I Bought A SodaStream

[Gail Simone]

I don't drink much soda, but my son and hubby love it. They say the sodas taste better and fresher, there is way less sugar and fewer carbs in the regular flavors and the diet flavors have Splenda instead of Aspertame.

But I really like the fact that there's not cans and bottles cluttering everything up. It's nice!

Anyone got one or thinking of getting one?

[Keith P.]

I was not even aware this product existed. I'm reading the reviews on Amazon, and seriously considering it. I don't drink soda at all, but I love those bottles of flavored, carbonated water, and I make and drink a LOT of sugar free /zero calorie lemonande, with splenda, lemon juice and water. I think it would taste pretty nifty with carbonation.

[sapphoshands]

NO YOU CAN'T TAKE MY DIET COKE AWAY FROM ME *CLINGS*

Sounds very cool, though, and less waste is always good!

[GlitterPill]

I've been wanting one of those for a while, it looks like fun. It seems like it'd make a dent in my Diet Doctor Pepper habit, which would probably be a good thing.

[Patrick Gerard]

Really cool. I think I'd want to blend my own flavors though.

[GlitterPill]

Really cool. I think I'd want to blend my own flavors though.

I think I'd end up comitting what could only be described as flavour atrocities.

[Gail Simone]

Patrick, me, too but I haven't found recipes, yet. Someone said you could use straight Italian soda syrup, or fruit juice. Some said the carbonated teas are really good.

[Gail Simone]

I've been wanting one of those for a while, it looks like fun. It seems like it'd make a dent in my Diet Doctor Pepper habit, which would probably be a good thing.

That's my hubby's drink! He tried the diet Dr. Pepper like flavor on the Soda Stream, and really liked it, said it's got a strong cherry flavor, though.

[ConnorHawke]

Diet Dr. Pepper is really good. I actually prefer it to the regular kind.

[Patrick Gerard]

Patrick, me, too but I haven't found recipes, yet. Someone said you could use straight Italian soda syrup, or fruit juice. Some said the carbonated teas are really good.

Raspberry and White Chocolate was my personal Italian Soda recipe of choice when I worked at a coffee shop.

[Spiffy]

Patrick, me, too but I haven't found recipes, yet. Someone said you could use straight Italian soda syrup, or fruit juice. Some said the carbonated teas are really good.
I don't know about the SodaStream specifically, but I have a friend who bought his own water carbonator years ago, and he definitely used "straight" Italian Soda syrup all of the time.

[Spiffy]

That's my hubby's drink! He tried the diet Dr. Pepper like flavor on the Soda Stream, and really liked it, said it's got a strong cherry flavor, though.
Apparently at Sam's club you can get big ol' 5 gallon boxes of the ACTUAL Diet Dr. Pepper syrup.

http://www.samsclub.com/sams/shop/product.jsp?productId=185512

I also know that the infamous "Dublin Doctor Pepper" (the one bottler which makes the non-diet version with ACTUAL cane sugar instead of Corn Syrup) has syrup out there somewhere you can buy too.

[Spiffy]

Gail, one more thing. If your husband loves Doctor Pepper, you should try and find him Cheerwine (like Dr. P, available in both sugared and diet versions). Very similar flavor profile, but in my opinion even better.

Its famous (and available) mostly in the South, but apparently they've just started a big expansion program to sell it elsewhere. http://cheerwinefinder.com/ seems to be a way to find it (I note from their little map on that site there isn't a location anywhere near you yet though)

[michealdark]

If anyone has tasted anything made with one, how does it taste? Because I'm seriously thinking about this

[Reverend Smooth]

I don't know about the SodaStream specifically, but I have a friend who bought his own water carbonator years ago, and he definitely used "straight" Italian Soda syrup all of the time.
This is what I did for a long time, since it's hard to get soda flavored with vanilla and nut flavors. Though I just bought club soda or sparkling water.

[GlitterPill]

Is anyone else wondering if you can use it to make your own fizzy alcoholic beverages?

(This is why I shouldn't be allowed to have nifty kitchen gadgets... it ends in dangerous experimentation. One of my favourite food blogs is devoted to making things in a waffle iron that are not waffles (http://www.waffleizer.com/).)

Also, for those wanting to experiment with carbonation without fancy hardware, Alton Brown has a recipe for making your own ginger ale. (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/ginger-ale-recipe/index.html)

[Patrick Gerard]

Is anyone else wondering if you can use it to make your own fizzy alcoholic beverages?

(This is why I shouldn't be allowed to have nifty kitchen gadgets... it ends in dangerous experimentation. One of my favourite food blogs is devoted to making things in a waffle iron that are not waffles (http://www.waffleizer.com/).)

Also, for those wanting to experiment with carbonation without fancy hardware, Alton Brown has a recipe for making your own ginger ale. (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/ginger-ale-recipe/index.html)

I'm suddenly intrigued by the prospect of carbonated Jack and flat Coke.

[Shurato2099]

I don't drink much soda, but my son and hubby love it. They say the sodas taste better and fresher, there is way less sugar and fewer carbs in the regular flavors and the diet flavors have Splenda instead of Aspertame.

But I really like the fact that there's not cans and bottles cluttering everything up. It's nice!

Anyone got one or thinking of getting one?

Uh ... what is this thing, again?

[Cam63]

So-da....beer ?

[Gail Simone]

Is anyone else wondering if you can use it to make your own fizzy alcoholic beverages?

(This is why I shouldn't be allowed to have nifty kitchen gadgets... it ends in dangerous experimentation. One of my favourite food blogs is devoted to making things in a waffle iron that are not waffles (http://www.waffleizer.com/).)

Also, for those wanting to experiment with carbonation without fancy hardware, Alton Brown has a recipe for making your own ginger ale. (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/ginger-ale-recipe/index.html)

GP, it says very specifically that using anything other than straight water voids the warranty and can ruin the machine. Sorry! So you have to carbonate the water and then add flavors.
I've used several of the syrups, and they really do taste good. The non-diet ones have 2/3 less calories, 8/10's less sodium, less carbs, everything. The diet ones are made with Splenda,
which I prefer greatly over other soda sweeteners.

I also tried it with sugar-free Raspberry Italian Soda flavoring, and it was really delicious. It's nice to have so many more choices when you don't want to have sugar.

[Gail Simone]

So-da....beer ?

You need help!

[sapphoshands]

Is anyone else wondering if you can use it to make your own fizzy alcoholic beverages?

(This is why I shouldn't be allowed to have nifty kitchen gadgets... it ends in dangerous experimentation. One of my favourite food blogs is devoted to making things in a waffle iron that are not waffles (http://www.waffleizer.com/).)

Also, for those wanting to experiment with carbonation without fancy hardware, Alton Brown has a recipe for making your own ginger ale. (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/ginger-ale-recipe/index.html)

WAFFLED FALAFEL. Oh man, I am just going to go around saying that to people now. Or maybe "Will it waffle" can be my new catchphrase.

Also, I am thrilled with the idea of s'moreffles, because graham crackers do not exist in the UK.

[GlitterPill]

WAFFLED FALAFEL. Oh man, I am just going to go around saying that to people now. Or maybe "Will it waffle" can be my new catchphrase.

Also, I am thrilled with the idea of s'moreffles, because graham crackers do not exist in the UK.

Alton Brown has a recipe for graham crackers, too. (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/graham-crackers-recipe/index.html)

(And what do you make cheesecake crusts from, if you don't have graham crackers?)

[Cam63]

You need help!

'You makin' fun of my missus again ?

[Personamanx]

So I think it this machine makes home made pop? What does it look like/How much does it cost?

[sapphoshands]

Alton Brown has a recipe for graham crackers, too. (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/graham-crackers-recipe/index.html)

(And what do you make cheesecake crusts from, if you don't have graham crackers?)

Hm, good question! Danged if I know. Maybe digestives? (I can't say I've ever made a cheesecake in my life, ha.)

[Lew'sGhost]

I'm going to get one of these now. Thanks Gail!

Also, when I serve drinks from it, I will tell everyone that I brought the device back with me from the future. But only if asked.

[ConnorHawke]

I wonder if I could make Tab with this machine.

[Ryan Elliott]

If it tastes exactly like Coca Cola, it's worth it.

If not, I can just go to the gas station, grab a 99 cent bottle of Coke, and be done.

[Ryan Elliott]

Here's a video in case anybody's interested.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5q0_nRh7bJ4

[Ryan Elliott]

After watching the video, and seeing him do that with the root beer, I'm intrigued. It looked a lot like store bought root beer. I'm sure it doesn't take like a name brand, but generic would be fine with me.

Have to watch a few more review videos.

[Ryan Elliott]

Another video with an actual taste test by two adorably nerdy guys:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSQyJS0GS1c&feature=related

Now I'm actually considering considering* buying one!

*Not a typo.

[Gail Simone]

Ryan, for pure convenience, yeah, buying a soda at the store is probably easier. But there are a lot of advantages to this.
First, the non-diet sodas are delicious and hugely better for you. Fewer preservatives, lots less carbs, 2/3rds less sugar,
and 4/5ths less sodium. That's fairly huge. The diet sodas are Splenda, not aspertame, also huge. And our biggest
grocery store in town has only a few of these diet sodas in flavors I like...the SodaStream has lots of really interesting
flavors, not just the usual ones, but also things like flavored green teas and fruit como flavors. You can mix
your own flavors to your choosing. You can make delicious Italian sodas with Torani syrups right off the shelf.

It's a lot less lugging of sodas from the store, a lot less storage space, and no messy sack of cans, bottles,
and packaging to take back to the store and create mess. If I, or my hubby or son, are in the mood for a particular
flavor, we just make it on the spot, instead of trying to have lots of sodas around in case the mood should
strike us. Tonight I made a strawberry cream soda, sugar free, for my son and he absolutely loved it.
If you like seltzer water, it's as easy as pushing a button, no sodium at all. If you are making
soda, it's very inexpensive, and if you are making the green tea drinks or the energy drink
flavors, it's a LOT less expensive than buying from the store.

It's a green product, it requires no electricity, and it requires virtually no clean up.

We like ours a lot. I'm sure there are downsides, but I don't even DRINK soda and I like it.
We haven't loved EVERY flavor, but we've liked all of them and some are
delicious, indeed.

[Tyr]

I don't drink much soda, but my son and hubby love it. They say the sodas taste better and fresher, there is way less sugar and fewer carbs in the regular flavors and the diet flavors have Splenda instead of Aspertame.

But I really like the fact that there's not cans and bottles cluttering everything up. It's nice!

Anyone got one or thinking of getting one?

We've had a soda maker at my parents house for years Gail, however, dad has been thinking about dropping it because the syrup is getting expensive.

[XXXenophile]

My mom's got one. Tried her versions of Sprite and Pepsi. They tasted too odd to me because they both left some sort of aftertaste.

But she likes it. If I ever bought one I'd play around to see if I could get a perfect Mountain Dew.

[Gail Simone]

We've had a soda maker at my parents house for years Gail, however, dad has been thinking about dropping it because the syrup is getting expensive.

It's five bucks for thirty three cans, that's very reasonable, and a lot of people buy actual soda syrup which is even less, and quite a few people use the Torani flavors which are even less than that.

[Tyr]

My mom's got one. Tried her versions of Sprite and Pepsi. They tasted too odd to me because they both left some sort of aftertaste.

But she likes it. If I ever bought one I'd play around to see if I could get a perfect Mountain Dew.

They discontinued the Mountain Dew syrup where I'm at.

[Gail Simone]

They have a Mountain Dew-like syrup, but I don't care for MD, so I haven't tried it.

[Weeto]

Sodastream has a fairly poor reputation in the UK, where the system originally comes from and is seen as a 70s and 80s nostalgia product.

There were a lot of brand name flavours a few years ago including the likes of Irn-Bru and Tizer but apparently they were very poor compared to the normal versions.

I've heard the non-brand flavours tend to be better because they don't have to live up to the standards of a famous product and can have their own taste.

[Patrick Gerard]

I'm tempted to try their syrup with some off the shelf seltzer water as a test drive if I see their syrups at Bed Bath and Beyond or anywhere.

I hate corn syrup or at least the concentration used in most sodas, which limits me to diet drinks. (It's hard to get flavored coffee syrups without it in the flavors I like but I find I like the consistency of those better.)

[zemo]

Hey, question here for the people using such a machine: my folks had one of those machines years ago, but then got rid of it because the bottles were a bitch to clean and couldn't be put into a dishwasher. I personally believe that the company made it purposefully so so that you not only had to buy CO2 and syrup regularly, but also the bottles >_> Anybody else got that problem?

[Gail Simone]

I don't see how the bottles are a bitch to clean, honestly. You rinse them with warm water and they're fine. I've only had it for a couple days, maybe I'll hate it, but I really like the lack of preservatives, calories, corn syrup, carbs, and sugar.

[Shurato2099]

Just remember, Gail, its all fun and games until somebody decides to try carbonating gravy.

[Gail Simone]

ooooh!

Now I wanna carbomonatify GRAVY!

[Shurato2099]

"Dear gods ... what have I done?"

"What you always do. Give a -really- bad idea a fighting chance at life."

[Weeto]

I drink a helluva lot of soda, particularly diet brands as I'm not a huge tea/coffee nut so maybe one of these machines is what I need. Argos stock Sodastream machines for about £50 so I might pick one up. They also sell the gas and spare bottles so I'll probably try it out. Here in the UK, the machines are mentioned a lot as being able to make sparkling water as well as flavoured drinks which would also be a nice thing to try. Apparently you can also carbonate still cordials and squash drinks so that would also be pretty good as I drink quite a lot of diluting squashes too but I don't tend to enjoy flat drinks quite as much as the fizzy versions.

[Cam63]

ooooh!

Now I wanna carbomonatify GRAVY!

...and you had the gall to say I need help !

[Alan Lynch]

Sodastream! Love it. Maybe it's nostalgia talking but it's still the best fizzy juice that I've ever tasted.

[XXXenophile]

They discontinued the Mountain Dew syrup where I'm at.

I'll have to get the root beer one to bring to my mother's next time she's got me over for dinner and see if its any good.

[Gail Simone]

I think the root beer is pretty good. The fruit flavors are excellent, and we've mixed a lot of flavors. It's nice to have that kind of variety without a million bottles and cans cluttering up our kitchen and pantry.

[Reverend Smooth]

If/when I can afford one, I'll probably try it. But I'll have to do Torani syrups, since I can't do splenda and it's in both the regular and diet flavors. (I wish folks would start using stevia more, or sell an unsweetened syrup so I can).

Anything to reduce the amount of bottles we go through. @_@

Almost any variation of fruit with cream soda is good, since that's basically just a vanilla-flavored soda. Creamsicle = orange + cream soda. And raspberry + cream soda is fabulous. And peaches + cream, etc.

[Ryan Elliott]

I want this so I can make pumpkin soda come Autumn!

[Cam63]

So, this soda stuff... it's OK ?

[Hugin]

So, this soda stuff... it's OK ?It's non-alcoholic, but at least soda tastes better than beer.

[Weeto]

Calm down, Cam!
You can add the soda to your beer and that makes it a shandy.

[Reverend Smooth]

Why not use the beer as a base? :D

[Weeto]

According to someone earlier in the thread, it isn't advisable to use alcoholic drinks in the machine but you can add them later.

[Gail Simone]

I should try a beer once. I've never even had a sip.

[GlitterPill]

I should try a beer once. I've never even had a sip.

Must resist urge to joke about American beer... must resist urge to joke about American beer...

*visible twitching*

[Reverend Smooth]

Don't try the cheap crap, and you need to like bitter stuff (since most beer does have hops).

[GlitterPill]

I cook with beer more often than I drink it, to be honest. I make a pretty wicked Guinness beef stew.

[Weeto]

Steak & Ale pie is pretty awesome.

[Cam63]

I should try a beer once. I've never even had a sip.

I'm guessing you wouldn't like it.

[Weeto]

I've never drunk beer either, although I have had beer gravy in pies and stews. Apparently beer is also a good ingredient in batter for fried fish.