Cuisinart Sparkling Beverage Maker, Black

The Cuisinart Sparkling Beverage Maker works great and we have been very happy with this product. We bought it to save money and stop using so many plastic bottles. We have succeeded in being greener and not going through plastic bottles. But the 4 star rating is based on the fact that the refills are $20 each and we go through them every 3 weeks which isn't saving us money.

Bought this for my husband and he LOVES IT!!! My kids love it!The cartridge didn't last nearly long enough for us, it was rather easy to refill.Very good quailty and adds TONS of fizz!!!Great fun!!

This product is fine, and works as advertised. HOWEVER, it is virtually impossible to get CO2 for it. They sell tiny 4oz tanks that charge 4-5 bottles for $32-$40, and there is nowhere to exchange them for refills. When I purchased mine in Dec 2013, it was possible to trade in spend tanks at Bed Bath and Beyond for $10, each. I had purchased 4 tanks with the SMS-201S so I would not have to run to the store too frequently. In January, BB&B stopped carrying the Cuisinart 201S and also stopped their tank exchange program. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, not a small town, and there is no place to exchange bottles. That makes this unit a complete waste of money.Cuisinart ripped me off by not making it possible to get reasonable CO2 tanks.The one savings grace is I purchased an after market adapter which allows me to use MUCH more affordable and sizable paintball CO2 tanks from [...] That has made this unit something that actually makes sense. So I bought another 4-tanks, this time 9oz paintball tanks from sodamod, along with their adapter, and I am able to make as much sparkling water as I can drink very affordable. One tank charges dozens of bottles.But SHAME on Cuisinart for being so totally greedy, and for thier complete lack of concern about CUSTOMER convenience.

This beverage maker is handsome and easy to use, but the cartridges are way, way too small. They only last about a week and make only ten to fifteen bottles of sparking water. Unless they come out with a higher capacity cartridge, you should investigate another manufacturer.

I really did not do my homework before buying this. I thought it would be a good substitute for soft drinks. The problem is twofold. The initial cost of the device is too high for what you get. There is really nothing to this thing. I dont even care for the design. They include one bottle that when you go to screw it on to the machine, is too tall. You have to tilt it over to get it under the aerator nozzle. What were they thinking? Check the height of your cabinets too if you think this thing will fit under your cabinets, you might be in for a surprise. It may have sit out obtrusively on your counter top if you plan on using it every day. The biggest disappointment comes in the refill CO2 bottles. No one will refill them. No one will exchange them. $30 for a gas cylinder that will just get tossed into a land fill is ridiculous. I personally know that it only takes a couple of dollars to fill one of these with CO2. They need to sell an adaptor so I can take the bottle to a C02 supplier and get it refilled. Then the device might be cost effective. Don't even think of buying one of the little CO2 tanks. Ours lasted a couple of weeks. and the big containers are only a few dollars more expensive. The big tank lasted almost 3 months. Then there is the quality of the seltzer itself. Personally, I'm disappointed with the amount of CO2 I can get into the water. It's no where near like a real carbonated soda you buy ready made. Its just an expensive novelty.

A lot they don't tell you about this thing...you get a very small canister of CO2 as a starter (makes about 4 containers of bubbly water and that's it!), but you can't find the larger canisters on Amazon. You have to contact Cuisinart in New Jersey and order them there. Then you're in business. Sadly, it's hard to find that information anywhere.

I much prefer the Cuisinart to my other carbonating unit. The lever works well and it fits under my counter vs. having to be set out with top exposed.

This was a waste of money. I spent about $115 for the new system, an extra cartridge and another bottle. I was so happy with the first couple of bottles, and we were making 2 at a time. Then we burned through the cartridge really fast. We thought maybe it was because the system was new. Put in the next cartridge and we made maybe 5 bottles more. That's like $4/bottle for my tap water that I filter. Then we're stuck recycling the cartridges. Completely ridiculous. No way I'm spending another $20 on a new cartridge. We're better off just buying small bottles of club soda and recycling them. Much more environmentally friendly as far as I'm concerned. Now I have to figure out where to recycle this whole system, b/c I won't be rude and try to pass it off to a friend.

We loved the product The only problem is we cannot find anywhere where they sell the refill gazHave been looking for over a yearI'm told they don't sell it anymoreHad to go and buy a soda stream

This product does carbonate water, but it uses a great deal more "shots" than the manual describes to carbonate. I suspect the CO2 canister won't last long as I am having to triple the amount used to get fizz. I have not been able to find a place in Kingston to recycle/refill the canister which is very small, so I suspect the cost of replacing them will far exceed purchasing soda water or even Perrier type water. It may end up in the next charity garage sale that is looking for stuff but I won't be sure until the canister is empty. The bottle also does not hold the fizz, so have to drink all of it quickly, and it can't be used at half-full. It does work though.

Impossible to get refills for the CO2 cartridges. New ones are available but about $50 each! I do not recommend the purchase to anyone.

IT WORKED FINE BUT THE CO2 CYLINDERS ARE RUNNING OUT AND I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND REPLACEMENTS WITHOUT GOING TO LARGER ONES THAT REQUIRE AN EXPENSIVE ADAPTER.

The item sold was a discontinued product and the water bottle included was past the expiray date.