If you haven’t already heard, we’re pretty big fans of Ninja over here at the New York Post.

Over the years, we’ve tested and loved their Woodfire 8-in-1 Outdoor Oven, Speedi Air Fryer, TWISTi Blender, and the super-viral Ninja CREAMi Ice Cream Maker, so when we saw the brand was releasing their very first drink system, of course we wanted to get our hands on it.

I consider myself to be a bit of a beverage girlie — I always have my Stanley Quencher on hand, plus another drink or two for good measure. After the Ninja CREAMi changed my mind about single-use kitchen appliances, I knew it was finally time to try out the Ninja Thirsti.

I’ve been using the drink system since October, whipping up beverages in fun flavor combos and replacing my daily soda intake with fizzy, fruity, low-sugar drinks. Plus, with Dry January coming up, I know I’ll have no shortage of things I enjoy drinking — minus alcohol, of course — by using my Thirsti.

Right now, it’s on sale at most major retailers for the first time since launching in September — and it’ll arrive before Christmas if you order it today.

The Ninja Thirsti comes with the drink station itself, plus one 60L CO2 cylinder and a variety pack of flavored drops to get started.

The Ninja Thirsti is a drink system that lets you customize drinks based on a few settings, so you’ll get the perfect drink every time.

Like the rest of Ninja’s products that I’ve tried, the Ninja Thirsti is easy to use thanks to a limited number of buttons and settings. You’ll have to decide three things before you press start: carbonation, drink size, and flavoring.

The flavor pods are $7 each and are said to make 20 12 oz. drinks each. You’ll also have to shop CO2 canisters directly from Ninja — each makes 100 12 oz. drinks, and refills start at $37. You can get 30% off CO2 refills by joining Ninja’s refill club.

As noted above, I’ve been using the Ninja Thirsti since October, and it’s been a lot of fun to whip up new drink combinations quickly and easily. Because all of the functions are spelled out on the appliance’s buttons, it’s easy to get it up and running and there’s not much of a learning curve.

The Thirsti gets its water from an attached water tank, similar to coffeemakers like Nespresso and Keurigs. Still, the major difference here is that the Thirsti doesn’t change the temperature of the water at all. Whatever temperature the water is when you add it to the tank is how it’ll dispense after the CO2 and flavoring processes.

To combat this, Ninja recommends storing the tank inside your refrigerator or filling it with water and ice. There’s a handy indicator inside the tank that turns a bright blue when the water reaches and optimal temperature for carbonation. I’ve personally only used the water and ice method as the tank takes up too much space in my fridge otherwise, but it only takes a minute or two for the water to chill.

From there, it’s all a matter of personal preference. I’ve played around with the sparkling water settings and found that I like the middle one best — it’s just fizzy enough without being too much.

As for the flavors, I find that I like the Vitamins and Hydrate lines best, partly because I try to curb my caffeine intake as the day goes on and because the Splash flavors aren’t bold enough most of the time. If I want just the hint of a flavor, I’ll use a Splash pod and it ends up tasting like a flavored seltzer, but most of the time, I want a more substantial flavor.

This, to me, is what makes the Thirsti worth the money; I’m able to customize my drinks on demand by making new flavor combinations. Some of my favorites so far are Orange Tangerine + Summer Strawberry, Watermelon Lime + Lemonade, Strawberry Kiwi on its own, and Tart Lemon + Summer Strawberry for a subtly sweet blend.

(But, for what it’s worth, I’ve also used the Thirsti to make plain, unflavored sparkling water for my seltzer-loving grandma, and she prefers it to the canned stuff now!)

Since the Ninja Thirsti and SodaStream have the same function, they work similarly with a few key differences. The level of customization that the Thirsti has is unmatched compared to SodaStream, which doesn’t typically give you the option to choose how carbonated you want your drink to be.

With SodaStream, you have to use one of their bottles made for the appliances, and those only come in two sizes: 1 liter and 500 ml (approximately 16 oz.), while with the Thirsti, your drink dispenses from the attached water tank into the vessel of your choice and there are four sizes to choose from. If you’re someone who doesn’t drink a lot at once, the smaller sizes of the Thirsti may work better for you — you won’t be wasting CO2 by making up to 1 liter that may not get used.

SodaStream also doesn’t mix flavorings in; that’s something you’d have to do after the water is already carbonated. The Ninja Thirsti mixes flavoring with carbonation and water inside so what dispenses is ready to drink, no add-ins necessary.

They essentially do the same thing, though, so it’s more up to personal preference (and price) which machine you go with.

If I haven’t already made it clear: I’m a big fan of the Ninja Thirsti.

It’s incredibly easy to use, the flavors are delicious, and it’s fun to get creative with it. That’s what I like best — by using the Thirsti instead of buying 12-packs of soda every week like I used to, I’m not stuck to one flavor for as long as the pack lasts me. Instead, I can drink a different flavor combination every time I go for a refill and it’ll be zero calories and have no added sugar.

We recommend checking out the Thirsti as we head into a new year, whether you’re looking for light alternatives to your normal drink, trying out a sober-curious lifestyle, or just want some more variety in your life.

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