Our Honest Review of the Ninja Thirsti Soda Maker

From Ninja, the makers of the Foodi, Creami, Speedi and a whole line of other, top-performing appliances comes the latest kitchen technology that’s bringing an elevated drink-making experience to your home countertop: the Ninja Thirsti. People all over the internet have been raving about this unique new beverage system, so we knew we had to test it out to see whether or not it was worth the hype.

What Is the Ninja Thirsti?

The Thirsti is a customizable carbonated drink maker that offers an integrated flavoring system. It works by carbonating cold water before combining it with the selected flavorings (if any), creating a drink that’s just as good (if not better) than one you’d get out of a can or bottle. Like other carbonation systems, the Thirsti system includes a CO2 canister that is super easy to install and replace when empty, so it’s as easy as possible to make a huge variety of carbonated drinks.

It all starts with carbonating the water, offering a still option and then three levels of carbonation for all four sizes of drink. Then, you can choose to add a flavor or a combination of flavors by simply inserting the flavor cartridges into the two available slots and selecting a strength level for each flavor. Once you’ve made your selections, you just press a button and watch the cold water in the canister get transformed into basically any drink you can think up. The system includes an array of sample flavorings, ranging from unsweetened natural flavors, like lemon, to sugar-free sweetened drinks with electrolytes and energy drinks. There are over 20 Ninja signature flavors available, and the system includes eight to start with, so you can get a feel for which ones you do and don’t like before purchasing new flavors.

What We Love

First of all, there are endless drink possibilities! Between the numerous options available at every step of the process and the 20+ signature, 0-calorie flavor options, there are already so many ways to make a drink for every taste. Combine that with the different flavor combination possibilities and the drink choices are truly limitless! Even the toughest critics will find a drink they like among the abundance of options. Plus, who doesn’t love a custom drink they can design and then make with the touch of a button?

Unlike other carbonated beverage makers, the Thirsti makes fully flavored drinks; the first sip has the same delicious flavor as the last. After the water is carbonated, it is mixed with the set strength of each flavor before dispensing into the glass. That means no messy syrups or drops that are unevenly mixed into the drink- just like it came out of the soda fountain!

The Thirsti significantly reduces waste produced by packaged beverages. A seltzer-loving family of four might go through two or three packs of seltzer a week, not including parties or get togethers. Taking into account other drinks that family might consume, like sports drinks, energy drinks and vitamin beverages, there’s a good amount of waste created, regardless of it being in bottles or cans. Just like how the home water filter reduced the need for bottled water waste, the Thirsti significantly reduces waste by allowing you to make all those types of drinks at home. Plus, there’s a recycling program for the CO2 canisters, so those don’t go to waste, either!

Finally, the Thirsti is easy to use. Once the CO2 filter is installed, it’s as easy as selecting which flavor(s) you want to try and pressing a few buttons to design your optimal drink! It’s so simple that even the kids could use it to make their favorite sports drinks, no mixing (or adults) required.

What We Didn't Love

Before buying the Thirsti, consider that the only flavors that can be used in the integrated system are the ones made by Ninja. Of the 25 signature flavors, 10 are fruit-based unsweetened natural flavors, six are vitamin-infused, five are electrolyte-infused and four are energy drink flavors. While there are a lot of great options among the bunch, if you’re looking for a lot of variety in one specific category of flavor, for example, electrolyte-infused, you might want to scope out the full list of flavor options before purchasing.

One thing that particularly stood out to us was that all the sweetened flavors were sweetened with sucralose. Sucralose is an FDA-approved calorie-free sweetener made from chemically-altered sugar that is used in a lot of sugar-free products. Sucralose is hundreds of times sweeter than sugar, so to sensitive palettes, some of the sweetened flavor options might seem too sweet, even when using the lower strength option.

Finally, keep in mind that the Thirsti can only carbonate water. No other liquid can be used in the system, so they’ll be no carbonating cider, juice or wine. The drinks are all water-based and the water must be cold to achieve the best carbonation. The water tank holds 48 oz and can be stored in the refrigerator when not in use for the best results. If starting with warmer water, ice can be added to the water tank and left in while in use to keep the water as cold as possible.

Bottom Line: If you love low-sugar carbonated beverages or sparkling water, the Thirsti might be for you.

In addition to being incredibly convenient and simple to use, the Thirsti brings a new level of customization to the at-home carbonated drink maker. It’s truly like having a soda fountain right on your countertop, but without the sugar.

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