Review: Ninja's Thirsti Max Soda Maker Delivers Fizz But Not The Flavor Of Store-Bought Soda

I will never buy a kitchen appliance that I don't need, though "need" is a very subjective word. One of the appliances that I put into the "would be nice to have but not to buy" categories is a countertop soda maker. These machines have interchangeable carbon dioxide cartridges that allow you to turn still water into carbonated water within a matter of minutes. All you need to do is pop in your flavor of choice, press a couple of buttons, and in no time flat (or may I say, fizzy), you'll have a freshly carbonated beverage at your fingertips. 

Many consumers associate this product with brands like SodaStream, but one brand that's a newcomer on the kitchen appliance scene is SharkNinja. Yes, it's the same company that makes vacuum cleaners — and also the one behind the viral Ninja CREAMi, which we found offers frosty euphoria with some serious caveats. I had a chance to sample and test out the Ninja Thirsti Max Custom Hydration System to see whether it was worth purchasing — and to share some specifics that I think you should know before you buy one. 

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

The Ninja Thirsti Max Custom Hydration System is the brand's flagship soda-making machine. When you purchase from the Ninja website, each order comes with the soda-making machine, one carbon dioxide cartridge (which makes about 100 12-ounce drinks), a temperature-sensitive water tank, and four flavor pods of your choosing. 

The machine allows you to select from among three different carbonation levels — still, slightly carbonated, and highly carbonated — and four sizes ranging from 6 ounces to 24 ounces. The soda maker can hold up to two pods at a time, and you can select a single flavor or combine two together to make your own personalized beverage. Another interesting feature of this machine is the temperature-sensitive water tank. No one likes drinking lukewarm seltzer or soda, so luckily, the product team at Ninja made a reservoir that you could push ice down into to keep it cold. The tank also has a handy button on it that turns blue when the water has reached the optimal temperature for carbonation. 

This machine comes with a one-year warranty. It weighs nearly 10 pounds and is a little under 1½ feet tall. So, depending on the height of your kitchen cabinets, you may be able to tuck your machine underneath them when it's not in use. 

The Ninja Thirsti Max can be ordered from Ninja's website for $169.99. This package comes with a single carbon dioxide canister along with your choice of four flavor pods. You can also add on two more canisters for $59.99, which is essentially 200 more 12-ounce drinks. The canisters can only be returned in packs of two to Ninja — you just have to pay for the refills (which are sold at a 30% discount). Based on that logic, and the fact that you can only return the canisters in packs of two, it makes sense that you would want to spend the extra money to get the two additional canisters. Target also sells the same soda machine model for slightly more money ($179.99), but it's unclear which of the flavor pods come with it. It's also a good idea to watch for sales on these websites that can save you a few bucks.

The prices of the flavor pods themselves vary. Amazon sells three-packs of the flavors for around $19.99, and each pod is supposed to make between 17 and 20 12-ounce drinks. The Ninja website lists single pods at $6.99 and three-packs for $19.99 with free shipping if you spend more than $30. You can save some money if you subscribe to flavor orders from the company. It is important to note that the flavors that the Ninja Thirsti offers are not the conventional ones that you would find at the grocery store. There's no Diet Coke or Seagram's ginger ale — just Ninja's off-brand interpretation of these flavors. Competitor SodaStream, in comparison, carries Pepsi flavors including Starry, Diet Pepsi, and Mtn Dew. 

The differences between the Thirsti Max and the original Thirsti model are trivial. The basic Thirsti model is priced slightly cheaper than the Max at $149.99 on the brand's website. Like the Max, it comes with four flavors (though, the website doesn't give you options to select which ones for your initial purchase) and one 60-liter carbon dioxide cartridge.

Both of the reservoirs can hold up to 48 ounces of water, and the dimensions of the models are not too far off from one another. There are some design differences; the Max's pods located on the top of the machine, which makes for easier removal than the Thirsti's pods, which are tucked under the display. Another difference between the two models is that the Max apparently makes the beverages quicker than the original model — but I don't entirely know how much a couple of seconds is going to matter when it comes to a soda. The Thirsti Max also has an ice pump to chill your water down faster, which would, in turn, increase the carbonation, but I doubt that this warrants spending $20 more on almost the exact same machine. My advice? Put the Thirsti's water tank in your fridge so that it can stay cool. 

I would be remiss if I didn't mention some of the major differences between the Ninja Thirsti Max and its primary competitor, SodaStream. SodaStream's models range in price and complexity. The Terra, which SodaStream touts as its best-selling model, is priced on its website at $89.99. Like all of the SodaStream bottles, the carbonated water is dispensed directly into a 1-liter plastic bottle. In comparison, the Thirsti Max allows you to dispense into whatever container you'd like, so long as it fits under the nozzle. Another model worth comparing is SodaStream's high-end E-Duo, which is priced at $179.99 on the brand's website. Like the Thirsti Max, the premium SodaStream model allows you to select from three carbonation options. On looks alone, the SodaStream reminds me of a Nespresso — it's sleek, fashionable, and discrete. Meanwhile, the Thirsti Max looks like a clunky Keurig. 

The biggest difference, I think, between SodaStream's lineup and the Ninja Thirsti Max is that SodaStream allows you to add as much of your flavorings as you want, while the Ninja Thirsti offers only two options for flavor intensity for each of the two flavors loaded into the machine. And because you don't install the flavor capsules into the SodaStream machine itself, you aren't chained to brands like Ninja when it comes time to buy more flavor capsules. There's no doubt in my mind that there are far less Thirsti flavor options to choose from than what's available with a SodaStream. However, if you buy a SodaStream, you're limited by the size of the bottle. So if you make a 1-liter soda and only drink half of it, you're wasting a lot of the carbon dioxide. 

The first thing that I noticed about the Thirsti Max appliance once it arrived was how lightweight it was. I was expecting something far heavier. Even with the carbon dioxide cartridge and water tank, it's still easy to maneuver and place in my kitchen. I also appreciate that it easily slides into a spot underneath my cupboard, whereas many of my other kitchen appliances do not. 

The assembly for this machine is relatively simple. Once all of the parts are out of the packaging, all you need to do is install the carbon dioxide canister on the machine (just be sure to save the cap for a return). The instructions here were as foolproof as they could be, but I still was left second-guessing whether I put the canister in correctly. The next thing to do was to fill the container with ice water and run through a cycle for a quick flush of the machine. Then, I could install my zero-calorie flavors and get on with my bubbly adventure. 

I have to say that the installation process on this machine was seamless — though, I don't think it's possible to make an installation that hard (we're not talking about a super-technical appliance here).

When I took a whiff of the root beer flavor canister, I cheekily said, "Yep, that's root beer all right." But how would the actual beverage taste, especially compared to the best-ranked root beer brands? 

For all of these flavor tastings, I decided to make the 12-ounce option on the middle carbonation setting. I didn't anticipate the machine to brew carbonated water before the root beer kicked in. So, when I first started up the machine, all I saw was a little bit of carbonated water spewing out, which made me frantically worry whether I did something wrong. But fear not. Within a few seconds, the root beer dispensed. 

At first, my partner who assisted me on these taste tests and I found that the root beer wasn't as sweet as we thought it would be. There's also no acidic flavor on the back end to cut through the soda like what you would find in a store-bought brand. We also both agreed that the root beer flavor (which honestly leans more birch beer-like) lasts a little too long on the palate — almost to the point where it is obnoxious. However, I also set it on full-blast sweetness, rather than low-sweet, so this may be to blame. All in all, it's not a bad root beer. It just isn't a soda that I would drink willingly. As for the carbonation, this one was about what I expected. I selected the second-highest setting, and I found that there were just enough bubbles to make the beverage work. If anything, I would have liked to see a little more bubbles to cut through the syrupy flavor. 

There are some great store-brand colas, and then there is Ninja's attempt at a zero-sugar cola. There is something very odd on the nose with this soda flavor, and if I had to point to something, I would have to say it was akin to anise or licorice. It's obvious that Ninja didn't get a personal invite into the Coca-Cola vault because then it may have learned the error of its ways. Unfortunately, these anise-y flavors are more prominent than anything else in this soda. It is well-sweetened, though it did not come through as syrupy as the root beer or the Dr. Thirsti flavor did. 

Overall, if you are blind to the smell and flavor differences in various colas, you may not find as many faults with this beverage as I did. When I made it a second time with a higher carbonation and less syrup, I found that its flavor was a little more even keeled and easier to sip on. While the cola wasn't my favorite Ninja Thirsti flavor, it certainly wasn't the lowest-scoring item on this list. It's about the small wins, right?

I will be honest: I absolutely despise orange soda, even the best-ranked brands. While other soda flavors are mild and well-balanced, orange syrup tends to lean heavy on the sugar — which makes it sickeningly sweet rather than complex and flavorful. 

If you are an orange soda connoisseur, you may find this soda option a little tastier than I did. But when I took a whiff of it, I was taken aback. It didn't smell like a small-batch orange soda sold at a general store. It smelled unequivocally like orange Gatorade — and not in a good way. It also wasn't very sweet, which drove home the whole sports drink vibe. Though on the palate, the fizziness was more apparent than with other flavors I sampled, which made it tastier to sip on. 

However, no amount of bubbles (not even on the highest setting, which I also tested) could hide the artificial, borderline cough-syrup flavor of this soda. It was medicinal and aspartame-forward — but that's the status quo when it comes to diet orange sodas. Overall, this flavor is an accurate depiction of what diet orange soda should taste like ... for better or for worse.

I was never a big Dr Pepper stan, but I'm not surprised to see that Ninja would try its hand at making a flavor that mimics diet Dr Pepper for its machines. While billed as having 23 flavors, Dr Pepper is supposed to taste like a medley of black cherry, vanilla, and citrus. I've always found that the Dr Pepper diet version takes the cherries and runs away with the flavor. When I took a whiff of this diet Dr. Thirsti from Ninja, I couldn't help but laugh. It smells just like the toxic cherry odor that I remembered, which gave me hope that this flavor would come out on top. 

Sadly, the flavor of this beverage was not that reminiscent of Dr Pepper. Rather, it was missing out on all of those complexities that make the soda unique. As its name suggests, it's a generic attempt at a timeless beverage. That being said, it was a valiant effort. 

On the palate, this Dr. Thirsti flavor is more syrupy than the root beer flavor. It still hangs on your palate (not as long as the diet root beer flavor did, thankfully). I don't think dialing back the syrup would do it any favors, though. Dr Pepper should be obnoxiously syrupy — that's part of its gimmick. That being said, I was craving more bubbles from this flavor; I would recommend cranking it up to the highest setting possible for the tastiest brew. 

The perceived utility of the Ninja Thirsti Max machine really depends on how many cans of soda and/or sparkling water you go through each week. I, personally, am the type of consumer who drinks a Diet Coke or two a day — or a seltzer when it's around — but otherwise, I don't touch anything carbonated. So, it wouldn't make much sense for me to pour hundreds of dollars into not only the machine itself but also the carbon dioxide and the flavors needed to operate it on regular basis. If you are a big soda hound or use carbonated beverages as mixers for your cocktails, then I would say that this machine might be a solid investment for you — solely from a monetary standpoint.

However, if you use this machine, you will have to make concessions — mainly in terms of flavors. For one, it's a little annoying that Ninja doesn't carry the Diet Coke flavor I love — because believe me, not all colas taste the same – and this list certainly made that clear. If you're after name brands and want control over the amount of syrup in your beverage, shoot for a SodaSteam instead. 

Moreover, you should take my opinions on the tastings in this experiment with a grain of salt, as they were all with diet sodas. If you try one of the fruit-flavored seltzer flavors, for example, you may think more favorably of Ninja's Thirsti Max flavors. The number of different flavor options that Ninja offers is certainly a perk for the brand, seeing as there likely is something there for every kind of carbonated beverage drinker.