iSi NA North America CO2 Soda Siphon Charger for use with Classic Sodamaker and Soda Siphon, 10 Pack, Gold

These are CO2 (carbon dioxide) cartridges, good for making SODA WATER (club soda/seltzer). They are not for making whipped cream, as some reviewers thought. There is a totally separate product called N2O (nitrous oxide) cartridges that are used with a whipped cream dispenser to make delicious, fresh whipped cream. Chemically, N2O is exactly the same laughing gas that old-time dentists used to supply to patients in place of novocaine. You CANNOT use CO2 cartridges as a substitute for N2O cartridges to make whipped cream. If you inject CO2 to make whipped cream, the acidic nature of CO2 will curdle the proteins in the cream and it will taste sour. (For the chemists among us, when CO2 comes in contact with water, it dissolves and becomes carbonic acid. This weak acid sours the cream in the same way that vinegar curdles milk.) I saw a 2-star review from a person who complained about the sour taste of the "whipped cream" that these CO2 cartridges produced! She is right on target with her observations, and was possibly misled by the erroneous caption. [ Kudos to Amazon for updating the product page; the headline reference to this product as being for whipped cream have been removed.] Now to review the actual product: This is a really good brand of CO2 cartridge for making Seltzer (soda water). I cannot recall this iSi brand ever producing a nasty aftertaste like some other brands do. I've used cartridges that occasionally produce an oily or metallic soda water, and it pretty much destroys the enjoyment of the seltzer. These cartridges cost about 40% more than the cheapest brands. That's why I rated these iSi cartridges as 2 stars under "value for money". I love to economize, but if I get a nasty taste with a budget cartridge, I haven't saved money. Maddeningly, one never knows when a cartridge will be pure, or when it will carry contaminants. It must be a matter of quality control in manufacturing. Perhaps iSi simply has the best quality control? The iSi cartridges produce a slightly better charge in a seltzer maker: they provide 8.4 grams of CO2 instead of the usual 8 grams. This is only 5% more gas than generic cartridges, but I perceive a difference...a charge from these iSi cartridges is livelier. If you're cutting a fruit juice with seltzer, as I do, you'll use less of this seltzer to achieve a bubbly drink. I wish that I could buy iSi cartridges in bulk and get a volume discount. At current pricing, we are paying $1.10 per quart of seltzer. Generic brands cost 53¢ per quart.

Thank you

These work fine in the Soda Streaming bottle we have. I was hoping that maybe I could get more than 1L per cartridge, but the way this unit is setup definitely shoots the entire cartridge in at once, so a bit of the gas is wasted.... but that's not the cartridge's fault. The cartridge performs as intended and does a fine job of carbonating the water. Good little units!

Very good but very expensive. There are cheaper alternatives which are also very good.

I had tried the pink box one and found quite a loss of CO2 before the cartridge was completely “screwed” in place, leaving my siphon pressure weaker. In addition, the other pink box brand would sometimes give me a petrol taste! This brand, I think in part because of the cartridge shape, does not allow for the gas to escape. (It’s chubbier at the shoulder area, maybe creating a better seal?). It is allowing me to have more flow from my siphon before the pressure runs out. I use the newer mesh covered glass siphon, that is the classic model of siphon. So far, works great!

As others have said, these new cartridges don’t fit in older charger heads. I have a soda siphon I bought at Williams Sonoma about 25 years ago. The isi chargers have always worked, but I guess no longer.

These are necessary to make seltzer water in the iSI siphon. They work quite efficiently.

Does not affect the taste.