Over the years, my husband and I have tried different beer and wine making kits. Some worked well, others not so much. When we first saw the SodaStream at Bed, Bath, and Beyond, the kids thought it would be something they would love to try. I must admit that I was skeptical. I had tried some other home soda kits before and none of them tasted quite right. Needless to say, I was thrilled when Soda Stream gave me the opportunity to review one of their machines.
My husband was out of town when the package arrived, and the first thing he told me was not to touch it until he got home. I think he was even more excited about getting the Soda Stream than I was!
When we opened the box, which was a big deal in and of itself, I found a ton of drink mixes, a CO2 canister, and the Soda Stream Fountain Jet itself – enough to keep us going for quite some time. Set up was incredibly simple, all we had to do was just screw the CO2 canister in to unit, and you’re pretty much ready to go.
There are a ton of flavors to go with the Soda Stream. There really is something for everyone. If you are interested in the traditional types of soda there are flavors such as cola, root beer, or lemon lime.
For those that are into fruit flavors, there are a wide selection of flavors such as the Pink Grapefruit, Cranberry-Raspberry, Black Currant and Pear, or even Cranberry.
And for the kids there are fun flavors such as Pink Lemonade, Crystal Lite Fruit Punch, and Kool Aid. See — something for everyone!
When it comes to actually making the soda, the process is really easy. All you have to do is fill the reusable bottle with cold water up to the line. After the bottle is filled, all you need to do is depress the button on the top of the until to add the CO2.
After depressing the button for about one second you’ll hear a buzz (pressure build up being released) and you let go for a second, then repeat the process two more times. If you don’t want a lot of carbonation you can stop at two presses or you can go to three if you want some extra.
Once you have added the carbonation, all you need to do is unscrew the bottle and add a capful of flavoring. Just make sure that you don’t shake the bottle after putting in the flavoring. You know what happens when you shake a soda can! All you need to do is swirl it gently. It’s really that easy!
The best part is that it tastes great. My favorite flavor is the Ocean Spray Cranberry, but my kids love the Root Beer. My husband is most excited not about the flavors but about the fact that he can have sparkling water anytime he wants!
The only downside to the Soda Stream is that the (one) included reusable bottle isn’t dishwasher safe. This makes it rather hard to clean the bottle, especially because the top opening is rather narrow so even just getting a bottle brush in is difficult. The bottles are a little pricey to buy spares too. They are $10 each, and you can get a two pack at places such as Walmart. I know these cost a little more because they are reusable, but it does add an additional cost on top of the unit itself. I know that in this house we are for sure going to have to buy more bottles!
I must say that Soda Stream would make a great holiday gift. It is available at major retailers such as Bed, Bath, and Beyond; Target; and Walmart, as well as being available online.
To find more great holiday gifts, check out the rest of the Third Stop on the Right holiday gift guide!
