Not much of a coffee or tea drinker and prefer sipping on a cold carbonated drink instead? We hear ya!
If soda is your drink of choice, I bet at some point you've mulled the idea of using your insulated tumbler to keep your favorite fizzy beverage cold.
Coffee and tea - not a problem. But carbonated drinks in a tumbler? Is it even possible?
Here at Taste The Earth, we get asked this question a lot. But the answer isn't really clear-cut.
If you've got a cold can of soda in your hand now and want to pour it into your tumbler, put the can down and take a few minutes to read through our blog post.
Is it safe? Will your tumbler explode, and can the drink damage the seal?
Those questions and more are answered.
Will Carbonated Drinks Stay Fizzy?
It's the fizz that makes carbonated drinks so special. If you add your drink into an insulated tumbler, will you lose the fizz?
Well, It depends.
There isn't a definitive answer. And honestly, the amount of fizz your drink retains comes down to the quality of the seal on your tumbler or travel mug.
However, a Thermos with a tight-fitting screw cap might do a better job but comes with some risks, which I will touch on later.
Could The Tumbler Explode?
The chances of your tumbler exploding are very small.
Because a regular insulated tumbler has a plastic lid that snaps and locks in place, often with a mouthpiece, any gas pressure that does build up inside the tumbler will more than likely disperse through the lid.
If any significant pressure from a carbonated beverage did begin to build up, the lid would just pop off.
So can the tumbler explode? Probably not.
However, If you're using a Thermos with a screw cap to store your fizzy drink, you might have issues.
Will It Damage The Tumbler Seal?
No. For the rubber seal to become damaged, you would need a build-up of constant pressure for a prolonged period. With a tumbler, that simply isn't possible.
I would be more concerned about the acids and sugars in the soda damaging the seal rather than any pressure.
How About Using A Thermos?
How does a Thermos fare with a carbonated drink? Almost all Thermoses have a screw cap and a solid metal body.
This design is perfect for keeping hot beverages such as soup and coffee piping hot, but not so much when it comes to carbonated drinks.
Here's why.
The tight-fitting screw cap does an excellent job of keeping the gasses from escaping from the Thermos - too good a job.
And that's not a good thing when it comes to carbonated sodas.
The carbon dioxide has nowhere to go.
So a lot of pressure will eventually build-up, which can ruin the seals in your Thermos.
Apart from the rubber seals, in the event the pressure becomes too much, it may cause the top to blow completely off. Say goodbye to your beloved flask.
Here's where the problem lies.
A solid metal Thermos can't expand and contract as a regular plastic soda bottle can, and although it's relatively rare, in the right conditions, the Thermos could explode.
Can Carbonated Drinks Leave A Chemical Taste In My Tumbler?
As durable as stainless steel is against everyday elements, it can be damaged by acid. Because sodas are particularly acidic, with PH levels ranging from 2.38-to 3.70, corrosion to stainless steel is possible.
Take lemonade as an example. It's a very acidic beverage with a pH level of two - putting it only one grade above gastric acid. Yikes!
That level of acidity has the strength to erode stainless steel, which in turn can then make the surface of the inner tumbler wall more susceptible to rust and corrosion.
Simply put. High acidic soft drinks such as lemonade, apple juice, and even Coca-Cola are a big no-no for storing in a metal tumbler for lengthy periods.
They can react with metal which is not going to be good for the longevity of your tumbler.
Any reactivity with metal will cause a chemical taste in your tumbler, which will ultimately leech into your drink. Depending on the severity of the reaction, you could also be unknowingly swallowing chemicals. Yuk!
Apart from the risk of damage, leaving sodas in your tumbler for extended periods can leave behind a sticky residue that can often be challenging to remove.
Regular washing won't cut it. Soaking with a vinegar solution and abrasive cleaning may be necessary to remove it altogether.
But even abrasive cleaning comes with its own set of risks to the metal surface.
Swap Your Metal Tumbler For Ceramic Coated
Although you can put carbonated beverages inside a tumbler, it's the high levels of acidity that will cause havoc to the metal lining.
But we have the solution.
Swap your old metal tumbler for a ceramic-lined insulated tumbler.
You'll still have all the insulation benefits of a regular tumbler but without any unwanted metal tastes or risks of chemicals leaching into your drink.
The ceramic coating keeps nasty metallic and plastic tastes from mingling with your favorite beverages and forms a barrier that protects the stainless steel from reacting with the acids in sodas.
If you haven't taken a look at our range yet, don't miss out.
👉 Head on over here and take a peek - once you've used our ceramic-lined tumblers, you'll wish you'd discovered them sooner.
Final Thoughts
Can you put carbonated drinks inside a tumbler?
Sure you can, but don't expect the fizz to last long. Your soda might be flat by the end of the day, but it will still be cold.
Just remember, high acidic sodas such as lemonade will cause a reaction with the metal lining - love lemonade? Use a ceramic-lined tumbler instead.
Insulated tumblers are designed to keep your cold beverages cool and warm drinks hot for long periods. They haven't been developed to keep gasses, such as carbon dioxide found in soda, locked safely inside.
Sure, a Thermos might do a better job, but then you have to worry about the potential of pressure building up inside the flask.
Bottomline.
If you plan to drink your soda while you're commuting to work or sat chilling on the beach for a few hours at the weekend, using a tumbler isn't going to be a problem. You will finish the drink long before any issues arise.
Mark Morphew is a freelance writer specializing in digital marketing and the hospitality sector. He helps coffee, catering, and food tech businesses create better content that drives more traffic and increases customer engagement.
