PHILIPS ADD4901BLO Soda Maker: Full Review

The Philips Soda Maker ADD4901BLO offers a convenient way to make sparkling water and carbonated drinks at home. This countertop appliance allows you to carbonate water and add flavors to create your own sodas and sparkling beverages.

The Philips model provides an affordable and straightforward alternative to purchasing pre-made carbonated drinks. With some CO2 cylinders and flavor syrups, you can produce an endless variety of bubbly beverages customized to your tastes. The soda maker delivers the carbonation and fizz you'd expect from store-bought sodas, but with the ability to control what goes into your drink.

This soda making appliance could be a great addition for households that frequently drink sparkling water, soda, or other fizzy drinks. Having an at-home soda maker allows you to carbonate water on demand while also avoiding the cost and waste from buying cases of bottled or canned beverages.

In this review, we’ll take a deeper look at the features, performance, ease of use, and other aspects of the Philips ADD4901BLO soda maker. We’ll go over the pros and cons of this model to help determine if it could be a worthwhile investment for your home.

Design

The Philips Add4901b soda maker has a sleek and modern design. It is compact in size, measuring approximately 16 inches tall and 10 inches wide. The soda maker has a cylindrical shape and is made of durable plastic. It is available in black, white, and red color options to match any kitchen decor.

The soda maker is lightweight, weighing just under 5 pounds when empty. This makes it easy to move around and store when not in use. The plastic exterior also resists fingerprints and smudges.

Overall, the soda maker has a user-friendly design. It takes up minimal counter space and adds a touch of style to your kitchen. The cylindrical shape and plastic construction ensure durability and longevity. With color options like black, white and red, you can find a model to coordinate with your existing appliances and kitchen style. Additionally, the PHILIPS ADDSODA model offers advanced features such as customizable carbonation levels and a sleek digital interface, further enhancing your soda-making experience. The PHILIPS ADDSODA is perfect for those who enjoy carbonated drinks and want a convenient and stylish solution at home.

Ease of Use

The Philips ADD4901BLO soda maker is designed to be very easy to use. The initial setup process is straightforward - just attach the CO2 cylinder, connect the bottle, and you're ready to start making soda.

The control panel on the top of the unit makes carbonating your drinks simple. There are just two buttons - one for selecting sparkling or still water, and another for choosing between two carbonation levels. There are also indicator lights that let you know when the water is ready and when you need to replace the CO2 cylinder.

Carbonating is fast and convenient with the Philips soda maker. Just fill the BPA-free plastic bottle with cold water, attach it to the unit, and press the button for your desired carbonation level. The water will be infused with CO2 from the cylinder and in under a minute you'll have fresh sparkling water ready to drink. The machine can make up to 60 liters of soda before the CO2 cylinder needs replacing.

Overall, the soda making process with the Philips ADD4901BLO is designed to be quick, easy, and mess-free for users. The simple control panel and fast carbonation makes it accessible for anyone to start crafting their own sparkling beverages at home.

Another great option to consider is the SodaStream 1012811011. This soda maker also offers an intuitive system for creating sparkling water effortlessly. Its sleek design and user-friendly interface ensure that you can navigate the soda-making process with ease. Additionally, the SodaStream 1012811011 provides multiple carbonation levels to suit your preferences and can carbonate up to 60 liters of water per CO2 cylinder, similar to the Philips model.

Features

The Philips soda maker comes with a variety of modes and customization options to help you get the perfect fizzy drink every time.

Modes

The soda maker has four modes for different levels of carbonation - soft, medium, strong, and max. The soft mode is great for sensitive stomachs or kids while the max mode creates an extra fizzy drink. There's a mode to suit everyone's taste preferences.

Customization Options

You can fully customize the flavor, carbonation level, and size of your drink. Add as much or as little flavor as you like using the included syrups or by adding fresh fruit or herbs. The machine carbonates whatever liquid you add so you can create custom flavored sodas, sparkling water, or carbonated juices.

Accessories

The soda maker comes with two BPA-free 750mL reusable carbonating bottles. The bottles have fizz preservation caps to help keep your drink bubbly for longer. Additional bottles can be purchased separately if you want to make drinks for the whole family. The set also includes two flavor syrups to get you started.

Carbonation

The Philips soda maker excels when it comes to carbonation. It can produce drinks with an extremely fizzy level of carbonation that rivals what you would get from a bottle or can of soda.

The carbonation process is quick and effective. To carbonate, you simply add the included CO2 cylinder, connect it to the machine, fill the BPA-free plastic bottle with water up to the fill line, attach the bottle, and press the carbonation button. In just 30 seconds your water will be fully carbonated and ready to drink.

The speedy carbonation time is a huge plus over many competing soda makers that can take 2-3 minutes to carbonate. The Philips gets your bubbly drink ready faster so you spend less time waiting and more time enjoying.

And that quick carbonation time doesn't come at the expense of carbonation quality. Even though it only takes 30 seconds, it infuses the water with tons of bubbly carbonation that gives that satisfying mouthfeel of a freshly poured soda.

So if you're looking for quick, quality carbonation with an intensely fizzy result, the Philips soda maker delivers excellent performance.

Flavor Options

The Philips Soda Maker offers a wide variety of options when it comes to flavors. One major advantage is that it is compatible with all major brands of soda syrups including SodaStream, Aarke, Drinkmate and others. This gives you the flexibility to choose from hundreds of flavored syrups to make your favorite branded sodas or craft unique custom flavors.

The machine comes with sample syrup flavors to get you started but the possibilities are endless when experimenting on your own. You can mix and match syrups or add fresh fruit like lime, lemon or orange slices to create your own custom sodas. The carbonation process infuses the flavors into the water for a delicious taste sensation. Popular custom flavors include cherry limeade, grapefruit chill, peach tea, and berry blast.

Let your imagination run wild and create the perfect flavors to suit your palette. The versatility of the Philips Soda Maker gives you the freedom to carbonate any liquid and mix in syrups, juices, purees or fresh fruit. Make your soda exactly the way you like it with complete control over the flavors.

Cleaning

To properly clean the Philips soda maker, you'll need to disassemble some parts. The main pieces that come apart are the carbonating bottle and the lid.

Disassembly

• Remove the carbonating bottle from the soda maker. Lift it out of the base.

• Unscrew the lid of the bottle and set it aside. This exposes the internal tube and valve pieces.

• Lift off the plastic valve cover and valve bracket to access the spring and valve nozzle.

Cleaning Process

• Wash the bottle and lid in warm soapy water using a bottle brush or cloth to scrub away any residue. Rinse thoroughly.

• Clean the valves and internal tubing using a bottle brush, pipe cleaner or cotton swab. Make sure no soda residue remains.

• Wipe down the exterior housing and drip tray with a damp cloth.

• Dry all parts fully before reassembling.

Proper disassembly and cleaning ensures good carbonation and keeps the soda fizzing with each use!

Pros

• Quick and easy carbonation. Reviewers praise how easy it is to make sparkling water with this soda maker. Just add water, lock in the bottle, and press the button for fast carbonation. No need to wait 24 hours like some soda makers. Makes sparkling water in under a minute.

• Good carbonation levels. The soda maker carbonates water well according to reviews, giving water crisp, bubbly carbonation. Many users say it rivals store bought sparkling water for fizziness. Carbonation levels are customizable with the three settings.

• Large CO2 capacity. The 60L CO2 cylinder offers the ability to make a high volume of sparkling water. With each bottle carbonating up to 60 times before needing a change, it can make many bottles of soda water between cylinder exchanges. Great choice for households that drink a lot of sparkling water.

Cons

• The carbonator needs to be replaced about once a year, which is an added expense. Replacement carbonators cost around $20-30.

• There have been some complaints that the carbonation is not as strong or bubbly as some users prefer. It produces a lighter carbonation than some competitors.

• A few users have reported issues with carbonation stopping working suddenly after several months. This seems to point to potential reliability problems in some units.

Conclusion

The Philips Classic Soda maker is a solid option for making sparkling water and carbonated drinks at home. It offers simple and intuitive controls, dishwasher safe parts for easy cleaning, and can carbonate up to 60 liters of water.

The major pros are the sleek and compact design, ease of use, and ability to customize carbonation levels. It also allows you to use new flavors or reuse bottles, providing versatility. The major drawbacks are the noise during carbonation and potential for carbonation leaks if not fully tightened.

Overall, the Philips Soda Maker is recommended for anyone looking for an easy-to-use sparkling water maker for personal home use. Its simple interface and dishwasher safe parts make the process seamless. While it may not have all the bells and whistles of higher-end models, it provides great value for the price point. For those seeking a basic soda maker that gets the job done without much fuss, the Philips Classic Soda Maker is a solid choice worth considering.