Quick Answer: You can put sparkling water (soda, seltzer, etc) in a blender and there are several smoothie recipes that actually call for it. The blending cycle will actually reduce the amount of carbonation in the sparkling water. This is because the CO2 that's causing the carbonation gets exposed to the outside atmosphere at an extremely rapid rate thanks rapid movement of the blades.
But can this practice be dangerous? What's the best way to add carbonation to your smoothies?
Let's learn a bit more...
My Concerns
Even though I've actually tested it (and seen others test it), I've always been rather concerned when putting sparkling water, seltzer, or soda into a blender that you seal before blending.
An example of this type of blender would be a Nutribullet or Nutri Ninja, which we have featured in our article on the best Ninja blender.
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If you didn't know, there have been reports of these types blenders exploding from misuse.
The main culprit is putting hot liquids in them. When you put hot liquids in a blender like a Nutribullet (with the exception of the Rx), you can get a large amount of pressure build up within the jar because it's sealed. There is nowhere for the heat and pressure to vent to. There's specific types of blenders you can use for soups, hot beverages, and coffee. We have them listed on this guide for the best blender for hot liquids so be sure to check it out if you're looking to buy one.
Without lid that can release the pressure and heat, things can explode.
Now, I've always been concerned that the same thing would happen with seltzer or sparkling water, but the science and tests say otherwise.
Since the blades actually diminish the amount of carbonation,
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Test Videos
My Test
As promised, here is my test where I put seltzer in my Nutribullet. Just as I said, the bubbles drastically reduce due to the sheer of the blades.
However, there was still some carbonation left and a little bit of a fizzing noise as I removed the blades from the jar.
Smoothie with Sparkling Water
In this video, you can see Nicky making a sparkling water smoothie (that actually looks really good). She's using...
- Blueberries
- Spinach
- Kale
- Banana
- Sparkling Water (Poland Spring)
In the video, she blends for quite a long time it doesn't look like there is any pressure build up. At the end, she tastes the smoothie and it still has a good amount of fizz.
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Italian Soda Fruit Smoothie
In this next video, you can see a refreshing looking beverage being made with two types of Italian soda: pomegranate and blood orange. The creator also threw in some other ingredients such as....
- Frozen peaches
- Frozen pineapples
- Frozen strawberries
This one looks a little bit too sweet for my tastes, but that's not the point. You can tell that after a full cycle in the Nutri Ninja, everything blended safe and sound.
As you can see, there's no reason to be concerned if you're making a smoothie with sparkling water, soda or seltzer. There are tons of videos online of people making delicious-looking drinks and it's something I've tried myself.
If you want to step an extra-step of caution, consider using a blender model with a vented lid to release some of the pressure. Want to learn more about different kinds of nutribullets so you can decide which one to buy? Check out these reviews for the best nutribullet options.
Have fun!
Hey, I’m Joey. I’ve been cooking since I was a little kid and love everything about it. You can find my writing about food, kitchen appliances (such as blenders) and much more. Thanks for stopping by!
