The Mistake Everyone Makes Using Coca-Cola Freestyle Machines

There's no better feeling than walking into a McDonald's or a movie theater and seeing one of those big, gleaming red Coca-Cola Freestyle machines. After all, a fizzy soda is a classic complement to the best movie theater snacks. As consumers, we've proven we love customization and, beyond that, we love choice. With a Coca-Cola Freestyle machine, you're not just choosing between Coke or Dr Pepper, you're unlocking a world of bubbly experimentation.

Vanilla Coke with your ideal amount of vanilla, peach-infused Fanta, or a spritz of grape syrup in diet Sprite; the possibilities are endless. But when you're crafting your perfect-tasting pop, beware of one flavor-polluting mistake: Skipping the water flush. Unlike classic soda fountains with dedicated spouts for each individual soda, Freestyle machines combine hundreds of flavors from a single nozzle, opening the door for plenty of unwelcome flavor cross-contamination. If someone before you indulged in, say, pineapple-infused Hi-C Fruit Punch, you might end up with an unexpected fruity overtone in your root beer — unless you rinse the line first.

The way Coca-Cola Freestyle machines work is by mixing flavored syrups on demand with carbonated water via complex tubing systems. That same intricate system means that even when syrup changes, residue lingers. Combined with reports that some restaurants don't clean their soda machines daily, it's a stealthy route to flavor pollution. After you've flushed the line with water, though, you're starting from a clean slate. That's when the soda mixology fun really starts.

With a clear palate, you can experiment with the countless flavor combos the Freestyle offers (most machines share the same menu nationwide). You can mix two classic sodas together to get a ginger ale replica, or add flavors to emulate other sodas (try adding vanilla to root beer for a cream soda dupe). Savvy soda fans also swear by mixes such as orange Fanta with vanilla for a Creamsicle vibe, or trying flavor combos you can't always find on shelves, such as raspberry Coke. Add a flavored syrup to a diet or sugar-free drink for just the right hint of sweetness. Take your time, play around with flavors, and don't forget to rinse!