Home sparkling water systems have become a common feature in UK kitchens, but the ongoing cost is usually the gas rather than the machine.

Once the fizz runs out, you need a fresh charge of CO₂, and the way you buy that refill can make a real difference to what you pay and how long you wait.

This guide explains how CO₂ refills work across the most common systems, including SodaStream-style cylinders, Grohe Blue and Quooker. It also explains what is compatible, what is not, and the four ways Adams Gas can help you get refilled.

It is the same gas, but the cylinder is different

Every countertop carbonator does the same basic job.

It forces food-grade carbon dioxide, also known as E290, into chilled water to make it sparkle.

The gas inside a SodaStream cylinder, Grohe Blue bottle and Quooker cylinder is the same food-grade CO₂. What changes is the cylinder size, valve and thread, which is why you cannot always swap one system’s bottle into another.

That is the most useful thing to understand before buying.

You are not shopping for a different type of gas. You are matching the cylinder fitting.

Get the fitting right, and a refill is quick, cost-effective and 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 many 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.

SodaStream-style unbranded cylinder refills start at £5, or £23.90 for a new unbranded cylinder supplied filled.

The refill service is compatible with cylinders from a wide range of brands, including AGA, Aarke, Aqvia, Arendo, Blanco and Brita models, among many others.

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, including a Grohe Blue compatible 425g bottle at £6.00 for the standard sparkling water size.

A Grohe Blue compatible Professional 3.15kg cylinder is also available at £26.05 for higher-volume households and light commercial use.

Both are filled with the same food-grade CO₂.

Quooker sparkling systems

Quooker sparkling taps also use a dedicated CO₂ cylinder.

Adams stocks an unbranded Quooker-compatible 425g refill at £5.83, helping keep the system fizzing without paying single-brand cylinder prices.

If you carbonate at higher volumes, such as in a busy family kitchen, café counter or home bar, a larger food-grade cylinder can work out cheaper per litre.

Adams offers food-grade CO₂ in home-bar sizes, including 1.5kg at £17.91 and 3.15kg at £26.05.

A 1,100g E290 disposable cylinder is also available at £24.00 for sparkling water and beer applications that use a standard M10 x 1 RH thread.

Food-grade CO₂ refill cylinders are available in a range of sizes to suit sparkling water systems, home bars and trade use.

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, so you can choose whichever suits you best.

Mail-in refill

Post your empty cylinder to Adams Gas with your return details.

The team will refill it and send it back, typically the next day.

In-person refill

Bring your cylinder to Adams Gas at Strasbourg Street, Westwood Industrial Estate, Margate, Kent CT9 4JJ.

The team can fill it while you wait.

New unbranded cylinder

Adams Gas can supply a new cylinder ready-filled.

It can be collected or sent by courier, with a £9 courier charge each way covering up to six cylinders.

Brand exchange

Return cylinders from other brands and Adams Gas will exchange them at the cost of a refill only, then recycle the old cylinder responsibly.

This option matters for both cost and the environment.

Instead of scrapping a perfectly good cylinder because it carries the wrong logo, it can be refilled or recycled rather than thrown away.

Refill, exchange or replace: which is cheapest?

Keep and refill your existing cylinder whenever you can.

With refills from £5, this is almost always the cheapest route, and there is nothing new to buy.

Exchange when your cylinder is from a different brand and you would rather not post it back and forth.

You pay the refill cost, not the cost of a new cylinder.

Buy new and filled only when you need a spare so you are never caught without fizz, or when your old cylinder is out of test date and cannot safely be refilled.

For most households, keeping one cylinder in use and one spare, then refilling them on rotation, is the cheapest and lowest-waste way to run a sparkling water system for years.

Safe to drink and properly filled

The CO₂ in every Adams sparkling water cylinder is food-grade E290.

This is the same standard used to carbonate commercial soft drinks, and every cylinder is filled and handled by trained staff.

If you are unsure whether your specific cylinder can be refilled because of its age, condition or an unusual valve, ask Adams Gas before posting it and the team will 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 would rather collect locally, use the Adams Gas stockist finder to find your nearest supplier.

If you run a shop and customers keep asking where to refill their soda cylinders, it is a simple repeat-purchase line to add.

Become an Adams Gas stockist and the company will handle the gas.

The short version

The gas is the same food-grade CO₂ across systems. You are matching the cylinder fitting, not the gas.

SodaStream-style refills start from £5, Grohe Blue compatible refills start from £6.00, and Quooker compatible refills are £5.83.

There are 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 and sparkling water or contact the Adams Gas team, who can 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.

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 the 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 are not 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, also known as E290.

This is the same grade used to carbonate commercial soft drinks, and cylinders are filled by trained staff.

How do I refill a Quooker or Grohe Blue CO₂ cylinder?

Adams supplies compatible replacement cylinders you can buy online, including a Quooker-compatible 425g refill at £5.83 and Grohe Blue compatible bottles from £6.00, with UK delivery.

If you are unsure which cylinder your system takes, contact Adams Gas before ordering and the team will 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 the Adams Gas website 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, compared with £23.90 for a new filled cylinder.

Keeping and refilling your existing cylinder, with one spare on rotation, is the lowest-cost and lowest-waste way to run a sparkling water system.