The CO2 chargers in two lines
CO2 soda chargers are the siphon’s charges: 7.8g of carbon dioxide in a single-use steel cylinder, one capsule for one litre of water. The pack holds ten, ten litres of soda. They fit the 1 litre soda siphon from the same range.
Who they are for
For anyone with the siphon. Without the capsule the siphon is a steel bottle: the gas does the work. Ten capsules cover ten charges, and at a bar that serves highballs every night the stock is checked before the shift, not halfway through: running out of CO2 chargers with the siphon full of water means going back to the bottle.
Why carbon dioxide, and why 7.8g
Soda is water with carbon dioxide dissolved in it: CO2 gives the bubbles and the slight acidic prickle on the tongue. The nitrous oxide in cream chargers does not: it dissolves in fat, not in water, and in a soda siphon it would give a foam with no fizz. That is why the capsules are not interchangeable, and why these have a gold tip: you can tell them apart at a glance in the drawer.
The 7.8g dose is set for one litre of cold water: it is the amount that dissolves in a litre at 4°C at the siphon’s pressure. Using two does not make fizzier soda, it only over-pressurises the siphon, and the extra gas escapes through the valve at the first pull of the lever.
Specifications
- Content: 7.8g CO2 per capsule
- Pack quantity: 10
- Yield: 1 litre of soda per capsule
- Pairs with: 1 litre soda siphon
- Pack weight: 310g
- Gas: carbon dioxide
How to store them
They are pressurised containers: keep them away from sunlight and heat sources, somewhere ventilated. This is not a formality, and the supplier prints it on the pack: gas under pressure may explode if heated. On the back bar they go in a drawer, not on top of the coffee machine and not next to the glass washer. A pack of ten weighs 310g and fits in a bar station drawer without taking up room.
How to screw them in, and the hiss that says it worked
Put the capsule in the capsule holder with the tip towards the head and screw it in until the short hiss: that is the gas going in. If the hiss continues, the capsule is crooked or the seal in the head is dirty; unscrew it straight away rather than forcing it. Then shake for ten seconds and into the fridge: without shaking, the gas sits above the water and the first pour is almost pure CO2.
How to dispose of CO2 chargers
An empty capsule is steel and goes in metal recycling. A venue that charges its siphon every day gets through dozens of capsules a month: a dedicated container next to the bar station saves collecting them one by one from the bottom of the sink at the end of service.
FAQ
How many CO2 chargers are in the pack? Ten, 7.8g each: ten litres of soda.
Do they work in a cream whipper? No. Cream needs nitrous oxide; these are carbon dioxide, for soda.
Can I use half a capsule? No: once pierced, the capsule empties completely. One capsule, one charge.
Can they be reused? No, they are single-use: the capsule holder pierces them and the hole stays.
Dispatched from Rome, Italy. The siphon they fit is the 1 litre stainless steel soda siphon, in the siphons category.
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