Everyone’s going crazy about the environment. People are buying reusable items to play their part in fighting climate change.
Perhaps you’re one of them up, and want to swap out your plastic water bottles for something more reusable. So, you ditch your plastic bottles for stainless steel water bottles.
But now, you’re wondering whether you can put carbonated drinks in stainless steel bottle or thermos.
This article will discuss carbonation, whether you can put carbonated drinks in stainless steel bottles, and what you acan and can’t put in stainless steel water bottles.
What is Carbonation?
Carbonation means infusing carbon dioxide gas (CO2) into a liquid, which creates small bubbles in the drink, also called fizz.
Though the process is widely artificial with high-pressure machinery, carbonation also occurs naturally when carbon dioxide is dissolved underground into a liquid, such as spring water.
So, in essence, carbonated beverages are drinks infused with carbon dioxide and therefore have a bubbly and fizzy sensation.
Can you put carbonated drinks in a stainless steel bottle?
Yes, you can put any carbonated drink in any grade of stainless steel bottles.
Sodas and other carbonated beverages are made of carbonated water, a sweetener (sugar), and natural or artificial flavoring.
Most stainless steel bottles are made of 18/8 steel, food-grade stainless steel as described by the FDA.
18/8 stainless steel is very resistant to corrosion. It can withstand most acids (including citric acid in sodas and some other carbonated drinks.)
And because of its durability, 18/8 stainless steel can withstand the explosion of undissolved carbon dioxide in carbonated drinks if put inside a freezer.
Therefore, you can safely put carbonated drinks in a stainless steel water bottle.
What can you not put in a stainless steel water bottle?
In a previous post explaining the waterproof ability of stainless steel, we learned that there’s a passive layer on the surface of stainless steel that makes it waterproof.
That means the steel would remain intact while holding water and other liquids.
However, it doesn’t guarantee that liquids would remain consumable when you put them in a stainless steel water bottle.
Hot milk is an example of a liquid you shouldn’t store in a thermos flask.
Ordinarily, it’s safe to put cold milk in a stainless steel bottle (below 40°F).
But storing milk at a higher temperature for a long time would speed up the rate at which microorganisms multiply, causing curdling at the bottom of the bottle, and eventually, spoilage.
So, avoiding hot milk in a stainless steel bottle isn’t because of any risks of the metal contaminating the milk, it’s actually a result of its insulating property enabling the milk to spoil.
Is it ok to put carbonated beverages in a stainless steel bottle?
Putting ANY carbonated drink in a stainless steel water bottle is completely safe.
Most people think drinking from metallic bottles is unsafe and would cause a lot of health effects.
While that is true for some types of metal bottles, stainless steel water bottles are in the clear.
Here are two solid reasons why:
Stainless steel water bottles are BPA-free
Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a chemical used to manufacture polycarbonate plastics, and is contained in many household items such as toys, dish ware, and drinking bottles.
Research shows that prolonged exposure to BPA-containing plastics can cause dysfunction of the endocrine system and adversely affect the brain and prostate glands of fetuses, infants, and children.
Unlike plastic reusable water bottles, stainless steel does not contain any trace of BPA.
If you’d like to learn more about BPA, you can read our article is stainless steel BPA free?
Stainless steel bottles are toxin free
Unlike aluminum and plastic bottles, which leach various chemicals into drinking water, stainless steel bottles don’t, even if they get damaged or contain boiling liquids.
You may think there are BPA-free plastic bottles, but those bottles still contain harmful chemicals, such as phthalates, which have been linked to cancer.
Getting a stainless steel water bottle is a great way to avoid drinking potentially toxin-laced liquid.
Will soda stay fizzy in a stainless steel water bottle?
CO2 added to water becomes carbonic acid, which has a sour taste.
Carbonic anhydrase sits on sour-tasting cells and reacts with the acid to create carbonated water’s familiar popping sensation.
In short, carbonic acid is responsible for that fun, bubbly fizz you hear when you open a bottle of a carbonated drink.
But there’s a trick to it.
You could shake a can of soda or sparkling water continuously and would never create that fizz.
Do you know why? It’s because those bubbles don’t activate till the drink comes in contact with air.
In other words, soda will stay fizzy in a stainless steel water bottle, but only if you don’t let the soda go flat before putting it in your stainless steel bottle. Otherwise, you’ll never get those bubbles back.
What is the best way to keep soda carbonated?
To keep soda carbonated, you need to stop the carbon dioxide from leaking out.
Fizzy drinks go flat because whenever they’re opened & re-closed, CO2 is released from the beverage until parity pressure is reached in the container.
So, another way to ask this question would be “how to stop carbon dioxide (CO2) from leaking out of carbonated drinks?”
You can do two things to stop leaking CO2 from fizzy beverages.
Transfer the soda into a bottle with a lid
Keeping soda in a cup or something similar will only cause its CO2 content to leak quickly.
Transferring the carbonated drink into a stainless steel bottle (or something else with a lid) keeps it fizzy for longer.
Keep it cold
The temperature at the time of carbonation determines the intensity of the fizz when you open up a carbonated beverage.
The colder the drink and the tighter its container is sealed, the fizzier your soda will be.
That’s why cold soda is difficult to shake up.
Can you put soda in a stainless steel bottle?
You can put soda and other carbonated drinks in a stainless steel bottle.
Soda generally contains carbonated water, sugar, caffeine, and phosphoric and citric acids.
But these acids have such low pH levels (2-3) that they would not affect the passive layer of the stainless steel.
What are the risks of putting soda in a stainless steel bottle?
While it is perfectly safe to put carbonated drinks in a stainless steel water bottle, there are a few things to be mindful of.
Residue buildup
Although stainless steel is rust-resistant, it doesn’t have any inherent antimicrobial properties.
This means if you use your stainless steel bottle for weeks without cleaning, you’ll allow dirt to build up, which would be a breeding ground for a variety of bacteria and mold.
These germs remain viable for at least two days, which is plenty of time to get infected.
Therefore, improper use of vacuum insulated stainless steel bottles would cause a buildup of bacteria within.
Make sure to use lots of warm soapy water to clean the bottle frequently and you’ll be good to go. Also, if your bottle is dishwasher safe, just toss it in there once a week.
Metallic taste
The recommended stainless steel grade for handling food is the 18/8 because it is highly resistant to acids, alkalis, and chlorides such as table salt.
So, if you notice a metallic taste when drinking soda from a stainless steel bottle, the bottle was likely made with a low grade of stainless steel.
Will the phosphoric acid in coca-cola corrode stainless steel?
The idea that phosphoric acid can corrode stainless steel is completely false.
According to the British Stainless Steel Association, phosphoric acid is a weak acid found naturally in food and used as a chemical-cleaning agent for stainless steel.
Unlike hydrochloric acid, which is very aggressive to every grade of stainless steel, phosphoric acid would pose no threat to the passive oxide layer on the surface of stainless steel that makes the metal rust-resistant.
Therefore, phosphoric acid in sodas like Coca Cola will NOT corrode stainless steel.
Can you put beer in a stainless steel bottle?
Yes, you can safely drink beer from a stainless steel bottle.
During fermentation (the process from which beer is formed), carbon dioxide is released, causing beer to be a naturally carbonated beverage.
Since it’s safe to drink other carbonated drinks like soda from a stainless steel bottle, it is just as safe to drink beer from them too.
Can you put sparkling water in a stainless steel bottle?
Sparkling water, also called carbonated water or seltzer water, is produced by infusing CO2 under pressure.
Like other carbonated beverages such as soda, sparkling water poses no risks when stored in stainless steel bottles.
Summary: Can you put carbonated drinks in a stainless steel bottle?
Now you know that despite the many chemicals in fizzy drinks, none of them can cause any harmful reaction when put in a stainless steel bottle, whether to the bottle itself or to your health.