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Anyone using SodaStream?

post #1 of 15
10/12/11 at 8:23am
Thread Starter 
Pretty cool product. For those that don't know, its basically a small kitchen appliance that makes carbonated bevarages on demand. Cheaper than buying coke (or whatever) on sale at the store and much easier (imo).

I got the thing because I can be a gadget freak (fits this hobby), but have used it for almost a year now because its so much easier than going to the store to buy coke. I haven't bought a can or bottle for the past year. I am more of a diet drinker and their diet cola is so much better than diet coke or pepsi. But their diet mt dew isn't so great and that was always my favorite.

So anyone using it? Any recomendations on syrups?

BTW, one of the unforseen positives of this thing is making tonic water. Most of liqour I consume is with Tonic and I always have to go to the store to get more becuase Tonic water does not last more than a day or two once you open it. This thing lets me make it on demand.
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post #2 of 15
11/12/11 at 8:02am
How long does it take to make a beverage? How does it work out, cost-wise? Got a link for their home page?
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post #3 of 15
11/12/11 at 9:12am

Thanks for the thread.  I heard an ad for this on the radio one night and have been meaning to investigate it.  We drink LOTS of Diet Soda at my house and I have always toyed with the idea of getting some kind of home soda factory. 

 

Glad to hear you like their diet cola product. 
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Johnny Angell View Post

How long does it take to make a beverage? How does it work out, cost-wise? Got a link for their home page?


http://www.sodastreamusa.com/

 

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post #4 of 15
11/12/11 at 9:27am
Thread Starter 
You fill a cap with syrup, screw in a water bottle to the system, push a button 12 times, unscrew the bottle and pour in the syrup. It takes about 45 seconds and that includes getting the syrup out. I can be half asleep, realize I don't have any available and not get irritated that I have to make it.

MSRP:
Co2 - $15 for 60 liters of soda
Syrup - $4.99 for 12 liters of soda

= $39.95 for 60 liters of drinkable soda, $0.24 for a 12oz can, $1.33 for a 2L bottle.

Real World: (coupons and sales always)
Co2 - $12
Syrup - $3.99

= $31.95 for 60 liters of drinkable soda, $0.19 for a 12oz can, $1.07 for a 2L bottle.


The main thing I would suggest is to get the system on sale - It is not worth $99. We are coming up on the time to get a deal on one. And make sure you have a place local (like bedbathbeyond) to get the Co2.

http://www.sodastream.com/
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post #5 of 15
11/12/11 at 9:35am

Sounds simple enough.  You fill the bottle with cold tap water? 

 

Why push the button 12 times?  Manually pumping the CO2 into the water? 

 

I'm surprised--based on your math--that the savings aren't better. 

 

I can usually buy a 12-pack of Diet Pepsi for $3 (sometimes cheaper) so that I'm paying about 25 cents per can.  I figured it would work out to a much greater savings over the long haul...considering the rather expensive up front costs. 

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post #6 of 15
11/12/11 at 9:45am

And then, when you make some, you store whatever you don't drink in the bottle in which you made it and stick it in the fridge?  Are they 2 Liter bottles?

 

We already own a Waring Pro "professional ice crusher"  Very cool.  It just takes standard ice cubes and turns them into crushed ice.  We got it on a great clearance deal from a local store. 

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post #7 of 15
11/12/11 at 9:50am
Thread Starter 
Yes, it is manual. The savings comes when you factor in that you have to buy 12 packs at full price on occasion which for me is $4.99. I went through all of that when deciding to buy. I think I figured in buying at full price 1 in 5 twelve packs.

But in reality, I use it now because of convenience and the cost is the bonus. I don't have to worry about going to the store for soda but once every three months depending on usage.

And if you are into it, the waste aspect is nice - You keep using the same bottles instead of going through all of those aluminum cans.

Oh and yes, you keep bottles of water in the fridge ready when you need them. So its a matter of rinsing one out after using it, filling it up with water and putting it back in the fridge.
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post #8 of 15
11/12/11 at 9:53am
Thread Starter 
They are one liter bottles which is nice because I use them before going flat. And yea, just keep them in the fridge. I like the idea of the ice crusher. I swear I want a nugget ice machine in my next house.
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post #9 of 15
11/12/11 at 10:01am

One liter bottles sounds a lot more convenient that two liter bottles--for both fridge space' sake and based on amount of use. 

 

And, that's a good reminder about eliminating the need to go to the bottle/can return at the grocery store so often because of a system like this.

 

Hmmmmm.

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post #10 of 15
11/15/11 at 11:36am
After quitting soda for years, I recently bought one of these. It's great. I use filtered water. I always have one cold uncarbonated bottle in the fridge ready to go. The seltzer is great (no salt, filtered water, you know where it comes from) and cheap, and the soda is much healthier (no corn syrup, a fraction of the salt, no aspertame or sacchrine in the diet flavors; only spenda). My favorite regular flavors so far are the Diet Grapefruit, Root Beer, Cream Soda and Lemon Lime. But especially good are the Sparkling Naturals. They are made with all natural ingredients and pure cane sugar. They are a little more expensive, but the Root Beer, Apple Mango and Black Currant Pear are outstanding.

The main reason I got it was after giving up soda, I got kind of sick of water. I wanted a healthy alternative that I can control the sweeteners and ingredients, The Sodastream syrups are good, but I'm also trying some of the online recipes. I made Ginger Ale syrup from scratch, and it was outstanding. Even adding fruit juice, like filtered berry concentrate, is really good and good for you.

By the way, make sure you have a store near you that carries the CO2 tanks and has an exchange program. Otherwise, you will pay full price for the tank or have to mail order. I use my local Bed Bath & Beyond. The Sodastream site has a list of others.
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post #11 of 15
11/15/11 at 2:35pm
Thread Starter 
I haven't taken the time to make my own syrup yet - Mostly because the recipes generally have sugar. But I keep meaning to do it. Have any links for sugar-free recipes?

And everyone I know who has tried this thing has loved it. I think the main hurdle for people is they believe it will be time consuming when in reality it's quite a bit easier than shopping for it. I am actually worried that Bed Bath & Beyond will stop carrying it. Will certainly be less practical if there is no place local to switch the little tanks.

The ONLY dissapointment with it so far has been one of the flavors. Their Diet Mountain Dew variation sucks and that was my primary soda before getting it. The colas are so good that I don't miss it much now but I do wish that flavor was better.
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post #12 of 15
11/16/11 at 6:54am
I drink a ton of unsweetened iced tea. Has anyone carbonated that? Any comments on its taste?
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post #13 of 15
11/16/11 at 8:28am
Thread Starter 
Taste is certainly subjective. I know someone who uses this to carbonate their own mineral water. I personally find it disgusting, but thats all he drinks. That said, I tried carbonating tea and quickly poured it down the sink.

I completely forgot about an incident I had with the SodaStream a few months ago. It is very important of course that you first carbonate the cold water and then pour in the syrup. I simply was not thinking or paying attention and did it in the reverse. I have a 21' ceiling directly over where I have the sodastream and when I unscrewed the bottle, soda hit that ceiling. HORRIBLE! Took an extension ladder and an hour to clean up the mess.
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post #14 of 15
11/17/11 at 6:58am
Good safety tip, thanks.

And thanks for the opinion about the tea.
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post #15 of 15
1/5/12 at 3:00pm
I bought one of these for the family for Christmas. My boys are fascinated with it so far and have enjoyed some of the sample flavors.

One of the tips I have figured out is that I bought my own dishwasher-safe 1L bottles since the official ones cost $10 each. I keep cold water in the fridge in these bottles, then transfer to the SodaStream bottle for carbonating. Pour the carbonated water back into my own bottles and then flavor. Essentially only using the official bottle for filtered water, not soda. Should help it last as well I hope.

Has anyone tried the Dr Pepper or Mt Dew knockoffs from SodaStream? I liked the regular cola, but my wife thought it was too much like Pepsi and not enough like Coke. I felt it had more flavor than either. My boys liked the rootbeer, which I found to anise-y. I'd like to try a homemade recipe for that or others. I would be interested in any recipes people have used.

I also found this site, which seems potentially promising: http://www.prairiemoon.biz/fulflavlissa.html

Any other tips or recipes out there?
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