Sodastream - anyone got one ?

[Lakewood90712]

The Good and the bad ?

Not looking to make sugar drinks, just flavored carbonated water without the plastic bottles from the supermarket.

 

[RobbieB]

They work good.

 

[calmloki]

Nope. We use a 20# CO2 container, regulator, and a bunch of Perrier bottles with drilled caps and tire valves. We buy a new case of Perrier a couple times per year to swap in new bottles. Cost maybe $160 for the setup and the gas lasts about 18 months before a $20 refill . My gal goes through 6-8 bottles/day. We tried flavorings but prefer distilled water + fizzy.

 

[RobbieB]

That's what I have now, a DIY carbonator around a 20# CO2 tank and regulator.

Soda stream transitioned between owners and left me w/o gas so I googled.

I did have a soda stream and it did work well, but leave an engineer stranded and we will design you out. Forever. Muuhaha!

 

[Jerry1]

Nope. We use a 20# CO2 container, regulator, and a bunch of Perrier bottles with drilled caps and tire valves. We buy a new case of Perrier a couple times per year to swap in new bottles. Cost maybe $160 for the setup and the gas lasts about 18 months before a $20 refill . My gal goes through 6-8 bottles/day. We tried flavorings but prefer distilled water + fizzy.

I would love to see a picture or video of this. Not too sure about the tire valves, but keeping an open mind.

 

[savory]

That's what I have now, a DIY carbonator around a 20# CO2 tank and regulator.

Soda stream transitioned between owners and left me w/o gas so I googled.

I did have a soda stream and it did work well, but leave an engineer stranded and we will design you out. Forever. Muuhaha!

Not an engineer but had the same problem. Learned the approach at my homebrew supply store. Also purchased the regulator cap there.

Soda stream was more convenient but much more expensive. I take more time with each refill (90 seconds vs 20 seconds) but I no longer drive to exchange the cartridge at the same frequency.

Now that I keg vs bottle my beer, I use the CO2 tank to carbonate my homebrew in my Corny Keg. So, now a lot of my liquid consumption is cheaper and more convenient. Yea!

 

[CaliKid]

I have one but prefer buying onsale at supermarket. It's a pain to fill it up, bottle doesn't hold very much, CO doesn't last super long, etc.... You might save a few bucks but not worth the trouble to me.

 

[Rianne]

Better for the environment. I cannot live without seltzer water. I used to buy cases but felt guilty for all the bottles I threw away. Soda Stream works for me, you have to return the used CO2 cylinder to get a huge discount on a new one.

 

[Bryan Barnfellow]

"Life is too short to drink still water" (Bryan Barnfellow, 1998)

-BB

 

[growing_older]

Had a similar machine many years ago, before Soda Stream. I loved it for being able to make unsugared flavored seltzer until the machine no longer worked as well and bottles/caps got old and I couldn't find replacements. I was excited to see Soda Stream come to market, but it seems so overpriced I haven't tried one.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Good friends have one and love it. The kitchen in their lakeside townhouse is on the third floor and carrying cases of soft drinks and sparkling water up and the empties back down was tiring. They don’t seem to mind carting wine bottles up and down though

 

[Koogie]

We have one at work and one at home. Love them.

Assumed they were just gimmicky crap until my business partner got one.

I just make the fizzy water with cold water from the Brita and then add in about 1 teaspoon of pure lime juice and shake it up.

Fantastic.

 

[savory]

The CO2/regulator also allows for the refreshing of carbonation in carbonated beverages that have gone flat. If soda pop is part of your diet, it would help extend it's carbonated life.

 

[jjquantz]

We got one a couple of years ago (for free) from a friend who never used it. As others have stated, we use it to make unflavored seltzer. The ongoing cost is about 50-60% of purchasing seltzer at the store and it is much more convenient than carrying and disposing all of those bottles. However, if we had purchased this, we still wouldn't be anywhere near the break even point amortizing the cost over our usage. We drink about 150 liters per year, so we replace a cartridge about every 4 months.

 

[CoolRich59]

We've got one and I like it. We don't drink pop or other stuff. So, for years, I would buy cases of San Pelligrino or Perrier from Costco.

One of the kids got us a Sodastream for Christmas a year ago. It took a little time to get the hang of it, but once that's done, it's great. The only other thing we've done is purchase additional bottles so that we always have a "fresh" one when the current bottle is emptied.

 

[CoolRich59]

They don’t seem to mind carting wine bottles up and down though

Wine actually weighs less than water.

 

[Mdlerth]

Good product

I had never heard of Sodastream until DW gave me one 5 years ago. It works well. We charge 2-3 bottles per day, which has been beneficial for encouraging DW to stay hydrated.

The flavorings were fine, but we found we just liked the sparkling water so almost never add syrup.

We have no trouble exchanging the CO2 cylinders, and each one lasts about a month. We trade them in two at a time at BB&B (they are the most coupon-friendly business ever!) so it's not a big nuisance.

 

[big-papa]

Been using ours for 5 years now. Occasionally DD makes a rootbeer, but mostly it's fizzy water for me.

 

[marko]

DW has had one for 6 or 7 years. She goes through soda water like crazy.

Mom (age 88) was lugging a bunch of bottles from the store each week. A lot of weight for her. We got her a SodaStream for Christmas and she loves it, if only for saving her the lugging of bottles.
(And if you're about to ask 'marko, she lives nearby, why don't you just bring the bottles in for her?', well, YOU go trying to pry those grocery bags away from my mom).

 

[ShokWaveRider]

I have one, I refill my own tanks at $1.50 a pop. (No Pun Intended)

 

[rodi]

I was given one, and was super excited... until I realized it was too tall to sit on my counter by about 1". Our upper cabinets are in the way. That meant finding a cupboard spot and dragging it out/putting it away each time.

I gave it away to a friend who had a kitchen setup that it worked for.

So... before you spring for it - measure the height between your upper cabinets and your countertop.