Anyone Else Get a Soda Maker?

[iLander]

I got my DH one of those soda makers for Christmas, and he LOVES it!

I thought it would be just a few days of novelty, but it's really part of our lives now. I like the Cola flavor and he loves ALL the diet flavors. He always drinks diet Coke Zero regular or cherry, because it was the only one he could stand, but these taste SO much better. Even the regular drinks are only 35 calories for 8oz (how does Coke MANAGE to get that over 100 calories?!!), so that's pretty good too.

If you're not familiar they're pretty simple; you add water to a special bottle that fits in the appliance. You push the button which pumps in carbonation, add flavor from a packet, and you're done. I got a ton of flavors and extra bottles, and an extra CO2 cartridge (can be exchanged/recharged). Here it is: http://www.sodastreamusa.com/ You can also get it at Macy's and Bed Bath and Beyond (where we get more flavoring) and some other places. For some reason DH especially likes the diet pink grapefruit, which is like Fresca and the diet Coke, which I have to admit takes like regular Coke to me. I have to tell you, I NEVER bought off brand soda, because I couldn't stand the taste of store brands, or even Pepsi. But I like this stuff. Go figure!

I don't think you actually save any money. We figured it all out and it's still about $1.50 for 2 liters. But we like the taste of the diet SO MUCH MORE, that it's worth it. Regular sodas now taste kind of heavy and full of preservatives.

I think the real key to it is the water, though. If you use nasty tap water, you'll get nasty soda. We have an RO system and that makes great water. A friend of ours loved ours and got a kit, but he didn't like it. So he got a Brita filter, and he's happy now. So, garbage in, garbage out.

Thought I'd pass this along, if you're looking for a gift, or if you have one I'd like to hear what you think.

 

[iheartscience]

Oooh, tempting! I read about these somewhere but I don't know anyone who actually has one! Can you get the soda to keep? Does it just go flat if you don't drink it ASAP? I absolutely hate flat soda so that would be my main concern!

Also, is the ginger ale flavor any good? I'm on a ginger ale kick lately, but it still has tons of sugar so I need a healthier alternative! (And yes I realize I could just drink water, but I love soda! )

 

[Silvia]

They used to be big here in the 80's. We had one when I was with my ex a couple of years ago, was always tempted to try milk into it (apparently it blows up??) We found the range of flavours was pretty poor, but I've noticed a lot more available now.

 

[minousbijoux]

We love it so much we're already on our second one, having blown out the first one about a year ago. If you think about it, its a great business model because the actual carbonation making machine is not that expensive to replace, so its okay if they break and the company must replace them; they make their money in all those cannisters of pressurized gas.

 

[hawaiianorangetree]

we have one!

We purchased a soda stream as a 'family gift' this Christmas and I'm finding it really handy. It came with cola and diet cola flavours and we purchased lemonade, raspberry and ginger beer. I've heard the creaming soda one is also yummy (and comes out green!)

I haven't tried the ginger beer but my husband had a bottle the other day and he said it was very nice. We haven't had a bottle go flat on us either, however a bottle doesn't last more than a couple of days in our house as they are less that one litre and we only tend to get about 4 drinks out of one.

My husband likes drinking the carbonated water (I guess it's just like soda water?) on its own as well and it's also really handy for mixers like mojito's. Also, we are not using as much of the flavoring mixer as recommended so its not as sweet and hopefully it's a little more healthier than traditional cool drinks.

 

[MishB]

I have one, and most of my family and friends all have them too, either as gifts from me, or on my recommendation.

There are so many positives - a never ending supply of fizzy, not having to carry heavy bottles home, much better for the environment, the syrups are lower in sugar than premade soda and you can add less if you like (I do).

I do find it cheaper than buying ready made.

They are becoming very popular here in Australia now, many shops sell the machines, gas refills and syrups.

My favourite thing - TONIC WATER!! I love my g & t's, but hate when the tonic goes flat, so I can always make it fresh.

 

[iLander]

Oooh, tempting! I read about these somewhere but I don't know anyone who actually has one! Can you get the soda to keep? Does it just go flat if you don't drink it ASAP? I absolutely hate flat soda so that would be my main concern!

Also, is the ginger ale flavor any good? I'm on a ginger ale kick lately, but it still has tons of sugar so I need a healthier alternative! (And yes I realize I could just drink water, but I love soda! )

The bottles are about 1 liter, which we go through in a couple of days. So not really time for it to go flat here. I got 3 bottles so we could each have our favorite flavors, the kit only comes with one.

The ginger ale is very good, very light and tastes a bit more natural than store-bought. It actually has a ginger flavor, go figure! It tastes "fresher" somehow.

Now when I drink regular soda, they taste heavy and I can swear that I taste the preservatives, no matter what the flavor.

At my local Macy's they were doing demos, maybe if you ask they will demo ginger ale for you?

 

[iLander]

They used to be big here in the 80's. We had one when I was with my ex a couple of years ago, was always tempted to try milk into it (apparently it blows up??) We found the range of flavours was pretty poor, but I've noticed a lot more available now.

I got a 12 flavor variety pack with the kit, and they have odd stuff now, like pink grapefruit and sparkling waters.

 

[iLander]

We love it so much we're already on our second one, having blown out the first one about a year ago. If you think about it, its a great business model because the actual carbonation making machine is not that expensive to replace, so its okay if they break and the company must replace them; they make their money in all those cannisters of pressurized gas.

Lord, I will knock on wood that ours doesn't go belly up, it's a necessary appliance now. But if it goes, we will buy another.

Speaking of business models, we're amazed that Coca-Cola managed to build such a HUGE corporation from such a simple little thing; water, flavor, fizz. Oddly, I kind of feel duped now.

 

[iLander]

we have one!

We purchased a soda stream as a 'family gift' this Christmas and I'm finding it really handy. It came with cola and diet cola flavours and we purchased lemonade, raspberry and ginger beer. I've heard the creaming soda one is also yummy (and comes out green!)

I haven't tried the ginger beer but my husband had a bottle the other day and he said it was very nice. We haven't had a bottle go flat on us either, however a bottle doesn't last more than a couple of days in our house as they are less that one litre and we only tend to get about 4 drinks out of one.

My husband likes drinking the carbonated water (I guess it's just like soda water?) on its own as well and it's also really handy for mixers like mojito's. Also, we are not using as much of the flavoring mixer as recommended so its not as sweet and hopefully it's a little more healthier than traditional cool drinks.

I am just SO THRILLED that I managed to find a gift that my DH likes, he is impossible to buy for. Last Christmas, I bought him literally 12 gifts and he returned all but ONE. And the one was a weeny little iPhone case that he had picked out.

One of our friends loves cream soda too, and he much prefers the soda maker version over all bottled versions.

 

[iLander]

I have one, and most of my family and friends all have them too, either as gifts from me, or on my recommendation.

There are so many positives - a never ending supply of fizzy, not having to carry heavy bottles home, much better for the environment, the syrups are lower in sugar than premade soda and you can add less if you like (I do).

I do find it cheaper than buying ready made.

They are becoming very popular here in Australia now, many shops sell the machines, gas refills and syrups.

My favourite thing - TONIC WATER!! I love my g & t's, but hate when the tonic goes flat, so I can always make it fresh.

Yes, we used to recycle dozens of cans every week (yes, I know, bad to drink that much soda), now we only have to recycle a couple of misc kitchen stuff. And nobody has to carry cases of soda up the stairs!

Much lower in sugar, and yet they taste better!

 

[ame]

I really want one. I keep stalking around it at BBB actually. Maybe Ill use one of the ten thousand 20% off coupons I have.

 

[LittleRiver]

We got one for FI's parents last Christmas and they LOVE it. I can't wait to register

 

[Amys Bling]

You guys are making me want to get one!!

 

[MsP]

Has anyone found local places to recharge your canisters?

I have been lusting after one. I drink carbonated water for the most part and buy cases of cans of it. The idea of having unlimited carbonated water, no cans in my fridge, not having to carry it from the grocer, etc was appealing. However, from what I read online it's not all that cost effective or environmentally friendly given the recharge process of canisters.

Some have said you can get cannisters "recharged" locally but the company denies that these third party suppliers have the adapters to fit the canisters. I'm curious...

 

[MishB]

Has anyone found local places to recharge your canisters?

I have been lusting after one. I drink carbonated water for the most part and buy cases of cans of it. The idea of having unlimited carbonated water, no cans in my fridge, not having to carry it from the grocer, etc was appealing. However, from what I read online it's not all that cost effective or environmentally friendly given the recharge process of canisters.

Some have said you can get cannisters "recharged" locally but the company denies that these third party suppliers have the adapters to fit the canisters. I'm curious...

I don't 'recharge' them so much as swap my empty cylinder for a full one. We've even got a spare so we never run out of gas.

Lots of places here in Australia have the cylinders, I usually get them at the service desk in K-Mart.

It costs $12 here for a cylinder and that lasts me at least a month - 6 weeks. I've heard 40 bottles from a cylinder so that sounds about right. That's about 30c per litre.

 

[iLander]

Has anyone found local places to recharge your canisters?

I have been lusting after one. I drink carbonated water for the most part and buy cases of cans of it. The idea of having unlimited carbonated water, no cans in my fridge, not having to carry it from the grocer, etc was appealing. However, from what I read online it's not all that cost effective or environmentally friendly given the recharge process of canisters.

Some have said you can get cannisters "recharged" locally but the company denies that these third party suppliers have the adapters to fit the canisters. I'm curious...

We just exchanged ours at Bed Bath & Beyond. We gave them the old one and the gave us a new one for $15, just like MishB said. No big deal. Not sure about the environmental impact of that.

You can put in your zip code here, and they will tell you which retailers near you exchange the cylinders, sell flavors, etc., :

http://www.sodastreamusa.com/where_to_buy.aspx

 

[MsP]

We just exchanged ours at Bed Bath & Beyond. We gave them the old one and the gave us a new one for $15, just like MishB said. No big deal. Not sure about the environmental impact of that.

You can put in your zip code here, and they will tell you which retailers near you exchange the cylinders, sell flavors, etc., :

http://www.sodastreamusa.com/where_to_buy.aspx

Thanks!... I need to look into this more.

What I was referring to was actually refilling your canister-- not exchanging it. It seems that the exchange locales are pretty widespread now though. I don't use flavoring so their advertised $0.70/liter cost is probably a ways less if I'm not buying flavoring.

...just want I need: another toy! Now the question is if I want another thing on my counter.

 

[lliang_chi]

yes, yes! I have one. My sis got one first and it's been totally awesome since I've been pregnant and no booze-y booze-y for me. But now I can still have yummy fizzy drinks. I don't like any of the flavor packets and just flavor it myself with juice or syrups I make. Pouring a generous helping of pomegranate juice into the bottle until it's full is tasty! Also filling half half with OJ and soda water is like having an Orangina. SIs also did an experiment with ginger + lemon + sugar = the tastiest gingerale EVER!

The bottle does not go flat very quickly if you keep it screwed shut. However once you pour the soda into your glass, it tends to go flat faster than commercial bought soda.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

My son has a SodaStream! He uses it a lot.

It's good for him b/c he won't drink anything with artificial ingredients and there are the natural flavorings available at Macy's. Personally, I don't think the carbonation is as fizzy as regular soda, but since my son likes it, that's what matters.

Oh, and also the price of the bottles is ridiculous! I know they can be reused but it's impossible to properly clean them and so they seem a bit unsanitary!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

They used to be big here in the 80's. We had one when I was with my ex a couple of years ago, was always tempted to try milk into it (apparently it blows up??) We found the range of flavours was pretty poor, but I've noticed a lot more available now.

The design of the SodaStream is such that you have to use their bottles, fill them with water and then carbonate, then add the flavoring. It says that if you try and use anything besides water, it may ruin the soda stream. My son and his friend were talking about making carbonated milk - carbonating the water and then adding milk to it. lol

 

[ericad]

We have the Penguin soda maker and we love it. We got it as a gift, but I'd buy one in a heartbeat if this one poops out on us.

I use pure fruit syrup and make carbonated fruit juice from it (splash of syrup, add soda, voila!) I developed a weird allergy to corn last year, so I can no longer have anything with corn syrup, caramel color, etc. so this gives me a carbonation fix, and it's healthier for our whole family than regular sodas. Plus my dad is diabetic, so it's easy to cater each glass to individual tastes - very light syrup for him, heavier for our daughter because she likes it sweeter, etc.

We love ours!

 

[minousbijoux]

iLander, don't worry if it breaks - they will replace it for free. The point that I was trying to make is that, if you think about it, its a simple little gizmo they've created that puts a certain amount of pressure on the gas canister so enough is released to carbonate the water. That takes a lever that pushes down and a fancy container to house the gas canister in. Not much in the way of costs there. The company can afford to give you another one free if it breaks (and anywhere that carries them should honor that; I know for a fact that Bed Bath and Beyond and Sur La Table do) because the money making part of it is having you forever buying the pressurized canisters for $15/pop. Since they're recycled, all the company is really paying for is the transportation from the retail store to the manufacturing facility, the cost of pumping in carbon dioxide (that can't cost much), and the transit back. Pretty brilliant if you ask me. And like I said, we love it so much we're on our second machine and have four canisters so we never go without....Golly, I wish I'da thought of this brilliant idea!

 

[MishB]

We just exchanged ours at Bed Bath & Beyond. We gave them the old one and the gave us a new one for $15, just like MishB said. No big deal. Not sure about the environmental impact of that.

You can put in your zip code here, and they will tell you which retailers near you exchange the cylinders, sell flavors, etc., :

http://www.sodastreamusa.com/where_to_buy.aspx

Thanks!... I need to look into this more.

What I was referring to was actually refilling your canister-- not exchanging it. It seems that the exchange locales are pretty widespread now though. I don't use flavoring so their advertised $0.70/liter cost is probably a ways less if I'm not buying flavoring.

...just want I need: another toy! Now the question is if I want another thing on my counter.

I don't like anything on my counters! The thing with the soda stream is it weighs almost nothing, and doesn't plug in, so if you have a cupboard tall enough to fit it in (I do, right next to my bench), just pull it out of the cupboard every time you use it, gas, then put it away.

I have a special 'Soda Stream' shelf in the cupboard that has the fizzer, and all my syrups (I have a lot of them).

I don't drink coke or ginger ale, but I love having them on hand so if someone comes over for a drink and wants a scotch and coke, for example, I can provide it.

 

[Amys Bling]

Is this a healthier alternative to soda?

 

[iLander]

Is this a healthier alternative to soda?

I don't know if it is healthier, but I do know that the cola flavor has 1/3 the calories of Coke. 8 ounces is 35 calories, not 100.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Is this a healthier alternative to soda?

Not necessarily healthier, but if you use the natural flavorings that my son uses, you'll get your sugar as straight sugar rather than high fructose corn syrup that regular sodas have. I just checked and there is still 24 grams of sugar in the natural version/8 oz serving, so you're still getting calories from a sugar source. If you made the carbonated water and added naturally squeezed lemon juice, then you'd be doing truely healthy!

This is the natural version my son uses:

http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/sodastream-1022448010-soda-mix-black-currant-pear-sparkling-naturals?ID=548619&PseudoCat=se-xx-xx-xx.esn_results

He was given A LOT of bottles in various flavors, plus the Fizz Soda Stream and extra 1-liter bottles. I am sure over $250 was spent everything he got (as a gift), so it's NOT an inexpensive way to replace soda unless you're really into soda.

 

[Amys Bling]

Is this a healthier alternative to soda?

Not necessarily healthier, but if you use the natural flavorings that my son uses, you'll get your sugar as straight sugar rather than high fructose corn syrup that regular sodas have. I just checked and there is still 24 grams of sugar in the natural version/8 oz serving, so you're still getting calories from a sugar source. If you made the carbonated water and added naturally squeezed lemon juice, then you'd be doing truely healthy!

This is the natural version my son uses:

http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/sodastream-1022448010-soda-mix-black-currant-pear-sparkling-naturals?ID=548619&PseudoCat=se-xx-xx-xx.esn_results

He was given A LOT of bottles in various flavors, plus the Fizz Soda Stream and extra 1-liter bottles. I am sure over $250 was spent everything he got (as a gift), so it's NOT an inexpensive way to replace soda unless you're really into soda.

thanks.

 

[Tanzigrrl]

We just bought one at Macy's on sale today! We used it at dinner time and it is awesome! We try not to drink too much soda, but I like to mix commercial gingerale with cranberry or orange juice so I would think we'll be using the gingerale packet the most. It's a fun toy and I could see us really enjoying having it. It's tall and thin and sits next to our stand mixer and doesn't seem to take up much space. It doesn't take up much kitchen counter real estate