What Happens if You Use Regular Bottles instead of Soda Stream bottles?

SodaStream machines are usually used with pre-made, paired bottles.

These bottles are ready to go right out of the box, being well-sized to fit under the carbonation nozzle and having a fill line to let you know when to stop filling it with cold water.

Still, many have wondered what would happen if they tried a regular bottle instead.

So what happens if you use regular bottles for SodaStream?

It depends on the alternative bottle. If you find a regular bottle that can fit into the carbonation nozzle, you can use it just like any other bottle.

The trick is to keep a close eye on things to ensure the water doesn’t overflow.

SodaStream bottles are well-designed to fit inside the SodaStream fizz Sparkling Water Maker and take in the required carbonation for an excellent fizzy drink.

With a regular bottle, you’ll have to determine how much carbonation is best and when to stop filling the bottle to prevent overflow.

Oftentimes, this takes a good amount of trial and error before you find the right answer.

Overall, it’s recommended that you use the SodaStream bottles due to their ease of use and predetermined measurement lines.

But you can always use regular bottles if your specially made bottle supply runs out due to expiration or if you suddenly need a new alternative bottle and can’t go to the store yet.

Using Glass SodaStream Bottles vs. Regular Bottles

While it is possible to use a different bottle to store your carbonated water, the SodaStream proprietary bottles are the only ones recommended by the manufacturer.

There are several reasons for this.

The first is the ease of use. SodaStream bottles or Liter Plastic Carbonating Bottles all have convenient markings on their outsides to let you know how far you should fill the bottle with cold water.

So, it provides an estimate of Bottle Capacity.

This way, you never risk accidentally filling the bottle beyond bottle capacity and causing it to overflow when you add carbonation.

This severe risk can also affect the quality of your carbonation and cause a big mess. Carbonated water that overflows will get everything and require cleaning after the fact.

So, it is better to use SodaStream bottles to understand Bottle Capacity better.

But more importantly, your machine-made bottle leaves little room at the top to collect excess carbonation.

This reduces pressure on the bottle, prevents it from straining the cap, and reduces the likelihood of it ever being damaged.

Using SodaStream bottles also means that your soda containers are protected under the warranty of your registered machine.

SodaStream bottle is a safe bottle because it is made from BPA-free plastic.

They are also dishwasher safe.

Although these bottles are made to last, they can break or suffer damage during their regular use.

SodaStream will only replace or repair bottles that are under their manufacturer label.

They won’t replace a regular bottle or glass you’re using from your own home, of course.

It’s a bit harder and riskier to use a non-SodaStream bottle because they are Single-Use Plastic Bottles.

Regular SodaStream Fizzi bottles fit into the carbonating nozzle and snap into place, securing them for the duration of the carbonation process.

This fitting is what makes using SodaStream bottle alternatives so tricky.

It’s possible that you can find a water bottle, Glass Carafe, or another container that can fit perfectly onto the carbonating nozzle.

On most SodaStream machines or Sparkling Water Makers, you have to engage the nozzle and lock it into a bottle to begin the carbonating process.

Failure to lock in the bottle could result in a flat soda – so check out this article for more on fixing that.

This limits your options considerably, but it’s a necessary safety measure to ensure that the top of the machine doesn’t explode or injure you.

If you find a fitting bottle, slot it into place and carbonate as usual.

However, you should be careful to leave some room at the top, just like the regular SodaStream bottles.

This precaution will prevent your carbonated water from overflowing or causing the Sparkling Water Maker to sustain damage.

You will also likely need to hold your new bottle in place, as chances are that it doesn’t fit perfectly beneath the carbonating nozzle.

This will let you keep an eye on the carbonation process and ensure that things are going smoothly as you add more and more fizz to your water.

You should, of course, make sure that you have a bottle that can be safely washed after the fact.

Soda is full of sugar and becomes sticky, necessitating a wash after every addition of syrup or flavored additive.

There is another note of caution when it comes to using non-SodaStream bottles.

The SodaStream is sized between half-liter bottles and one-liter bottles in most cases and is sized specifically for the amount of carbonation dispensed by the Soda Maker or Sparkling Water Maker.

If your non-SodaStream bottle is of a different size, you must be careful that the amount of carbonation you add doesn’t overwhelm the bottle’s structural integrity.

You will have to take care of the Liter of water you can add to the bottle.

Always go with the smallest amount of carbonation at first when you are trying out a new bottle.

This will let you determine the best carbonation amount for that size gradually.

Furthermore, it will give an idea about the bottle volume of a new bottle.

Why Do You Need to Replace SodaStream Replacement Bottles?

You will likely have to replace your SodaStream Fizzi bottles are one point or another due to several factors.

For one, the proprietary bottles aren’t designed to last forever. At the same time, they are made to be durable and last for a few years.

They will eventually be worn out and won’t have the integrity they did before.

This can manifest as bending under pressure or in their cap, which may not close as tightly as it used to.

In addition, SodaStream Compatible bottles start to suffer in quality when exposed to high heat. This includes throwing them in the dishwasher.

The dishwasher has water tossed about at extremely high temperatures.

This water will likely melt the plastic bottles or at least weaken them, so if you’ve ever accidentally done this, you’ll need to replace them.

But even other heat sources can require a bottle replacement.

Sitting the bottles next to an oven or a radiator can do the same damage.

Furthermore, the Soda Stream bottle is vulnerable to scratch damage.

Scratch damage can weaken the bottle’s ability to withstand the pressure of the carbonation process, so be prepared to replace any bottles with visible damage on their fronts.

Some more advanced machines use SodaStream glass bottles, which should also be inspected for wear and tear.

Although these can be used in the dishwasher, they are sometimes more vulnerable to physical damage if dropped on the ground.

Naturally, these must be replaced if they break at all.

Broken glass cannot maintain a seal and will leak immediately upon placing liquid inside.

Finally, SodaStream bottles expire, and this is true regardless of their material or type.

Expired bottles will need to be replaced ASAP.

It’s best to treat them as expired food products; don’t use them even once if they’ve passed their designated date.

Thankfully, you can get SodaStream bottles in all kinds of places.

You can order replacements from the manufacturer’s website or find local retailers like Target, which frequently have bottle replacements for affordable prices.

Why Do SodaStream Bottles Expire?

The SodaStream bottle expiration dates are used as estimates by the manufacturer, presuming an average amount of use and pressurization stress.

Any carbonation effort puts stress on the container.

The CO2 gas expands and presses against the sides of the bottle or glass, creating stress that taxes the rigidity of the structure.

Therefore, even perfectly-cared-for bottles must be replaced eventually.

The trouble is that this time for replacement might vary from bottle to bottle, especially if you have one that you use more frequently than the others.

The solution is the expiration date.

This way, you know when you’ve had the SodaStream bottles for long enough that you ought to get replacements.

It’s a catchall way to ensure you don’t use bottles too weak to rely upon the next time you want to have a soda.

The expiration date also considers heat damage and a general relaxation of the bottle’s structure.

Furthermore, the twist cap tops of the bottles wear down over time; each time you twist or untwist the cap, the ridges become less pronounced.

Given enough time, you won’t be able to secure any cap atop a well-used SodaStream bottle.

While it’s true that some people will use their bottles less than average, it’s still a good idea to keep to the expiration date if possible.

However, the expiration date is not a hard and fast rule, and it’s not as though the bottle will fall apart on its expiration day.

Instead, the expiration date is when you should start looking for replacement bottles (or, even better, a few days before).

You can still use a SodaStream bottle for a few days after it expires.

But each day after the expiration is pushing your luck, and it’s only a miter of time until the bottle reaches a breaking point and either explodes or starts to leak.