I Tested Breville’s New Soda Maker By Carbonating Lemonade and Cocktails (Yup, It’s Great)

When I started dating my now-husband, he hated seltzer. I could buy a case of it and it’d last me nearly two weeks. However, sometime between 2016 and now that changed dramatically. He’s become what I would call a bubbly water fiend, capable of easily consuming four to six cans a day. 

I said “capable” because I’ve banned store-bought seltzer for the sake of his tooth enamel (possibly) and our recycling bin (definitely). Instead, we’re now a soda maker household. Having to carbonate the water himself limits my husband’s seltzer consumption to a reasonable amount. 

This is all to say when I learned Breville released a new seltzer maker, I was excited. (Approximately 75% of my appliances are from Breville, so while this is not sponsored, come at me!) And when I found out said soda maker can carbonate anything—including lemonade or cocktails—my excitement bubbled up as if it were infused with CO2.

After testing the Breville, I’ve given it a permanent place on my countertop. While I do have a few qualms, it’s the most versatile soda maker I’ve tried yet.

The Tests

• Carbon Dioxide Levels Test: I carbonated 800 grams of chilled water using 10 quarter-second bursts. I weighed the bottle before and after carbonating, removed the bottle’s FusionCap (more on this below), put the regular cap on, and popped it in the fridge for 24 hours. I then weighed it again, to see how much carbonation was lost. I repeated the test but placed the bottle in the fridge right after carbonating with the FusionCap still on. 
• Taste Test: I again carbonated 800 grams of (fresh) chilled water and then tasted it. I took notes on its overall fizziness and bubble size.
• Non-Water Tests: I carbonated sun tea, lemonade, strawberry lemonade, and batch palomas (made with fresh grapefruit and lime juice, tequila, and sugar) to see how the InFizz Fusion did with a variety of non-water liquids. 
• Usability and Cleanup Tests: Throughout testing, I noted how easy the soda maker was to use—including attaching and detaching the bottle and inserting the CO2 canister. I cleaned the bottle and cap by hand after each test.

What We Learned

If You’re Gonna Carbonate Ahead of Time, Keep the FusionCap On

The Breville InFizz Fusion comes with two caps: a standard one and a FusionCap. When carbonating, you must use the FusionCap, which is what twists onto the body of the soda maker and includes a nozzle for injecting the CO2. For my carbon dioxide levels test, I first swapped the FusionCap for the regular one before stashing the bottle in the fridge. After 24 hours, it lost seven grams of CO2. I repeated this test but kept the FusionCap on, transferring the bottle directly to the fridge after carbonating. After 24 hours, it lost zero grams of CO2. 

The takeaway: If carbonating ahead of time, keep the FusionCap on for maximum bubbliness. 

How Is the InFizz Fusion Able to Carbonate All Liquids?

Most soda makers (including SodaStreams) are only designed to carbonate water. If you try putting juice in one it could explode. 

Why, then, is the InFizz Fusion able to carbonate other liquids? It comes down to the FusionCap. “The FusionCap itself is designed to withstand the additional pressure that builds up while carbonating non-water liquids (like juice),” a Breville representative told me. The cap has three valves within it, so there are multiple fail-safes ensuring the seal stays intact no matter what’s carbonated.

You see, CO2 readily dissolves in water, but not in non-water beverages, which makes the numerous valves necessary as pressure builds. The cap also features a red switch on its side, which allows you to release pressure—again, this is especially key for carbonating non-water liquids. When I made palomas, the pressure released for a good 20 seconds before the cap allowed me to loosen and remove it. (Think of a pressure cooker: After cooking and releasing pressure, if the lid still resists when you go to open it, don’t force it—continue to vent). 

The lemonade and palomas I made with the InFizz Fusion were delightfully bubbly and stayed that way after an overnight stint in the fridge. The regular water had small, sweet bubbles that fizzed gently on the tip of my tongue. (I did not enjoy the sparkling sun tea, though that was purely due to its flavor and not because of the carbonator itself.) 

There Were Some (Small) Usability Quibbles 

I’ll start with what I didn’t like. For starters, the FusionCap makes the bottle tall (about as big as a bottle of wine), which meant it could only fit under the highest shelf in my fridge. Also, the InFizz Fusion comes with one large, one-liter bottle. If you’re planning on carbonating anything but water, I’d recommend purchasing smaller bottles. To reach even the minimum fill line of the large bottle is a substantial amount of liquid—far more lemonade and batch cocktail than I (or two people) could drink in a single sitting. Additionally, I found placing the bottle onto the soda maker’s body to be somewhat finicky. Twice, the FusionCap unscrewed slightly when I twisted it on, causing the soda maker to sputter water up and out. 

I do, however, love that the InFizz Fusion comes with a flexible bottle brush that has a small scrubber housed in its handle for cleaning the FusionCap. I also liked that the brushed stainless steel finish easily disguised smudges and fingerprints. Overall, it’s one sleek-looking soda maker.

The Verdict

Breville InFizz Fusion Sparkling Beverage Carbonator

$250 at Williams Sonoma View on Breville.com

The InFizz Fusion did an outstanding job carbonating water, lemonade, and cocktails—and it lost no carbonation overnight when stored with its FusionCap on. It’s exceptionally well-made, available in a variety of colors, and thoughtfully designed with features like an O-ring that allows you to slant the soda maker’s neck to easily attach and detach the bottle. It performed well and has been added as a winner in our soda maker review. (My husband declared the bubbles better than store-bought, too.)

The Pros

For a soda maker that can carbonate whatever you want (soda that’s gone flat, any kind of juice, a vat of Paper Planes), this is an option that, indeed, also creates pleasantly sparkly bubbly water. 

The Cons

The large bottle is quite big for carbonating liquids other than water, so buy some additional small bottles if you plan on doing this. (For the high price, I wish the soda maker came with one large and one small bottle.) If you only ever want to carbonate water, I’d save $50 and buy the standard InFizz instead, which cannot handle other liquids. 

Key Specs

• Materials: Brushed stainless steel with a die-cast lever; metal cap/base; BPA-free plastic bottle
• Stated capacity: 1-liter
• Dimensions: 16.9 x 5.9 x 10.2 inches
• Care instructions: Hand-wash bottle and cap; drip tray and cleaning brush are dishwasher-safe; store bottle with the cap off
• Warranty: 2 years

FAQs

How do you insert a CO2 canister into the InFizz?

The CO2 canister for the InFizz (and the InFizz Fusion) can be inserted into the underside of the machine, where the neck of the soda maker is. Be sure to twist it so it’s securely affixed. 

How do you use the InFizz? 

After inserting the CO2 canister, fill the bottle to at least the minimum fill line (which is clearly marked), twist the FusionCap onto the bottle, and affix the bottle onto the neck of the soda maker. Press down on the lever on top of the soda maker to inject CO2.

Why We’re the Experts

• Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm is the senior commerce editor at Serious Eats. She’s been with the site since 2021 and previously worked at America’s Test Kitchen, EatingWell, and Food52. She’s been testing gear professionally for about six years.
• For this review, Riddley used the Breville InFizz Fusion to carbonate water, cocktails, lemonade, and more. She evaluated how easy the soda maker was to use and clean and how well it retained its carbonation.