Ninja WC1001 Soda Maker: Full Review

The Ninja Soda Maker (WC1001) allows users to make sparkling water and soda at home. This counter-top appliance utilizes CO2 cylinders to carbonate water and infuse it with flavors. With the Ninja, you can customize and personalize your bubbly beverages.

It offers an alternative to buying canned, bottled and store-bought carbonated drinks. The device carbonates water in just a few minutes, so you can enjoy fresh fizzy water and soda whenever you want. The Ninja has an easy-to-use interface and provides great control over carbonation levels.

The soda maker comes with a range of natural flavor syrups to create your own flavored sodas without artificial sweeteners or preservatives. It's an innovative appliance for sparkling water lovers and those looking to reduce their soda costs and consumption. The Ninja provides the experience of soda fountain drinks at home.

Design

The Ninja Sparkling Personal Drink Maker has an attractive, compact modern design with a sleek black and silver color scheme that will look great on any kitchen counter.

It features a tapered cylindrical shape with a sturdy plastic housing and a glossy finish. The machine stands about 13 inches tall so it doesn't take up too much space. There are rubber feet on the bottom to prevent sliding.

On the front is an LED display panel with touch controls that light up when powered on. The lid flips up for easy filling of the 800ml water reservoir. Inside the machine is a CO2 canister bay hidden under a sliding door.

For an alternative option, consider the OTE RaincolorH1_White. This model features a chic design with a rain-inspired color palette, adding a touch of elegance to your kitchen. It includes advanced carbonation technology for perfect fizz control, and a user-friendly interface. The OTE RaincolorH1_White is also compact, ensuring it fits comfortably on your kitchen countertop while offering easy maintenance and operation.

Overall the Ninja Soda Maker has a minimal yet elegant appearance. Its modern style and neutral colors allow it to blend seamlessly into contemporary kitchen decors. The slim design saves countertop space without sacrificing functionality or drink capacity.

Ease of Use

The Ninja Soda Maker has an intuitive touchscreen control panel that makes the carbonation process extremely easy. There are just a few buttons to select carbonation levels and start/stop the machine.

You simply choose your desired level of fizziness on the touchscreen, with options ranging from barely bubbly to super carbonated. The touchscreen clearly displays the carbonation level as the machine is working. It's easy to get consistent results each time.

The Soda Maker comes with two BPA-free carbonating bottles that securely lock into place with a turn of the handle. No complicated contraptions or challenging bottle insertion here!

The interface is streamlined and user-friendly. Within seconds of choosing a carbonation level, you can hear the satisfying buzz of the machine at work carbonating your beverage.

It doesn't get much simpler than this for DIY carbonated drinks. The intuitive controls and straightforward design make this Soda Maker extremely easy to use right out of the box.

Another great option is the DrinkMate 410-02-14Z-SSP, a versatile soda maker that allows you to carbonate any beverage, not just water. This model is simple to use, with easy-to-follow instructions and a straightforward assembly process. It's also known for its safety features, ensuring a risk-free carbonating experience. For more information, you can visit DrinkMate 410-02-14Z-SSP.

Carbonation

The Ninja Sparkling Water Maker excels at effectively carbonating water. The machine uses a simple but powerful carbonation process to infuse tap or filtered water with bubbles.

To carbonate, you fill the water reservoir, attach a CO2 cylinder, select your desired carbonation level from 1-5 bars on the touchscreen, and press start. The Ninja draws water from the reservoir and combines it with pressurized CO2 from the cylinder in a carbonation chamber. This rapidly dissolves CO2 into the water, creating carbonated water.

The results are impressively fizzy and bubbly water, even on the lower carbonation settings. The highest 5 bar setting produces water as carbonated as any store-bought soda. Reviewers consistently comment on the Sparkling Water Maker's ability to create sufficiently carbonated water across the range of settings.

Many competing soda makers struggle to effectively carbonate to higher levels. But the Ninja delivers satisfyingly crisp and effervescent carbonation every time you use it. So you can reliably recreate your favorite bubbly beverages. Overall, the Sparkling Water Maker's powerful carbonation performance sets it apart from less effective models.

Flavor Variety

The Ninja Sparkling Water Maker offers a wide range of flavor options to satisfy any taste preference. With the included flavor packs, you can make classic flavors like lemon, lime, and orange. The flavor packs use natural ingredients and real fruit juices to provide an authentic, refreshing taste without artificial sweeteners or preservatives.

Beyond the included flavors, you have the flexibility to create your own custom flavors. The carbonator comes with two BPA-free plastic bottles - one for carbonating water and another for adding syrups and juices. You can experiment with different juice combinations to invent unique flavors. Common homemade combinations include fruits like strawberry, peach, mango, grapefruit or herbs and spices like mint, cinnamon, and ginger. The options are practically endless when making your own homemade soda flavors.

The versatility of flavors is one of the biggest advantages of the Ninja Sparkling Water Maker. You aren't limited to the mundane pre-made soda options and can craft sodas to suit any taste or occasion. Both the included flavors and ability to customize provide exceptional variety.

Fizz Retention

One of the most important aspects of a home soda maker is how well it can retain carbonation over time. The Ninja soda maker performs very well in this regard.

The Ninja uses a pressurized CO2 cannister to carbonate the water, allowing it to absorb more bubbles than simple manual carbonation methods. Once carbonated, the Ninja bottles maintain fizz for several days. The bottles are well sealed to prevent CO2 from escaping.

Of course, the fizz retention will decline slowly over days, but remains surprisingly good. The carbonation should last 2-3 days at minimum, and often 5+ days if the bottle is well sealed and stored in a cool environment. The Ninja bottles seem to outperform many competitors in terms of bubbles lasting.

Opening and resealing the bottles repeatedly will reduce fizz retention. But if you limit openings, the Ninja holds carbonation as well as any consumer soda maker. Overall the fizz retention is excellent for a home unit.

Cleanup

Cleaning the SodaStream Ninja is surprisingly easy and straightforward. The soda maker comes with dishwasher safe parts that can be quickly rinsed or loaded into the dishwasher after use.

The soda siphon peels apart into just a few components. The CO2 cylinder screws off and the bottom plastic piece pops off. The inner piece where the seltzer water comes out can be rinsed with water or loaded in the dishwasher. The reusable BPA-free bottles are also dishwasher safe.

There's minimal sticky residue or difficult to reach areas inside the soda maker, so cleaning is a breeze. Simply give the parts a quick rinse or toss them in the dishwasher and you'll be ready to make another batch of sparkling water. The soda maker takes no more effort to clean than a few drinking glasses.

The simplicity of the cleanup process makes the SodaStream Ninja very convenient for frequent use. You won't have to deal with soaking components or scrubbing hard to reach crevices. Just a fast rinse or run through the dishwasher and the soda maker is ready for its next use. The hassle-free cleanup helps make home carbonation easy.

Value

The Ninja Sparkling Maker provides great value considering its quality and features. At around $100, it is affordably priced compared to similar soda makers which can cost $150 or more. You get a sturdy, well-designed machine made by a reputable company for a reasonable price.

For the money, you get a soda maker that carbonates water quickly and effectively. It can make several liters of sparkling water before needing a CO2 cartridge change. The flavors it comes with allow you to customize a variety of sodas and sparkling waters. Additional flavors can be purchased for a reasonable price to expand your options.

Compared to buying canned or bottled soda and sparkling water, the Sparkling Maker pays for itself over time. A 12 pack of name brand canned soda often costs around $5-6. With the Ninja, each liter of homemade soda costs roughly $0.25-0.30 just for the CO2 charge, a significant savings. It allows you to create a variety of sodas and sparkling waters at a fraction of the store-bought cost.

Considering its solid performance, versatile features, and affordable price, the Ninja Sparkling Maker delivers excellent value for the money spent. It's a worthwhile investment for homemade carbonated beverages.

Pros & Cons

The Ninja WC1001 soda maker has several notable pros and cons worth considering.

Pros

• Makes homemade soda quickly and easily. No complex steps required.
• Allows you to customize flavors and carbonation levels to your taste.
• Produces good carbonation and fizz. Bubbles last a decent amount of time.
• Has dishwasher safe parts for easy cleanup.
• Comes from a reputable brand known for quality kitchen appliances.
• Compact design doesn't take up much counter space.

Cons

• Limited to only making 1 liter at a time. Not ideal for making large batches or sodas for a party.
• Included flavors are artificially sweetened, not made with natural sugar.
• Carbonation drops can get expensive over time compared to DIY carbonation methods.
• Flavor variety is limited compared to Sodastream models with flavor essences.
• Occasional issues with CO2 canister leaking or failing.

The convenience and simplicity of the Ninja soda maker make it a good choice for soda lovers wanting fizzy drinks at home. But the small batch size and lack of flavor options may be limiting for some.

Conclusion

The Ninja Sparkling Water Maker is an appealing option for sparkling water enthusiasts looking to save money and customize flavors at home. With its sleek design and easy twist operation, it makes the process simple and mess-free. The carbonation is adjustable to preference and the flavor variety is extensive with the use of syrups. While flavor options are abundant, fizz retention could be better. However, it outperforms most competitors in this area. Cleanup is quick since parts are dishwasher safe.

At around $100, this soda maker offers great value compared to buying canned or bottled carbonated beverages. The CO2 cylinders are also reasonably priced. With the ability to personalize flavors, enjoy fresh fizzy water anytime, and save money, the Ninja Sparkling Water Maker is an excellent choice for health-conscious households that love sparkling water.

Its ease of use, flavor versatility, and quality carbonation make the Ninja a standout appliance. Home carbonation enthusiasts who prefer highly customized and adjustable bubbles will find this soda maker delivers satisfying results. Overall, the Ninja WC1001 Sparkling Water Maker is highly recommended for its performance, features, and value.