I watched it a long time ago Video about John NeseI am the owner of the popular Galco’s Soda Pop Stop in Los Angeles and something has been bothering me his answer after asking how much soda he drank. Nese said that while he eats one or two a day, it’s really because he “just likes bubbles.” However, as much as I enjoy hunting down specialty flavors in stores, nothing beats the convenience of making your own brilliant concoctions at home. So when I heard that Breville was releasing a soda maker with a feature that competitors like SodaStream didn’t have, I knew I wanted to give it a try. And only for a few short weeks Infizz Fusion it has quickly become one of my favorite and most used kitchen tools.
Design – As expected high-end
Photo by Sam Rutherford
Although a bit pricey, for people who want the power to add bubbles to almost any drink, the Breville InFizz Fusion is a nice and well-designed soda maker.
- High-end design
- It can carbonate almost any drink
- Magnetic casting pan
- It is easy to use
- Compatible with a standard one-pound CO2 refill
- A little expensive
- Works only with Breville’s special plastic bottles
- There is no glass bottle option
At $250, the InFizz Fusion is significantly more expensive than mainstream soda makers, which can sell for $100 or less. However, it’s clear that Breville is using that extra money to create a premium design, including a stainless steel body with a pouring arm and a magnetic drip tray. It’s closer to premium competitors than plastic alternatives like almost all of SodaStream’s offerings. While your tastes may vary, InFizz and Aarke’s line or Carbonators are the only two that look good enough to live on my counter full-time instead of hiding away when not in use. I wish Breville would release an optional glass bottle, as currently the InFizz Fusion is limited to plastic 0.6 and 1 liter containers. And because its bottles use a custom connector, you can’t swap out boxes from competitors.
Operation — The easiest bubbles you’ve ever made
Carbonating liquids with InFizz is incredibly simple. First, you screw a one-pound CO2 tank into the boom hole. The InFizz comes with a Breville brand canister, though you can use generic replacements from Sodastream and others. Just remember to buy tanks with threaded tops instead of quick-close fittings. Then you pour water into the bottle (the colder the better), add Breville’s FusionCap, and then screw the whole setup into the machine itself. From there you just squeeze the upper lever for a second or two and that’s it. There’s no need to plug in electricity or cables, so you have a lot of flexibility in where it lives in your kitchen.
When attaching the FusionCap to the bottle or bottle to the machine, there is a very clear and satisfying indicator that tells you when each component is properly seated. I only exploded once when I first started using InFizz, and after learning from my mistake, it never happened again. I found that filling the bottle and keeping it in the fridge overnight worked best for me, which made it very difficult to get crisp, chilled seltzer in less than 30 seconds early in the morning. It really is that easy. Sometimes I would see small ice cubes while it was carbonating, which I took as a sign that the water was cold enough. That said, it’s important not to add ice on purpose, as this can damage the machine.
One note is that you will want to rinse it before using it. After opening the box, I noticed that the bottle of InFizz Fusion had an oily smell. Fortunately, in addition to the InFizz itself, the Breville has a funnel, strainer, and brush, the latter of which helped remove the odor after a quick rinse.
How does it taste – Bubbles, bubbles everywhere
Like many sparkling water makers, if you’re like me and like big bold bubbles (like you get in Pepsi) as opposed to a finer fizz, you have the freedom to keep the lever a little lower. Enter something like Perrier. But InFizz Fusion’s secret party trick is that it carbonates more than just water. You can add bubbles to cider for a refreshing twist on a fall meal. Or you can give new life to stale soda. You can even elevate wine to create your own sparkling alternative in your kitchen. Almost any liquid you want to drink, the InFizz Fusion can be injected with bubbles. Currently, there is only one other home soda maker that can do this – this one A drinking companion – which puts Breville’s machine in the more mainstream crowd.
Now this may not seem like a big deal, but as summer approaches, you know what’s more refreshing than lemonade? An ice-cold glass of sparkling lemonade. Alternatively, you can add bubbles to OJ, which is essentially a homemade version Orangina, and I’d argue it tastes even better because it hasn’t been sitting in a bottle for the last few months. There’s a whole world you can smooth out with InFizz Fusion.
At this point, you may be wondering why you can’t make lemonade out of seltzer. And you can. But if you make sparkling water first and then mix it with lemon juice and sugar, you tend to remove a lot of bubbles in the process. For things like OJ, unless you’re making something from concentrate, there may not be a way to start with pure water. One thing to be aware of is that with fizzy drinks that contain more than just water, you may experience extra bubbles. But that’s where the red tab on the FusionCap comes into play, as it allows you to slowly release the pressure so your mixture doesn’t sputter and make a mess.
That said, some drinks work better than others. Milk-based drinks are almost impossible because the carbonation process curdles the dairy products, resulting in a product that just tastes good. While you can add bubbles to coffee, CO2 adds an extra dimension of sourness that probably isn’t what you want. After all, there’s a reason that fumed java is usually injected with nitrogen instead of carbon dioxide.
One suggestion I have is that in addition to the one liter bottle that comes with the machine, if you’re making all kinds of bubbly drinks, you might as well grab a spare 0.6 liter container because it’s just as tasty as the stuff. like sparkling OJ or cider, they’re usually best consumed in smaller doses to avoid drinking too many empty calories.
Collection
Look, if all you want is a seltzer maker, you’re probably better off with the basic SodaStream. Alternatively, if you want a more premium bubble machine that comes with the bonus of having optional glass bottles, Aarke’s Carbonator Pro provides a solid upgrade option. Or you can go with the InFizz Aqua, which is the same basic device as the Fusion, but it can only carbonate water. But if you want a device with a classy design that can turn almost any drink into sparkling flavor, Breville’s InFizz Fusion is where it’s at.
