Anyone have a Sodastream?

JAileen

We're thinking about getting one. I hate lugging club soda home. I went to Costco today but they didn't have any. Online there are lots of different models, including a really cute (but expensive) penguin.

If you have one, would you get it again? What model do you have?

11 years ago

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15 replies

Latest reply was from JAileen

Jjsloane

Veteran

I got one for DH a few years ago. It's the standard base model. I find it quite useful in that we don't buy soda and let it get flat, we can always have a spritzer if we want, they have tons of flavors and I keep gingerale mix for tummyaches. You can't wash the bottles in the dishwasher so a bottle brush is essential and space to store them if you like to have more than one at a time. Bed Bath and Beyond gives credit for trading in the empty cartridge and you can use their coupon on top so it's pretty reasonable.

11 years ago

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

I have the standard base model too! I don't use it to make soda pop, I just use it to carbonate water or something ... and I do the Bed Bath and Beyond trade in with the coupon too!

I like having something fizzy, but don't wanna spring for fizzy water all the time.

11 years ago

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

We got one as a gift last Christmas and have really liked it. My husband likes the unflavored fizzy water, and I've tried several of the commercial add ins as well as mixing it with fruit juice. I don't know if we're really saving a ton of money as we still do buy soda on occasion, but it definitely gets me to drink more non caffeinated beverages, which is good.

Side note: I didn't know about sodastream's controversial presence in the West Bank until after we got the gift. Unfortunately there aren't a lot of alternative brands right now. Just a heads up in case that's something that is of concern to you.

11 years ago

JAileen

Veteran

Jjsloane, lyn, thanks for sharing. I didn't know if it was worth it to upgrade. I guess not. Thanks!

Laura, I had not heard of any controversy concerning this product. I'll have to google it. Thank you for mentioning it.

11 years ago

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Yes! Have had it for years, just the basic non-electric model and we love it. I don't want to get into politics but the situation with sodastream is a bit different than other products from the west bank - it is major employer of the local Palestinian population. People should do what feels comfortable for them, but the situation is more complex than the media portrays.

11 years ago

JAileen

Veteran

Shevia, I haven't googled the controversy yet, but since you live in Israel I'm sure you to know more than the rest of us.

Somehow I was completely unaware of Sodastream until recently. I had a wonderful soda in Tbilisi last year - tarragon. Unbelievable, I know. It has a faint licorice flavor. I tried making it, using tarragon grown in our garden, and it was a reasonable facsimile, requiring club soda. I made some for a party, and everyone was dubious at first, but then they decided it was delicious. They even want me to submit it to our church cookbook! Anyway, while I was researching other flavored simple syrups, I read about Sodastream.

11 years ago

cciele

Veteran

That's good to know Shevia -- we have a Sodastream (the model they were selling at Costco a few years ago) and comment about it being "blood carbon dioxide."

Anyhow we use it daily and are happy to have it!

11 years ago

pastrygirl

(website)

Veteran

I have a basic model, I think it was called Genesis? I used it daily for a year or more, just for seltzer. I drank just about two bottles a day. We used to buy 6-10 bottles of seltzer a week at the grocery store, so the Sodastream was a huge improvement!

(However -- I switched back to plain ice water at some point and now haven't used it in over two years, I think.)

11 years ago

minimalist

Veteran

We go through a lot of sparkling water, so perhaps this is something to consider.

A friend's wife fervently pushes products she believes to represent her political and cultural values, Sodastream among them. I generally avoid what she pushes but should start looking into things myself.

11 years ago

JAileen

Veteran

Cciele, pastrygirl, Amy K., thank you for sharing. Pastrygirl, I wonder why you switched back to plain water? Maybe it was habit.

With our experiments in soda making, we tried plain water (we keep a couple of jugs in the fridge) with the flavoring and it just didn't work for us. When I'm really thirsty, though, nothing is as refreshing as cold water from the fridge.

11 years ago

pastrygirl

(website)

Veteran

I think it was my last pregnancy, actually. Before then, I didn't enjoy plain water and craved the throat burn of seltzer. During the pregnancy I wanted ice water, and it stuck with me. I still need ice, and lots of it. If I have to choose between ice-less water or seltzer, I'd choose seltzer.

11 years ago

viva

Veteran

I used the base model at a friend's party recently and have coveted one ever since. I don't drink soda but do drink seltzer or Pellegrino and really loved the degree of carbonation with Sodastream and the lack of extra bottles. I'd really like to get one.
Shevia, I appreciate the additional point of view on the controversy.

11 years ago

JAileen

Veteran

Pastrygirl, it's funny what we crave when we're pregnant, isn't it? I wanted corn in all forms.

Viva, I used to drink Pellegrino too. Then I thought about the energy required to send it half way around the world.

11 years ago

Sarah A

Veteran

We got the penguin model when I was last pregnant... yeah those cravings! We choose the penguin becuase having the glass bottles were important to us and the other models at that time used plastic. I was/am unaware of the complete politics of the situation but have been satisfied with the performance of our purchase over the last approx 4 years. We probably fizz about 1L each day.

11 years ago

JAileen

Veteran

Wow! It sounds like you've gotten your money's worth! When I was trying to read up on the controversy I found a NYT article about "hacking" a penguin:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02.....&_r=0

The penguin is on sale at Williams Sonoma...

11 years ago

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