Food preparation and convenience have long been time-consuming task that has plagued both the commercial industry and households for decades.
But, with modern times comes modern advancements; including soda chargers.
Hundreds of years of accumulated science have led directly to the creation of simple soda chargers – and they’re used everywhere as a perfect choice.
Soda chargers are simply used to add carbonation to water or other beverages and mixed drinks. They’re made of steel and filled with pure carbon dioxide (co2). You’ll find them typically used within the commercial food industry as well as in households that love fizzy drinks.
They’ve become incredibly popular in modern times because of how easy and convenient the fizz infuser they are to use in making carbonated water and bubbly drinks (fizzy beverages).
To use one, all you need is a soda siphon, otherwise known as a seltzer bottle, and some liquid that you’d like to carbonate.
What is Soda Chargers?
Small metallic canisters that contain carbon dioxide gas are known as soda chargers (CO2). They are utilized to combine CO2 with a liquid to produce carbonated beverages such as seltzer water and soda pop.
They work by releasing a lot of co2 all at once within a soda siphon filled with water and carbonating the drink thoroughly. (called carbonated water)
Soda chargers are also relatively inexpensive when compared to other methods of carbonating water under normal pressure conditions, making them a popular alternative to soda or club soda machines such as Sodastream or Aarke carbonators.
They take up less space, cost less to purchase, and require much less maintenance.
What’s not to love?
Using a Soda Charger
The process of using a soda charger is relatively simple.
- A soda siphon, otherwise known as a seltzer bottle
- A soda charger
- Water, or any other fluid that you’d like to carbonate
Once you have all the required ingredients, go ahead and place the soda charger within the seltzer bottle.
After it’s placed within the fluid you’d like to carbonate, release the gas from the soda Water charger.
When the soda charger has emptied itself, carbonation will be found throughout your bottle. You’ll know the soda charger is empty when it stops emitting any bubbles or fizzling sounds.
To get an even spread of carbonation throughout your drink, make sure you shake the bottle a few times.
Using A Soda Siphon
Keep reading below to find out all the information you need to know about soda chargers, the difference between cream chargers and soda chargers, and more useful information to help you.
What is a Cream Charger Used For?
Often, people confused cream chargers and soda chargers and mistake them for one another. The key difference between the two is that soda chargers are filled with co2 and cream chargers are filled with nitrous oxide (n2o).
Beyond the substance that they’re filled with, cream chargers are used for entirely different things within the food prep world.
Most commonly, they’re used with whipped cream dispensers or cream whippers to help produce a large amount of foam or whipped cream in an extremely small amount of time. This can make a job that used to take several hours to be done within several minutes!
How to Use a Cream Charger
Do all the necessary steps to secure it in place.
This will release the compressed nitrous oxide into the cream. Don’t be alarmed if you hear any hissing sounds or if the nitrous oxide is releasing quickly. It’s made to be released at extremely high pressure to allow the cream to absorb it quickly.
After the cream has absorbed the nitrous oxide, begin to shake the dispenser to all the nitrous to thoroughly move through the cream. Then, release the lever.
Viola, you’ve used a cream charger!
Are Soda Chargers Nangs?
No, soda chargers are not nangs.
Nangs is a slang term for nitrous oxide. Commonly referred to as laughing gas (solid ingredients). Using nitrous oxide from a device in such a way is dangerous and illegal – don’t do it.
What is in a Soda Charger?
Soda chargers are filled with carbon dioxide or co2. A gas used in carbonated drinks and in process of Carbonation Of Water.
This is a clear contrast between cream chargers, which are commonly mistaken as soda chargers.
Beyond co2, there is nothing else found within a soda charger.
Soda Chargers vs Cream Chargers
Both kinds of chargers work differently and the results are also different.
Cream chargers include nitrous oxide, which can generate whipped cream or infuse liquids. On the other hand, soda chargers or seltzer chargers have carbon dioxide, which carbonates liquids.
So, they have different Molecular Levels and Chemical Bonds.
Cream chargers are ideal for whipped cream, foams, sauces, and desserts, whilst soda chargers are ideal for producing sophisticated, fizzy drinks.
With both chargers, options are limitless.
We advise keeping them separate because the Difference Between Soda Chargers and cream chargers is not visible from appearance.
If you utilize the incorrect one, you will obtain a different product that you may not want to consume because it does not meet your expectations.
The Difference Between Carbon Dioxide and Nitrogen Oxide
Both nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide come in similar canisters, so be sure you know which is which. If you don’t, you may end up with odd-tasting whipped cream and soda! Consider using a label to help yourself tell them apart.
Nitrogen Oxide
When used correctly, nitrous oxide is tasteless and is hard to detect when you’re in its presence. It’s also not toxic or harmful to the body if released in the right way.
This is how it’s able to be used in consumable products such as whipped cream.
Misuses of nitrogen oxide or N2O Molecules have become such a problem in some areas of the country that some companies will only sell nitrous oxide with a cream charger.
In the past, they were sold in singular cartridges, but now, many companies will avoid doing so to prevent abuse from occurring.
Carbon Dioxide
It’s also a bit more expensive than nitrous oxide but is well worth the price because of the sheer amount of time you can save when using it to creat fizz in water.
Another key difference is that you can taste carbon dioxide. This is most noticeable when you’re drinking fizzy water. The Tonic Water or fizzy water is a bit bitter and may cause a slightly unpleasant, or pleasant taste (depending on the person).
Carbon dioxide is also known to harm the environment because of the chemicals it releases into the air.
However, most of the damage done by carbon dioxide is from major commercial companies. Using carbon dioxide gas within your small business or home won’t even put a dent in the grand scheme of things.
How Long do Soda Chargers Last?
If you’d like to use soda chargers for long-term use, they’re normally sold in large packs of 10 or more to make carbonated water or seltzer water.
While a singular soda charger doesn’t last long, buying a pack will help you keep using them in the long term in a regular price.
If using co2 soda chargers seems too inconvenient, there are alternatives.
Soda machines or carbonator machines, such as Sodastream or Aarke will allow you constantly carbonate water for delicious fizzy drinks whenever you want.
Alternatives to Soda Chargers
However, if you’re using them for personal use, they can become quite costly over their regular price over a short amount of time.
Both Aarke and Sodastream provide machines that are built to add carbonation to your drinks.
The upfront cost of one of these is much higher than a soda charger, but you’ll save a ton of money in the long term.
They work by using canisters of co2 and pushing them into bottles of water that screw onto the machine.
They’re both great options if you want to save some money while still getting to enjoy your delicious fizzy drinks.
I’m the owner and blogger here at SodaPopCraft.Com. I’m a soft drinks enthusiast, bringing you all I know and research from the world of Beverages, Soda Pop, Soft Drinks, and many more.
I hope it inspires you to make Healthier, and Creative Drinks at Home.
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