KitchenAid KSS1121OB Sparkling Beverage Maker Onyx Black

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] My wife is from Amish country in Ohio so we opted for the traditional colors. She loved it as a birthday gift. Construction is classic KitchenAid. Study construction that is made to stand on its own. One minor 'be aware' of item is that the back uses a thin sheet metal that you will rarely have to interact with. There are two plastic clasps used to keep that rear panel on which houses the Co2 canister. Use gentle but steady force to open and close this area. Thankfully this is a rare occurrence. You do not want to break those clips. We purchased a total of 5 bottles. We circulate through 3-4 daily. The bottles just pop in, no need to twist them in. Very nice. The pressure gauge is just gives you a general idea of what is going on during the filling process. But some of the comments in my view are a little 'hung up' on this area. The brief moments when filling is actually occurring are self explanatory. KitchenAid clearly states not to do this – so naturally we do: This home does not consume sodas but we do like to sparkle our wine and nearly all of our filtered water. The later is no problem. I would recommend diluting the everyday house wine with filtered water. White wine by about 20 percent and the red wine by a third. The trick here is to release the pressure VERY VERY slowly. Release the smallest amount possible amount so the bubbles on the surface of the liquid do not froth over and spray out of the bottle. This may take 1-2 minutes with the red wine. Far less with the white and no time with the water. If you do a quick release with the wine it will froth over and spray all over the inside of the machine. Then dribble out to the base. So save yourself a headache and take your time. I do not believe this is a KitchenAid issue but a physics problem when mixing liquids, pressure, and confined spaces. We love the produce and use it several times a day. We plan on buying many more KitchenAid products as we build our home. Now the old cheap coffee maker looks like an eyesore next to the sparkler. Guess that is the next item on the docket. Don't drink what the cows drink. Add some sparkle! You will be amazed at how good your tap water will taste.