First, a confession; I love soda siphons. There's something in me that is just inexorably drawn to them. Whether it's a fascination with the mechanics of how they work, the way they hearken to a time when mustachioed bartenders spritzed from heavy glass and chromed siphons before these damned soda guns, or that there's a little boy in me that imagines terrorizing everyone within three feet of me with one; I just love the things. They're one of those things I could see myself collecting vintage and rare versions of, greeting guests at my home with a slightly sheepish and creepy, 'So, would you like to see my siphon collection?', gently tugging them towards inevitable discomfort and grudging interest towards my shelves of seltzer bottles. So, it was with many desperate and in no way subtle pleas that I let my wife know in no uncertain terms that a Soda Siphon was what I was getting for Father's Day this year. And, I did.

Soda Siphons (sometimes spelled 'syphon') and Seltzer Bottles are essentially the exact same product with the production companies generally choosing one term or the other for marketing reasons. The history of the modern seltzer bottle starts with a French patent in 1829 which had a hollow corkscrew with a valve enabling the contents of the bottle to remain carbonated and released at the user's desire. This tool became more popular throughout the 1920s and 1930s but as bottled carbonated beverages became more prevalent and after the destruction of many seltzer bottle plants in Eastern Europe – still a major producer of soda siphons – in WWII they became less common. My experiences with the different brands comes from the one my father-in-law has, my own, as well as one other I've worked with in the past; so here goes:

To compare the products I will rate the siphons in four categories; appearance and style, ease of use, soda quality, and overall value. The testing method is very subjective given that I have a different amount of time spent with each siphon and the environments were very different, however, I have a definite feel for how each performs and have used each extensively from setup, to breakdown, as well as in use and cleanup.

Liss Quart Soda Siphon, $39.99-$59.95:

This siphon, at first glance, is the most attractive of the bunch as it is the only one in the group available in a polished stainless steel look. But, upon opening the instructions you notice two things; the instructions are nearly indecipherable (and if it's your first experience with a soda siphon, woe unto you) and there seem to be some basic design issues with the thing. The charging valve is on the left side of the unit and the trigger on the back. While this is a more classic approach (since the triggers are almost always on the back of the gun in vintage versions) it lends itself to awkward holding when charging it, since you're liable to accidently hit the trigger if you're not paying attention, and when spraying it since the nozzle on this unit is offset a little lower on the neck than the others. This becomes a bit of a problem when you're dealing with a wide-lipped glass or trying to angle the unit to the opposite side of the glass from you since there's not a lot of clearance between the nozzle and the unit's body. The materials felt fairly high-quality but not particularly better or worse than the others and while I like the overall look of the siphon, the symmetry of the unit and the lack of tapering of the bottle at the top lends itself to a more utilitarian versus stylish look.

Appearance/Style Rating: (gain pts for polished look, lose pts for shapeliness)

Ease of Use Rating: (instructions are a nightmare, actual use is below-average)

Soda Quality Rating: (held its charge well and seemed comparable to bottled/canned soda)

Overall Value Rating: (at $39.99 not bad, at $59.99 fuhgeddaboudit)

iSi Liter Soda Siphon, $39.99-$74.95:

The iSi siphon seems the best thought-out from a design standpoint. The chrome caps on the charging valve and at the top of the head are a touch of class and the curvature of the bottle and the trigger itself both make the unit a pleasure to hold and use. The instructions for the iSi are very clear and the unit breaks apart and comes together nicely without having to worry about whether you're over-torquing the head or going to leave it too lose and potentially leak. It fits together snugly and the tapered body and angle of the nozzle leave a comfortable amount of room to work in various glasses and angles. The trigger being on the right side is preferable to me with my only complaint being that the trigger is plastic versus metal. Since you're dealing with a lot of pressure coming out thought the nozzle you want to feel like you have a high amount of control (and safety) and that the parts won't give way anytime soon. I'm not sure why iSi made this choice with the trigger when it's the primary touchpoint for the user and the other units all have metal triggers, even if they don't feel so finely engineered. This unit seemed to hold its charge the best, and as with the Liss, the quality of the soda is comparable to canned and bottled club soda. This bottle felt the most well-made and for some reason feels like it's the most insulated and there's more distance between the outside and inside walls. However, at $74.95 (freaking Williams-Sonoma) I'm not sure it's worth the difference in cost. At $39.95 it's a fantastic deal.

Appearance/Style Rating: (the metallic colored ones are also very nice)

Ease of Use Rating: (easy to feel confident using this one)

Soda Quality Rating: (about the same as the Liss, extra half-point for it holding it well for so long)

Overall Value Rating: (assuming $39.95 – but only a 1-year warranty)

Leland (aka Mr. Fizz or Donato) Liter Soda Siphon, $37.99-$44.95:

The tallest and leanest of the group, this siphon suffers from a couple quality issues. First, the cap over the charging valve only was a few threads the very top and because of its cheaper plastic composite just doesn't seem like it's going to stay on or not strip the threads. The brushing effect on the outside of the bottle also has a cheaper look than the iSi which makes it look more industrial versus commercial. Also, the sharp tapering effect towards the head (unlike the iSi's gentle curvature) makes it look less refined and finely engineered than the iSi. All of that being said, I appreciate the metal-handled trigger and how sturdy the head feels overall. The instructions are clear and this unit comes with 10 chargers versus the
1 (or none) with the other units. The unit is fairly easy to use but I find myself wanting to twist, and possibly overtighten, the head because it never feels like the tube seal (the part that keeps it from leaking when pressure is built up) settles flush against the base of the unit. The quality of soda is very good though it doesn't seem to keep as well or as long as the iSi model. One thing I really like about this model is the angle and length of the nozzle. It is very easy to get to the opposite edge of just about any glass given the unit's tapered body and nozzle length. The soda water dispenses very evenly but because of the nozzle's angle there tends to be a residue of water in the nozzle that when you shake it again sort of gets all over embarrassing parts of your clothing. This unit seems to be a discontinued model by Mr. Fizz but it holds up fairly well against the competition given its average price point.

Appearance/Style Rating: (brushing looks a little cheap and industrial)

Ease of Use Rating: (getting to feel that the tube seal is secure can be difficult)

Soda Quality Rating: (about the same as the Liss)

Overall Value Rating: (a 2-year warranty and nice that it has the 10 chargers)

Overall, the iSi is your best bet, just don't purchase it from Williams-Sonoma as there are much better deals out there on it (and they only carry the red version in their stores). By the time you purchase a box of chargers for it you're out $80+ and you can get it for almost half that. I haven't used any 2-liter or glass versions and I can tell a huge advantage to a glass version would be the fill line (I currently measure the quart or liter out when filling even though there's a 'measuring tube' that seems practically useless for measuring). The 2-liter version seems to me that unless your producing fizzes and collinses at a fairly high rate (which I've had happen, just not very often) you would burn through chargers fairly quickly or have a good amount go flat in the bottle. Plus, storage could be a problem because of the unit's size. A final word of advice; the instructions are right when they say to shake the bottle after charging. It helps… a lot.