Home sparkling-water systems have become a fixture in UK kitchens — but the running cost is the gas, not the machine. Once the fizz fades, you need a fresh charge of CO₂, and the way you buy that refill makes a real difference to what you pay and how long you wait. This guide explains how CO₂ refills work across the most common systems — SodaStream-style, Grohe Blue and Quooker — what’s compatible with what, and the four ways Adams Gas can get you refilled.
It’s the same gas — the difference is the cylinder
Every countertop carbonator does the same job: it forces food-grade carbon dioxide (E290) into chilled water to make it sparkle. The gas inside a SodaStream cylinder, a Grohe Blue bottle and a Quooker cylinder is the same food-grade CO₂ — what changes is the cylinder’s size, valve and thread, which is why you can’t always swap one system’s bottle into another.
That’s the single most useful thing to understand before you buy: you’re not shopping for a type of gas, you’re matching a cylinder fitting. Get the fitting right and a refill is quick, cheap and completely routine.
The three common systems, and how to refill them
SodaStream-style cylinders
These are the classic screw-in carbonator cylinders used by SodaStream and dozens of compatible machines. Rather than being tied to a single brand’s exchange scheme, Adams Gas runs an unbranded refill service that works for all styles of soda cylinder. Our SodaStream-style unbranded cylinder & refills start at £5 for a refill, or £23.90 for a new unbranded cylinder supplied filled. The refill service is compatible with cylinders from a very wide range of brands — including AGA, Aarke, Aqvia, Arendo, Blanco and Brita models, among many others — so in most cases you can keep the cylinder you already own.
Grohe Blue systems
Grohe Blue taps use their own CO₂ bottles. Adams supplies compatible replacements: a Grohe Blue compatible 425g bottle at £6.00 for the standard sparkling-water size, and a Grohe Blue compatible Professional 3.15kg cylinder at £26.05 for higher-volume households and light commercial use — filled with the same food-grade CO₂.
Quooker sparkling systems
Quooker’s sparkling tap also runs on a dedicated CO₂ cylinder. Adams stocks an unbranded Quooker-compatible 425g refill at £5.83, so you can keep your system fizzing without paying single-brand cylinder prices.
If you carbonate at higher volumes — a busy family kitchen, a café counter, a home bar — a larger food-grade cylinder can work out cheaper per litre. Adams offers food-grade CO₂ in home-bar sizes such as 1.5kg (£17.91) and 3.15kg (£26.05), plus a 1,100g E290 disposable cylinder (£24.00) for sparkling water and beer that uses a standard M10×1 RH thread.
Four ways to get refilled
The reason an independent supplier can beat a single-brand exchange scheme is choice. Adams Gas offers four fulfilment options on the SodaStream-style service, and you pick whichever suits you:
- Mail-in refill. Post your empty cylinder to us with your return details; we refill it and send it back — typically the next day.
- In-person refill. Bring your cylinder to Adams Gas, Strasbourg Street, Westwood Industrial Estate, Margate, Kent CT9 4JJ, and we fill it while you wait.
- New unbranded cylinder. We supply a new cylinder ready-filled — picked up or couriered (a £9 courier charge each way covers up to six cylinders).
- Brand exchange. Return cylinders from other brands and we’ll exchange them at the cost of a refill only, then recycle the old cylinder responsibly.
That last option matters for cost and for the environment: instead of scrapping a perfectly good cylinder because it carries the wrong logo, it gets refilled or recycled rather than binned.
Refill, exchange or replace — which is cheapest?
- Keep and refill your existing cylinder whenever you can — at from £5 it’s almost always the cheapest route, and there’s nothing new to buy.
- Exchange when your cylinder is a different brand and you’d rather not post it back and forth — you pay the refill cost, not a new-cylinder cost.
- Buy new (filled) only when you need a spare so you’re never caught without fizz, or when your old cylinder is out of test date and can’t safely be refilled.
For most households, keeping one cylinder in use and one spare — and refilling on rotation — is the cheapest, lowest-waste way to run a sparkling-water system for years.
Safe to drink, properly filled
The CO₂ in every Adams sparkling-water cylinder is food-grade (E290) — the same standard used to carbonate commercial soft drinks — and every cylinder is filled and handled by trained staff. If you’re ever unsure whether your specific cylinder can be refilled (age, condition or an unusual valve), ask us before you post it and we’ll confirm.
Buy it back near you — or supply it yourself
Adams Gas delivers CO₂ refills across the UK, but sparkling-water cylinders are also a natural fit for local shops, hardware stores and trade counters. If you’d rather collect locally, use our stockist finder to find your nearest supplier. And if you run a shop and your customers keep asking where to refill their soda cylinders, it’s a simple, repeat-purchase line to add — become an Adams Gas stockist and we’ll handle the gas.
The short version
- The gas is the same food-grade CO₂ across systems — you’re matching the cylinder fitting, not the gas.
- SodaStream-style refills from £5; Grohe Blue compatible from £6.00; Quooker compatible £5.83.
- Four ways to refill: mail-in, in-person, new filled cylinder, or brand exchange.
- Refilling your existing cylinder is almost always the cheapest and least wasteful option.
Ready to top up? Explore CO₂ for soda & sparkling water or contact the Adams Gas team and we’ll point you to the right cylinder.
Frequently asked questions
Can I refill my SodaStream cylinder instead of exchanging it at a shop?
Yes. Adams Gas runs an unbranded refill service that works with all styles of soda cylinder, so in most cases you can keep and refill the cylinder you already own — from £5 — rather than swapping it for a new branded one. You can post it in, bring it to our Margate site, or exchange a different brand’s cylinder at the cost of a refill.
Are SodaStream, Grohe Blue and Quooker cylinders the same?
They all use the same food-grade CO₂ gas, but the cylinders differ in size, valve and thread, so they aren’t always interchangeable. Adams stocks compatible refills for each system, so you match the cylinder fitting rather than the gas.
Is the CO₂ safe to use in drinking water?
Yes. Every Adams sparkling-water cylinder is filled with food-grade CO₂ (E290) — the same grade used to carbonate commercial soft drinks — and filled by trained staff.
How do I refill a Quooker or Grohe Blue CO₂ cylinder?
Adams supplies compatible replacement cylinders you can buy online — a Quooker-compatible 425g refill (£5.83) and Grohe Blue compatible bottles (from £6.00) — with UK delivery. If you’re unsure which cylinder your system takes, contact us before ordering and we’ll confirm.
Can I get a CO₂ refill near me?
Adams Gas delivers refills across the UK and supplies a network of local stockists. Use the stockist finder on adamsgas.co.uk to locate your nearest supplier, or order online for delivery.
Is refilling cheaper than buying a new cylinder each time?
Almost always. A refill starts at £5, versus £23.90 for a new filled cylinder, so keeping and refilling your existing cylinder — with one spare on rotation — is the lowest-cost, lowest-waste way to run a sparkling-water system.
