Soda Syphons

If anything captures the style and mood of the late 60’s and 70’s, it is the Soda Syphon. Everybody either had one or knew someone with one. They came in a wide variety of colours and patterns, manufactured by the British Oxygen Company, as well as Sparklets in the USA. They had a uniquely beautiful form as well as a practical function, only now beginning to be appreciated. This site is devoted to the non-glass designs, old & new.

I collected these avidly in my younger days, convinced they would eventually be recognised as style icons and their value would rocket accordingly., Sadly, this has yet to happen 😉

Streamline Striped

Striped designs were based on the original design, featuring black or red bands around the body, with coloured heads to match. Early models had a grey hammer-finish, followed by the beautiful schrome versions. These are hard to find in good condition, since many suffered from corrosion. The design itself seems to have originated in the States, where adverts for this type of syphon appeared in the 40’s, although it’s hard to authenticate.

Unfinished

I haven’t found the proper title for this inspired range. Just when the marketing boys were running out of ideas, some bright spark must have said “Hey – why don’t we sell them without any colour at all? In fact, why bother finishing them?

It may be that they were never on sale at all – I have no catalogue which displays them. The result were these two little gems. Somehow, even unfinished, the beauty of the design carries them. The equivalent “polished” versions were also available.

Hostmaster

Perhaps the best known of all the Sparklets profiles, the Hostmaster was the culmination of all their earlier design work. The classic “teardop” shape has graced many living rooms, TV sitcoms and “Confessions of” films. I’ve even seen them on the “Sweeney” – surely the ultimate accolade. Commencing with basic colours, the range quickly extended to cover a huge variety of shades and finishes.

This model is also the first I’ve seen featuring a plastic bulb-holder. Earlier models had metal ones.

Later boxed sets also included a neat white display stand, which held some bulbs and the tablets..

Globemaster

One of the complaints about Soda Syphons was that they ran out of fizz too quickly during swinger’s parties. Clearly there was a hole in the market, duly filled by the perfectly spherical Globemasters.

Available in a range of finishes (including metallic gold, blue & red, pale blue, grey and green), these monsters required 2 bulbs to charge them properly. They also had extended nozzles to make them easier to use.

Mr. Fizz

Most syphons were clearly aimed at a “mature” audience of swingers & lounge lizards. However, like all well-marketed products, the ounger end of the market was also targeted with the Mr Fizz brand. “Mr Fizz Syphons and the Mr. Fizz Super Syrups are a busy mum’s best friend”, quoted the instructions.

I don’t remember my mum investing in these, but they extended the range to a 1 litre container to go with the 2 litre. The larger syphons required two bulbs to charge them..

Whips

Cream Whipper was the somewhat risque title given to one of Sparklets spin-off ideas, using the gas to squeeze cream out. The image on the left is the “Cream Maid” which had a small lever to release the contents.

On the right is a picture of the “Cream Whipper”. Both came in decorated and (more commonly) plain varieties. An interesting extra was the industrial version of the Whipper, made in plain aluminium and designed for caterers.

Iceberg

“Deeply insulated to keep your ice fresh and cold” is how this stylish accessory was advertised.Made by BOC/Sparklets, It came with a pair of tongs (stored inside the lid) and a cunning device called a “water separator” in the base of the box itself. This “allows melting ice to drip through into a separate compartment” although to me it looks like a common or garden trivet as found in a pressure cooker. Still, what do we know?

Using Soda Syphons

Soda Syphons are fairly simple beasts, but are prone to two main problems. Firstly, the rubber parts perish over time and so the syphon loses pressure. There is no cure for perished rubber, so you’ll have to source a spare part. The best place to look is somewhere like a plumbers, where they have rubber gaskets. Take your part in & see if they have anything similar. Enthusiasts may wish to start with a lump of rubber and make their own!

The second problem is losing the bulb-holder. Many second-hand syphons are sold without this precious item. See here for more details.

Press lever to ensure syphon is not charged. Unscrew head and remove syphon tube, making sure the plastic sleeve stays inside. Fill the syphon body to the top with cold water, (A) If the level falls after filling DO NOT top up again as this will overfill the syphon.
Replace the syphon tube and screw on head tightly – take care not to cross the threads. (B)
Insert bulb into bulb holder and screw firmly onto syphon head. The bulb is automatically pierced and the gas discharged. The syphon is charged when gas cannot be heard bubbling into the water (about 30 seconds).
Shake syphon vigorously for at least 10 seconds. (D)
Remove bulb holder. There will be a gentle pop or hiss which will stop in a few seconds.