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SodaStream carbonator: Seltzers on tap
Are you a sparkling-water person? Then you should know about SodaStream, a countertop gadget that carbonates water quickly and easily. While other home-based carbonators can be unwieldy or downright dangerous, this device is incredibly easy to use and requires no power. It's got a big green angle, too — potentially eliminating all those cans and bottles you use for soda. Even if you recycle them, that's a lot of energy and effort wasted on transport.
After living with the SodaStream "Penguin" for the past few weeks, I've stopped buying seltzer (my fiancée is a fanatic). And, to my surprise, I actually prefer what comes out of the SodaStream to anything store-bought. The full 411 on the SodaStream — along with an important caveat — after the jump.
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Setting up the SodaStream is easy — the most challenging part is inserting the CO2 tank — and using it is even easier: Fill half-liter carafe (2 are provided in the starter kit) with water, place in Penguin, push lever down, release pressure, done. Now you've got sparkling water that rivals Schweppes.
It makes sense that the sparkling water that comes out of the SodaStream is better than stuff from the grocery store. The Penguin gives you direct control over the carbonation of your beverage. Like your soda to really pop? Push the lever down a few more times. Want it just slightly fizzy? Once will do.
If you like what comes out of the SodaStream, the next question is, "How much does it really save me?" The Penguin starter kit costs $200. Once you have it, the only thing you need more of is CO2, so you'll need to send back the tanks and get shipped new ones, at a cost of $13 each plus shipping.
Each tank is said to carbonate 60 liters of water. Assuming a consumption rate of about two liters of carbonated water per week, you'll typically go through about two tanks a year. So assuming SodaStream lasts you, say, five years, it comes out to about $1.30 for sparkling water per week (not counting the cost of water from the tap).
The Big Caveat: The instructions explicitly say that you should carbonate only water in the SodaStream. This throws a wrench in the works of anyone planning to re-carbonate flat Pepsi or Budweiser. If you want flavored beverages, you'll have to turn (naturally) to SodaStream's flavor additives, which come in bottles that sell for five bucks each and can flavor 12 liters of water (sample packs are available, too). The justification for this — that other beverages might clog the nozzle — sounds a little weak, though doing so will definitely void the warranty. After sampling a few of SodaStream flavors, I think they taste about as good as any generic stuff, but Coke it's not.
That could be a deal-breaker for some, but in my household, where we used to spend somewhere between $5 and $10 a week on sparkling water, we're sold. In a greater sense, SodaStream represents the best of green innovations: It saves you money, reduces your environmental impact (no more cans or bottles), and doesn't require that you give something up.
By DanTGF at 5:29 PM ON 04/24/09
I have heard people complain about old news but this takes the cake. Soda Stream has been around since the 70's. Although the unit has been updated somewhat in the last 30 odd years
By azpunster at 7:02 PM ON 04/24/09
I just recently bought a SodaStream machine from Kohl's and it's performed as advertised. I'm going to look for recipes for syrups on the web and I expect to find them without too much fuss. Odd that I see this post right after following them on twitter, but okay (serendipity, I guess :-)
By overgroove at 7:15 PM ON 04/24/09
DanTGF, I don't understand these complaints about old news. I, personally, have never heard of the SodaStream, and no, I don't live under a rock. I think it's pretty neat and am glad to have been informed of it. If you already know the facets of tech that has been extant for more than a month, then just skip the ones you know about and leave some awed comments on the ones you don't know about.
Just my two cents.
By afterburner909 at 9:11 PM ON 04/24/09
Pretty cool, but at $200 it's not really a much better deal than a used (and inspected & reconditioned) kegging system meant for beer and soda. This product is of course easier to clean and you don't need to make space in a 2nd fridge in your garage to keep it cold, but the fact that it only works with water kills it for me. Also, adding a cheap soda syrup after the fact doesn't save that nasty price tag.
By squatch81 at 3:33 PM ON 04/25/09
I had a soda stream back in the early '80's.
You have to add the flavor AFTER the carbonation.
If you try to carbonate flavored liquids (IE re carbonate flat Pepsi) the CO2 attaches itself to the particles in the water and you have a geyser when you break the seal between the carbonator and the bottle and it looks just like the video's where they drop Mentos into 2 liter bottles.
By DorkMan at 11:41 PM ON 04/25/09
Cute and cuddly boys, cute and cuddly!
By FuZVulf at 4:18 AM ON 04/26/09
The penguins are coming! The penguins are coming!
Yeah its been around a while, so what, its a neat gadget.
By Folsom H2O at 1:47 PM ON 04/26/09
I sell these in my water store and people love them. Sparkling water for about .25 cents per liter and soda for about .60 cents per liter. They also make 2 other models priced at $75 and $80.
By Tony at 1:30 PM ON 04/28/09
There is actually such a thing as a "water store" ??
By bubbles at 1:29 PM ON 04/30/09
I make my own seltzer too (I'm in a 5th-floor walkup, and it's easier to carry C02 upstairs without the water attached). I use an iSi soda siphon, though, which costs about forty bucks, takes cheap, widely available cartridges, makes twice as much at a go, and lives in your fridge instead of taking up counter space.
6th-grade essay summary paragraph: "In conclusion, we have seen that making your own seltzer is a good idea. We have also seen that standard soda-siphon bottles are cheaper, easier, more convenient and smaller than the SodaStream."
By LindaM at 4:03 PM ON 05/11/09
I love the Penguin - but what is happening that I get no response online or on the phone re my online refill order from May 4? Have they lost their Los Angeles distributors or closed down? Also no response from Corp. offices! It is useless without carbonator refills. Any suggestions?
By AlexH at 8:04 PM ON 06/14/09
@LindaM Same issue with carbonator refills. Finally got someone at Williams-Sonoma to talk about it. Apparently UPS refuses to handle the carbonators, and this means getting them into the stores--or delivered--is a pain. Hopefully there are enough of these out there that someone will find a good solution. The W-S people said they expected to have bottles in stock in mid-July, but didn't really have a good reason for this...
By mh at 11:14 AM ON 09/17/09
getting refills is the worst pain in the entire world. the issue is not ups, it is soda stream. Williams Sonoma carries other carbonators, just not theirs, and UPS is fine with it. Soda Stream isn't in the 21st century. Where I live, they have an ancient creepy guy who delivers, even though I have friends who get theirs UPS who live elsewhere. I have offered to pay UPS multiple times but they won't do it. The guy has never come to my house before 9 pm in the evening, he never calls first, and once he came during a party and just came on and wandered around my house! he can't speak english at all and dealing with hm is very upsetting. Now my penguin just sits there. I hate it.
By bean at 2:34 PM ON 11/05/09
Refill your own bottles or hook the sodastream up to a larger CO2 tank (that is easy and cheap to refill)
Not affiliated or anythign, just a happy customer.
By Sodaclubrefill.com at 5:34 PM ON 12/10/09
For the BEST Soda-Club and SodaStream refill solutions, come visit us at sodaclubrefill.com.
We also have systems to directly hook up your machine to either external Paintball Tanks or large CO2 Tanks.
All our products are professionally designed and built right here in the USA. Dor us, this is NOT a hobby like our competitors, it's our ONLY business. Safety and ease of use is our main objectives. Give us a try before you buy anywhere else.
By 3parfarley at 3:35 PM ON 12/13/09
I just got done making a carbonator exchange at a Sur La Table store for my Sodastream Jet. It was easy, like making a propane exchange.
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3parfarley:
I just got done making a carbonator exchange at a Sur La Table store for my Sodastream Jet. It was easy, like mak...More »