TikTok's Bizarre Diet Coke Marinating 'Hack' Is Kind Of A Sham
While TikTok is known for offering many great food and beverage-based hacks, not all are winners. Take the questionable spice grinding hack, which pairs an immersion blender with plastic wrap in a puzzling manner. Another TikTok video that advocated "marinating" Diet Coke before drinking it is equally dubious. The creator of the video stated that leaving Diet Coke in the refrigerator for a period of two days to two weeks is key to achieving maximum bubbliness.
This process is described as marinating the soda, which doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Marinating involves submerging meat or vegetables in a mixture of oil, acid (such as vinegar or citrus juice), and seasoning to enhance flavor and texture. Allowing a can of Diet Coke to chill in the fridge for an extended period is not the same as marinating. However, there is a kernel of truth to this curious tip if you're the type of person who swears by bubbly beverages.
Temperature does play a role in the crispness of a carbonated beverage
While leaving a Diet Coke and other carbonated beverages in a refrigerator for an extended period won't have much of an impact on crispness, the temperature of the soda will. Soda gets its fizz from carbon dioxide, which dissipates into the liquid to make for a refreshing beverage. It seems that there's quite a bit of science behind Diet Coke and sodas in general. For example, Diet Coke cans float and regular Coke sinks because of its sugar content (as the sugar in Coke increases the density of the liquid).
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Chilling Diet Coke makes for a more amenable environment when it comes to the dissolution of carbon dioxide. That's why cold soda tends to taste a bit crisper, as it contains a higher concentration of carbon dioxide as compared to room-temperature sodas. This could explain why leaving a can in the refrigerator results in a better taste. However, you don't need to leave the soda in the refrigerator for two weeks to attain peak crispness, you only need to lower the temperature. With carbonated beverages, the ideal temperature ranges from 40 to 42 degrees Fahrenheit, which can be achieved in most refrigerators.
How to enhance the flavor of your Diet Coke
There's no need to let your Diet Coke linger in the fridge for an inordinate amount of time, but other tips featured in the debated TikTok clip do make a bit of sense. Adding True Citrus, which is a crystallized form of lemon and lime, complements the subtly sour flavor of carbonated beverages. This flavor comes from the carbonic acid found in soda, which results from a chemical reaction between water and carbon dioxide. Lemon or lime juice would also work in a pinch.
Drinking the beverage out of a chilled cup or adding ice to it is also beneficial, as it prevents Diet Coke from becoming room temperature. And the preference for pebble ice isn't just aesthetic. Because pebble ice is small, it melts at a slower pace, which ensures your Diet Coke remains at the perfect chilly temperature as you drink it. You can also pair your Diet Coke with the TikTok designer ice trend if you're feeling particularly ambitious.
While some may question if all this effort is truly worth it, Diet Coke devotees aren't likely to be deterred any time soon.