produce soda water and carbonated drinks customized to your taste.

The MonTen Soda MB-SW is one of the electric soda makers competing in this growing market. Offering automatic carbonation at the push of a button. We'll look at how it performs across key criteria from ease of setup and use to carbonation power and flavor. Read on for a full review of the features, capabilities and overall value offered by the MonTen Soda MB-SW soda maker.

Overview of the MonTen Soda MB-SW

The MonTen Soda MB-SW is a compact and sleek soda maker that allows you to easily turn plain water into sparkling water and flavored sodas at home. This soda maker uses a CO2 cylinder system to carbonate water and features a simple, user-friendly design.

Some key features and specs of the MonTen Soda MB-SW include:

• Sleek modern design with black and silver color scheme
• Compact size - measures 11.4 x 5.3 x 15.2 inches
• Uses 60L food-grade CO2 cylinders (cylinder not included)
• Can make up to 60 liters of soda with each CO2 cylinder
• Easy-to-use buttons control carbonation
• LED display shows carbonation levels
• BPA-free material construction
• Includes 1 liter BPA-free carbonating bottle
• Comes with 3 flavor syrups to make flavored sodas
• Quick carbonation - carbonates a bottle of water in around 8-10 seconds
• Auto shut-off function for safety

With its simple design and easy push-button controls, the MonTen Soda MB-SW provides an effortless way to make fizzy water and sodas in your own home. Its compact size makes it easy to store when not in use. Overall, it's an affordable and user-friendly option for a starter soda maker.

Setup and First Use

Setting up the MonTen Soda MB-SW is quick and easy right out of the box. Simply unpack the soda maker, rinse out the bottle, attach the carbonation cylinder, insert a CO2 cartridge, and add water. The initial setup process only takes a few minutes.

The soda maker comes with everything you need to get started making sparkling water and soda at home. In the box is the soda maker main unit, a 1 liter BPA-free plastic bottle, a CO2 carbonator, and one 60L CO2 cartridge. The items are securely packed to prevent damage during shipping.

Before first use, wash the 1 liter bottle with warm soapy water. No other special cleaning or preparation is required. The bottle is dishwasher safe for easy cleaning.

Next, screw the carbonation cylinder onto the top of the bottle. Make sure it's securely attached. Then insert a CO2 cartridge into the back of the unit. You'll hear it make a satisfying click when it locks into place.

Now add cold water into the bottle up to the max fill line, around 1 liter. Lock the bottle back into the main unit. Press the carbonation button on top of the soda maker and wait for the water to carbonate, just 1-2 minutes. Once it stops bubbling, your sparkling water is ready to drink!

The initial setup truly takes just 5 minutes or less. After the first use, making sparkling water is incredibly quick and convenient with the MonTen soda maker.

Carbonation

The MonTen Soda MB-SW makes carbonated water easily and effectively. The carbonator uses CO2 cylinders to inject bubbles into the water, allowing you to customize the level of fizziness.

The soda maker comes with a 60L CO2 cylinder that screws into the back of the unit. It's simple to swap out the cylinder when it runs out. The cylinder gauge clearly displays the CO2 levels.

To carbonate, you fill the BPA-free plastic bottle with cold water, attach it to the soda maker, and press the carbonation button. It takes just a few seconds to produce bubbly soda water. The carbonation level is adjustable from mild to very fizzy.

The consistency of the carbonation is excellent. The water stays crisp and bubbly for several hours after making it, so you can enjoy the drink over time. The carbonation function works flawlessly each time with no issues.

Overall, the MonTen Soda MB-SW carbonates water rapidly and reliably. The CO2 cylinder makes it easy to customize the fizz level to your liking. The result is refreshing carbonated water at the push of a button.

Flavor Syrups

One of the best things about the MonTen Soda MB-SW is the variety of flavors you can make. It comes with two syrups to start - cola and lemon-lime. The cola syrup produces a crisp, clean cola flavor that tastes better than the major soda brands. The lemon-lime is tart and refreshing.

Additional syrup flavors can be purchased separately such as root beer, orange, cherry, grape, and more. The flavors taste natural rather than artificial. The syrups are concentrated so just a small amount is needed to flavor the carbonated water. This allows the flavors to last a long time.

The syrup flavors can be mixed together to create custom soda creations. Try mixing the cherry and lemon-lime for a unique flavor. Or cola and orange for a cream soda type taste. Experimenting with syrup combinations is part of the fun with the MonTen soda maker.

Overall the syrup flavors taste great on their own or combined. They allow you to create sodas to suit any taste preference without artificial flavors or sweeteners. The MonTen syrups focus on natural flavors resulting in a soda taste that's far superior to typical store bought brands.

Ease of Cleaning

The MonTen Soda Maker is designed for quick and easy cleaning. The removable carbonator and soda bottle are dishwasher safe. The carbonator head can be rinsed under running water to remove any residual syrup.

The process of making soda is neatly contained within the bottle so there is minimal mess or sticky residue. Any splashes or spills inside the carbonation chamber wipe away easily.

Disassembly takes seconds, with just the carbonator head to remove and bottle to lift out. Reassembly is just as fast. There are no small parts or fussy locking mechanisms.

Overall, clean up after making a batch of sparkling water or soda takes just a minute or two. The system is simple to sanitize and keep fresh. The ease of maintenance means you can enjoy homemade carbonated drinks whenever you want without hassle.

Design

The MonTen Soda MB-SW has an elegant and sleek design that will look great on any kitchen counter. It is made of BPA-free plastic and stainless steel, giving it a modern and stylish appearance.

At just 10.2 x 5.4 x 14 inches, the soda maker has a very compact footprint. This makes it easy to store away in a cabinet when not in use. The main body is black plastic while the carbonating bottle and attachments are stainless steel. There is a digital display on the front which shows the carbonation levels.

Despite its small size, the appliance can hold a 1 liter carbonating bottle. The bottle is slim and tall which further enhances the overall aesthetic. There is a stainless steel base that the bottle clicks into for stability during carbonation.

The soda maker comes with two BPA-free plastic flavor syrup bottles in black. These match nicely with the overall color scheme. The syrup bottles have clear plastic lids so you can easily see how much flavor is left.

Overall, the modern black and stainless steel look of the MonTen Soda MB-SW gives it style and elegance. The compact size and slim bottle design allow it to fit well in any kitchen.

Value

When considering the value of the MonTen Soda MB-SW, two key factors come into play - the price and whether or not it's worth it.

At around $60, the MonTen falls right around the middle of the pack when it comes to home soda makers. It's more affordable than some of the higher-end brands like SodaStream while still offering more features than the budget models. For most households that want to start making their own sparkling water and sodas at home without a huge upfront investment, the MonTen hits a nice sweet spot.

For the price, the MonTen brings a lot to the table. It carbonates well, offers good customization with flavor options, and has a solid but simple design. The ease of use and cleaning help make it accessible for most users. While it may lack some of the premium features of the $100+ soda makers, it gets the job done well for typical needs.

Given its capabilities and performance, the MonTen Soda MB-SW provides good value. For the casual soda drinker that wants an uncomplicated way to make bubbly water and flavor it on demand at home, it's a worthwhile investment. The price makes it easy to offset with savings from buying less packaged soda. For households that go through a good amount of sparkling water and soda, the MonTen should easily pay for itself over time.

So in summary - yes, given its quality and price point, the MonTen Soda Maker is worth the investment for most people interested in homemade carbonation and soda. It hits a sweet spot of value and performance.

Pros & Cons

The Pros

• Makes sparkling water quickly and easily at home, saving money compared to buying canned or bottled sparkling water
• Allows you to control the amount of carbonation, from lightly bubbly to very fizzy
• Includes reusable BPA-free CO2 cartridges that carbonate up to 60L of water before needing replacement
• Provides options to create flavored sodas and carbonated drinks by adding syrups or juice
• Sleek, compact and portable design takes up minimal counter space
• Easy to use and maintain - just add water and press a button
• Durable stainless steel and BPA-free plastic construction

The Cons

• CO2 cartridges can get costly over time if making a lot of soda
• Produces unflavored sparkling water, so need to add own flavors/syrups
• Plastic parts may be more susceptible to wear and cracking over time
• May require frequent cleaning to prevent mold/buildup in key areas
• Carbonation results can vary based on water mineral content and temperature
• Only makes small batches rather than large quantities

Conclusion

Overall, the MonTen Soda MB-SW is a solid sparkling water maker that delivers quality carbonation and a good variety of flavor options. It's easy to use and clean, has an attractive design, and provides good value for the price point. The carbonation is smooth and consistent, and the flavors taste natural without an artificial or chemical aftertaste. The bottle is durable and fits nicely in the fridge door.

For a personal soda maker under $100, the MonTen is a great choice. The carbonation quality rivals more expensive brands, and it includes everything you need to start making your own bubbly beverages. The only downsides are the small 60L CO2 cylinder, which may need replacing frequently based on usage, and the narrower variety of flavor syrups compared to other brands. But the MonTen flavors that are available taste great.

If exploring a more premium soda maker, the SodaStream Terra or sodastream Spirit sparkling water makers allow use of larger 130L CO2 cylinders for less frequent replacement. And they offer an extensive range of 40+ flavor syrups and carbonation customization. But they do come at a higher price point.

For its balance of quality, ease of use, style, and value, the MonTen Soda MB-SW is an excellent choice for beginner and intermediate soda makers alike. It delivers a satisfying sparkling water and flavored soda experience.