Today, I’m testing out several soda gadgets. These gadgets have been on the market for a while and have amassed quite a few mixed reviews. Several of you have asked for my opinion on these devices, so I decided to test them out myself.
Where to Purchase
- Soda Dispenser #1
- Soda Dispenser #2
- Fizz-Keeper Can Pump
- Grab-N-Pour – I have not found any place online that sells this! The company has a Facebook page that hasn’t had any activity since 2020, although their product website is now offline.
Testing Soda Gadgets
Gadget #1 – Soda Dispenser #1
First on the list is a soda dispenser I’ve seen on social media for years. Despite its low rating (currently 2.9 stars on Amazon), I was intrigued by its unique design. Essentially, you place a 2-liter soda bottle onto the device, and voila, you have a dispenser. The soda dispenser has a nice look to it, but I noticed right away it doesn’t stand up on its own. This lack of stability was a common complaint in other reviews, as was difficulty fitting it into the fridge. Twisting it onto the top of the soda bottle, I experienced some leakage, but it seemed to hold enough soda to proceed with the testing. To use the dispenser properly, you also need to poke a hole in the bottom of the soda bottle.
A note about the spout. I’ve seen some reviews online where the handle’s “off” position is when the handle is sticking straight up above the spout, while others used a version where it’s below the spout. Both dispensers in this review use the version in which the off position is below the spout, used to press a cup against it for easy dispensing. I thought maybe there was a way to use the handle in either configuration, but I could not get it to work any other way but with the “down” position being off.
The dispenser worked, albeit slowly, and with a lot of foam at first, but the speed decreased to a dribble as the bottle emptied. I used the dispenser below table height, but the soda still dribbled out. Moreover, the dispenser left a significant amount of soda in the bottle, failing to dispense it entirely. You could probably shake or squeeze the bottle to get the rest of the contents out, but neither is an elegant solution.
Gadget #2 – Soda Dispenser #2
Next, I tried a second type of soda dispenser with a similar design to the first, although the soda resides entirely above the spout, so it shouldn’t have the issue with emptying the entire contents. This dispenser had a marginally better rating (3.1 stars), so I hoped for better results. Again, I attached it to the soda bottle and flipped it over without any leakage. I used the provided pin to poke a hole in the bottom of the bottle and began my tests.
This second dispenser also created a lot of foam, especially when the bottle was full. Despite this, it did manage to dispense more soda than the first gadget. However, I still had concerns about the longevity of the soda’s freshness and temperature, considering the exposed hole in the cap. A problem with both dispensers is that you can’t remove the soda bottle and put it away for later use because you’ve poked a hole in the bottom for use with the dispenser.
Gadget #3 – Fizz-Keeper Can Pump
Next on my list was the Fizz-Keeper Can Pump, a device that promised to repressurize cans to keep the soda from going flat. After a 24-hour test, I found that the can without the Fizz-Keeper was just as fizzy as the one with the Fizz-Keeper, leading me to believe that the seal might not have held in the fridge overnight.
Determined to give it another shot, I tried a second 24-hour test with a different Fizz-Keeper and got better results this time. There was a noticeable release of pressure and more foam this time, indicating that the first test may have been a dud. However, the inconsistency between the two tests left me somewhat disappointed.
Bonus Gadget – Grab-N-Pour
Lastly, I tried out my bonus item, the Grab-N-Pour, which I picked up for a couple of bucks on clearance at a local As Seen on TV store. It’s designed to go over a 2-liter soda bottle, providing a handle for easier pouring. In my experience, it held the bottle securely and made pouring less awkward. Although the handle could have been more comfortable, I found it to be surprisingly handy. I even tried swinging it around a bit, and it held up quite well.
In conclusion, I wasn’t overly impressed by any of these gadgets. The dispensers, despite their flaws, did their job to a certain extent but left room for improvement. The Fizz-Keeper was hit-or-miss, with inconsistent results across different tests. Surprisingly, the inexpensive Grab-N-Pour turned out to be the most practical among all these devices. However, I don’t think any of them completely solve the problems they set out to address.
If you’ve used any of these gadgets, tell me what you think in the comments below.