Homemade sparkling water: cheap siphon, pricey kits and natural springs

Sparkling water at home: the old-fashioned siphon or a very expensive kit?

A consumer wonders how to go from a glass of still mineral water to a sparkling one. The quick answer comes from kitchens across Spain: a 1.5-litre siphon bottle costs less than 2 euros, compared with the 25 cents of a bottle of still water. But some people prefer more artisanal or modern methods.

The classic siphon, the best-value option

The most widespread and cheapest system is the old-fashioned siphon: a glass or steel bottle charged with a CO2 cartridge. You can find one at any supermarket for under two euros. By contrast, home carbonation kits with disposable cartridges turn out to be "extremely expensive", according to those who have tried them. The price gap is so wide that you wonder whether the convenience justifies it.

Naturally sparkling water and old-time techniques

Some people also prefer to go to the source: at springs such as the one in Portugos you can collect naturally carbonated ferruginous water for free. And in Romania there used to be kiosks with machines that filled siphon bottles on the spot for 5 or 10 cents, and let you add syrups to make homemade soft drinks. That culture has disappeared, but the old-fashioned siphon still does the job.

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With a bottle of still water costing 25 cents, paying eight times more for a sparkling siphon may seem like a luxury. But for those who drink sparkling water daily, the cost is still ridiculous compared with a branded soft drink. The question is whether it is worth the hassle of kits when the old-fashioned siphon already does it all.

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