If you love your morning java to get you up and ready for the day, but you’re also a fan of trying weird and wonderful combinations of food and drink then here’s a fun idea. What if you combined that bubbly refreshing fizz from your Seltzer with the kick-up-the-ass buzz from your morning cup of joe?
Can you make fizzy coffee and is Sodastream coffee a good idea?
The short answer is yes you can make Sodastream coffee and no, it is not a good idea. The carbonation process adds acid to your java making it taste bitter and sour and coffee tends to bubble everywhere violently, making a huge mess of your kitchen when you add it to a SodaStream.
Still keen to give it a go?
I’m not here to stop you and there are several ways you can bubble that beverage. Here’s everything you need to know about carbonated coffee, how to make it, and why nitrogenation may be the better choice!
Carbonating Beverages
Carbonation is the process where a liquid sits in the presence of carbon dioxide gas under pressure. This pressure leads to the gas dissolving in the liquid and you end up with a carbonated beverage. The gas gives the liquid a fizzy texture which people either love or hate. Carbonated water is no less healthy or hydrating than still water so you can enjoy it guilt-free as long as it doesn’t contain sugar or sweeteners.
Loads of drinks can be enjoyed carbonated bought in bottles or cans and you can make your own using a sparkling water maker like a Sodastream.
This leads us to the question; if you can make carbonated water, can you make carbonated coffee?
Can You Carbonate Coffee?
The short answer is yes you can use a carbonator to add some fizz to your coffee. Hot liquids don’t take on CO2 gas very well so it’s recommended to use cold brew coffee or iced coffee to add to your SodaStream bottle.
The downside is the CO2 adds more acidity to your coffee so can quickly cause it to taste sour. It can also become way too bubbly very quickly so isn’t the same as making carbonated water.
It’s really important to only fill the carbonating bottle to half full, not to the recommended level. Coffee can adversely affect your SodaStream machine so do not try making this with a brand new machine!
Carbonated Coffee vs Nitro Cold Brew Coffee
By far the best way to add gas to your coffee is to opt for Nitro Cold Brew. This method uses nitrogen gas infusion rather than carbon dioxide. The nitrogen gas adds a rich creamy texture to the coffee and gives it a thick mouthfeel. It’s sweet in flavor and very satisfying.
You can make nitro coffee in the comfort of your own home. It does take some specialized kit, but once you’ve got it up and running you have nitro coffee on tap!
Carbonated coffee is tricky to make, has a less satisfying mouthfeel, and tastes harsh and bitter. It’s not enjoyable on its own and really does need some form of sweetener added.
How To Make Carbonated Coffee
In a SodaStream
The colder coffee is, the easier it takes on carbon dioxide gas. To get a decent fizz in your java you need to make sure it’s as cold as possible but don’t allow any ice crystals to form. You can use cold brew coffee or iced coffee.
Fill up the Sodastream bottle to the halfway point. Do NOT fill it to the usual level that you would for water as this will cause a foamy coffee explosion.
Press the carbonation button 3-4 times taking 30-second breaks between each press.
Be careful removing the bottle! You will need to slightly detach it several times to release the pressure before you remove it completely to stop the coffee from fizzing everywhere.
You will need to add some syrup, sugar, or other forms of sweetener to this coffee to make it pleasant to drink.
Adding coffee to a Sodastream can adversely affect the machine so a better option is to make coffee soda by adding soda water to coffee instead.
Coffee Soda
If you wish to maintain the longevity of your SodaStream but you still want to try Sodastream coffee then coffee soda is a really good option. To make this drink you simply add carbonated water to cold brew concentrate to top it up.
You can use bottled sparkling water or make it yourself in a Sodastream.
Next, you need some form of concentrated coffee, as ice-cold as possible. Cold-brew concentrate works well, or very strong iced coffee. This could be made in a French press or espresso served over ice.
You could even brew coffee in advance and add it to an ice cube tray then pop it in the freezer. This will give you coffee ice cubes that allow you to cool down your cup of joe without watering it down at all.
Keep the coffee as concentrated as possible so that the soda water can maintain the fizzy texture as it mixes with the java. You will need to add something to this mixture to balance the flavors as the carbonated addition will impart a bitter or sour taste.
Dry Ice
An easy way to carbonate your caffeinated pick-me-up is to use dry ice. This magical ingredient gives off cascades of mystical fog but is actually mostly carbon dioxide in its solid form.
If you’re able to get your hands on the stuff then adding this ingredient to cold coffee is a super-easy way to make it fizz. Add a few lumps of the ice to your drink and let it fully dissolve.
It may be a good idea to pass the liquid through a strainer to remove any residual ice crystals as you don’t want to be drinking these.
This method helps cool your drink as well as add a frothy edge to it.
Be Wary With Your Sodastream
Adding coffee to your SodaStream is a sure-fire way to invalidate the warranty. Using coffee in these machines can put stress on them and may cause damage to them. Coffee has a very strong flavor and contains oils that can coat the inside of your machine.
This may lead to every subsequent fizzy water bottle you make tasting like stale coffee. Finally, the coffee will invariably make an extremely foamy mess in your machine so be prepared for some tough clean-up.
How To Make Cold Brew Coffee
Cold-brew concentrate is the perfect ingredient to use as a base for all these fizzy coffee options. Although you can buy the stuff in grocery stores and coffee shops (and even online on Amazon) it’s easy and inexpensive to DIY.
You can use a cold brew coffee maker but you don’t need one to brew coffee in this method. A large mason jar or pitcher does just as well.
You’ll need some cold water, coffee beans, and a grinder or pre-ground coffee, and some means of filtering the liquid.
Grind the coffee to a very coarse grind and add this to your cold water at a 1:4 ratio. Let the mixture stew overnight or for at least 12 hours and then strain away the coffee grounds. You can do this using a french press, cheesecloth, fine-mesh sieve, tea strainer, or anything similar to remove the coffee.
This will leave you with cold brew concentrate that can easily be diluted to taste with cold water. It’s perfect to infuse with nitrogen for a rich, sweet, creamy drink or add carbon for a weird, bubbly, bitter drink. The choice is yours!
How To Make Iced Coffee
Iced coffee is coffee that’s been brewed hot then cooled down to give an ice-cold beverage. Due to the hot brewing, it’s more prone to tasting bitter so you need to be careful if you plan to combine this with carbonation.
You can make iced coffee using any brew method you like from french press to pour-over and Moka pot to an espresso machine, they all work well as long as you brew the coffee extra strong.
You can let the coffee cool gradually in the fridge or pour it over ice to cool it quickly. The coffee ice cube trick comes in well here to help chill your java without making it bland and watery.
Take-Home
Sodastream coffee is not really a good idea. Although it is possible to make coffee that’s not completely vile if you add lots of sweeteners, I would say the effort is not worth it. Adding coffee to a Sodastream will probably damage the machine and if not it will certainly make a lot of mess in the meantime.
If you’re looking for a more interesting texture for your morning java, I’d recommend nitro-cold-brew coffee instead!
