The Best Natron: Shopping Guide and Recommendations (03/23)

Baking soda is a true miracle cure. Whether in the kitchen, in the household, as a remedy or for body care – you can use it everywhere. What’s more, it is natural, ecological and inexpensive. This all-rounder is therefore an environmentally friendly alternative to the numerous cleaning agents and detergents, as well as care products and kitchen aids from the supermarket.

But is all baking soda the same? Especially online, there is a multitude of different products that are better or worse suited depending on the area of application. The following guide will tell you what to look for when buying baking soda and which one is the best for your needs.

Summary

• Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) is a naturally occurring salt, but nowadays it is mostly produced chemically.
• The uses of sodium bicarbonate are versatile. You can use it for baking, cooking, cleaning, making cosmetics and as a remedy. Sodium bicarbonate is therefore an inexpensive, universal and natural household remedy.
• The all-rounder is sold under the names sodium bicarbonate, sodium hydrogen carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, cooking soda, baking soda or food soda and in the form of powder or tablets.

The Best Natron: Our Picks

Below you will find a list of different sodium bicarbonates, each of which is particularly suitable for a specific area of application. This will give you an overview of the different applications and help you find the right product for you.

Buying and evaluation criteria for sodium bicarbonate

To give you the best possible overview of baking soda, we have summarised the most important buying and evaluation criteria here. If you compare the available offers according to these points, you will certainly find the right bicarbonate of soda for you.

The criteria that you can use to compare the different products are as follows:

• Use
• Quality and purity
• Sustainability
• Shelf life

So that you know exactly what is important, you will find a more detailed explanation of the individual criteria in the following sections.

Use

Sodium bicarbonate is a true all-rounder. It is effective in all areas of the household: baking, cooking, personal hygiene, cleaning and even healing. In principle, you can use any sodium hydrogen carbonate for all these purposes. However, some are better suited to certain areas than others.

A very finely ground sodium bicarbonate is ideal for mixing or dissolving in water, as in baking, making creams or for baths. A slightly coarser grind, on the other hand, produces an emery effect, making it more suitable for cleaning and in scrubs.

Quality and purity

What you should pay attention to with all products, regardless of the intended use, is the quality level and purity. Apart from bicarbonate of soda, nothing else should be included. Because of the many names under which sodium bicarbonate is sold, this can sometimes be difficult to recognise. If it says sodium hydrogen carbonate, double carbonic acid sodium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, cooking soda or baking soda on the packaging, it is the right product.

The purity of the product is a prerequisite for it to be labelled as food or pharmaceutical grade. Such products are labelled with the official addition “E500ii”. This is high-quality sodium bicarbonate, which can be taken without hesitation.

Sustainability

If you are concerned about sustainability, consider the origin, packaging and quantity of the product when making your purchase. Baking soda bottled in Germany allows for short delivery routes and thus protects the environment. Furthermore, you can find a number of suppliers online who use recyclable materials for their packaging.

Since baking soda is so versatile, it is generally worthwhile to buy larger quantities in stock. If you buy a 5kg bucket once instead of 100 50g packs, you will save a lot of packaging waste.

Shelf life

Of course, your baking soda should not lose quality over time if you buy it in bulk. In principle, baking soda has an unlimited shelf life as long as you store it in a dry place. Therefore, when you buy it, make sure that the packaging is airtight and resealable. If it is not, put the baking soda in a fresh-keeping container after opening it for the first time.

If you are not sure whether you have stored your bicarbonate of soda correctly, there is a simple way to find out: Mix a small amount with white wine vinegar. If it bubbles, it is still usable.

Guide: Frequently asked questions about baking soda answered in detail

In the following, we have summarised and answered the most frequently asked questions about baking soda. This will give you an even better idea of the miracle product and make it easier for you to find the right product.

Conclusion

Natron is an inexpensive, universal and natural household remedy. With the advent of numerous chemical cleaning agents, care products, kitchen aids and medicines, it unfortunately fell into oblivion. Yet this all-rounder is still an environmentally friendly alternative for all these products. Cooking, baking, cleaning, washing, cosmetics and health are all areas where you can use sodium hydrogen carbonate.

When buying sodium bicarbonate, you should pay particular attention to the quality level indicated. Only buy pure sodium bicarbonate in pharmaceutical or food grade quality (E500ii). This way you can be sure that the product is suitable for all the uses listed above – from cleaning to consumption.

(Cover photo: Monofocus/ pixabay)