Smeg Soda Maker review: adding some sparkle to the kitchen

Still or sparkling? It's the opening question in a restaurant and one that doesn't just divide opinion but conveys a personality type.

Actually, we've just done a quick Google and that's utter nonsense but at Shortlist we are big fans of the bubbly stuff and are more than a little excited that there's a new, exciting way to get sparkling water in the home.

Enter the Smeg Soda Maker, an appliance that we have been using for over a week now — and it couldn't have landed on our reviews desk at a better time, as the Great British Weather is unseasonably warm, which means a mojito and/or an Aperol spritz is never far away from our hands.

With that in mind, here are 5 things to know about the new Smeg SKC01SBM Soda Maker...

1. Its design fizzes with elegance

Smeg's retro design will be achingly familiar to anyone whose set eyes on one of their products over the last few years. The Smeg Soda Maker fits right into Smeg Collezione range, with a sleek cylindrical frame. While the chassis is made of plastic — the matte finish gives it a premium, finger-print lite feel — there's an aluminium ring situated on the top front of the device which is the dial you need to twist to add carbonation to your drink.

As for the drip tray, it's beautiful, sitting flush with the brush metal base. It clicks in place with a magnet and just feels brilliantly engineered.

2. It's wire and battery free

The Smeg Soda Maker is a standalone device, so there's no wires getting in the way. That's because the thing uses, like the myriad other soda makers on the market, a CO2 canister to create the bubbles.

It's easy to install: there is a hole at the bottom of the SMEG and it fits nice and tight in the frame of the appliance. A few twists to connect it to the soda maker and you are away.

The good news is that there is one included when you buy the Smeg Soda Maker (if you buy direct).

You will need refills, though, and these are available for around £45 for a pair of canisters (Smeg has paired with CO2 You for this). Each canister can fizz up to 120 plastic bottles, so you are getting a lot for the money there.

3. It comes with a decent reusable bottle

Given the world is drowning in single-use plastic, any way you can do your bit to curb plastic waste is going to help. With the Smeg Soda Maker, the onus is on reusability as it comes with a super smart reusable 800ml bottle that is made of 50 percent recycled BPA-free plastic. Called Tritan Renew, it doubles up as the ventricle in which you create the fizzy water. And it's dishwasher safe, too.

It has a great metal base and screw top which gives it a premium feel. It is also emblazoned with the Smeg logo, if you are into that sort of thing.

4. It's really easy to use — but takes some guesswork

Smeg does offer up some instructions but it really is a bit of guesswork on your part to get the right fizziness in the bottle. Smeg's instructions don't offer up how long in seconds you should turn the dial — just that you should turn it three times for full fizz, one for light fizz and two for those who like their water like you get it in a restaurant.

I found that two second intervals gave us the right amount of fizz — so a full six-second blast was giving us enough to create the 'club soda' style fizz needed to make a decent mojito.

5. It's portable, which means cocktails in the garden

The Smeg Soda Maker is not a heavy device. It weighs 1.58kg which means you can lift the thing up with ease and relocate it to wherever you want.

The weather gods have been shining on the UK for the last week or so, so the Smeg Soda Maker accompanied an ice bucket outside and many an Aperol spritz was made using the thing. Without the need for power, this is a real USP when using a soda maker.

Smeg Soda Maker: Final verdict

The Smeg Soda Maker has all the design flourishes you've come to expect from Smeg, offering up a stylish way to create a spritzer. It's as easy to use — once you get used to how long you should be twisting the dial — as it is easy on the eye, and would make a superb addition to any kitchen.

Who would have thought keeping hydrated would have been so cool?

The Smeg Soda Maker SKC01 is out now in four colours: Storm Blue (reviewed); Emerald Green; Black; White and will cost you £149.99.

Main Image Credit: Future / Marc Chacksfield