When my family first looked into getting a SodaStream Jet we knew how easy it would be to make our own carbonated water, but what about flavoring it? Well to our surprise we found out there were over 50 different SodaStream Flavors to choose from! Like any family everyone has a different favorite, so we wanted to make sure there were enough flavors to make everyone happy. SodaStream calls their flavors ‘Sodamix’ and you will find traditional favorites such as Cola, Lemon-Lime, Orange and Root Beer. Even though it’s a soda machine, sometimes you may want to make a mixer, and SodaStream has you covered with Ginger Ale and Tonic, and all of the aforementioned sodamixes come in diet. Need an energy boost? Tired of paying upwards of $3 for an energy drink at your convenience store? Make your own Energy Drinks in regular and diet flavoring and control the fizz and flavor intensity for pennies on the dollar! Each bottle of concentrated sodamix makes the equivalent of 12 liters (33 cans) of soda!

If you like Green Tea try one of the Sparkling Teas! Oh I forgot to mention that Regular sodamix flavors contain less sugar, calories, carbohydrates and sodium than national drink brands! Regular flavors contain no high-fructose corn syrup, and are sweetened with a blend of sugar and sucralose. Diet sodamix flavors contain no sugar, no aspartame and are sweetened with Splenda® brand sweetener. Sparkling Naturals are sweetened exclusively with cane sugar. There truly is something to fit everyone’s taste and diet.

Maybe you just want a great tasting drink without any calories or sugar at all! Bring in MyWater Flavor Essences. With your choice between Lemon-Lime, Orange, Rasberry or Mint, you can enjoy an all-natural, unsweetened alternative with 0% Calories and 0% Sugar. Each 40 ml bottle will make approx. 20 liters of flavored seltzer; MyWater comes in purses containing 3 bottles each.

How about the kids? We know that kids love soda and sweet drinks in general, but these kinds of drinks can lead to health problems if left unchecked! What is a parent to do? You can restrict your child to drinking only water…OK that probably will not fly! Your next bet is to offer a healthier alternative with Sparkling Naturals. Made from all-natural ingredients, new SodaStream Sparkling Naturals make great-tasting “better for you” sodas. Here is what you won’t find:

- No artificial flavors
- No artificial colors
- No artificial sweeteners
- No Preservatives

Each 750ml bottle of Sparkling Naturals concentrate will make 6 liters (approximately 25 8-oz servings) of all-natural soda.

OK so we now know there are plenty of SodaStream Flavors available, but how do they taste? This is up for debate, and we will be honest…The flavors taste good but if you come in with the expectation that SodaStream cola will taste exactly like Coca-Cola you will be sadly disappointed. It’s like comparing store bought brands to major brands, each one will have a different taste but taste good nonetheless. If you want to mix it up you have to think outside the box. Checkout these SodaStream Recipes to get your creative juices flowing…Trust us you won’t be disappointed!

There is no doubt that SodaStream has you covered when it comes to flavors, but the beauty of this system is that you can make your own Sparkling Water and essentially add any ingredients you like. If you can think it you can drink it! So experiment away and see what you can come up with!

Checkout all of the Nutritional Information and see how SodaStream stacks up against the national brands.

Where can you find the best price for these flavors?

We are constantly checking for the best price, and we find that Amazon has the best deals on SodaStream Flavors. If  you are looking to stock up then this will be your best option! Be sure to take advantage of FREE Super Saver Shipping too!

If you have arrived at this page you may be considering a Sodatream soda maker! If so congratulations, our family has been using the SodaStream Jet happily for the last year and haven’t looked back. In this Sodatream Review we will cover everything you need to know to make an educated purchase, and if you’re like my family was you may have the following questions:

Why make the switch? I’m in love with (insert favorite brand here), how will the SodaStream flavors compare in taste? Speaking of taste, what are Sodamix flavors and how many are there to choose from? Will I save money? How does using SodaSteam help our environment? Oh yeah, how does this thing actually work?

We will address these and many other topics in this SodaStream Review, so let’s get started and talk about why it’s wise to Make The Switch to SodaStream. Purchasing a home soda machine was a no brainer for our family after we found out how easy and fun it was to make different flavor sodas with plain tap water. It actually sounded a little too easy to be honest with you. Once we started researching what this product could do it became clear that this was great solution for many reasons. Before we get into those reasons check out this video so you can see how simple it is to use the SodaStream Home Soda Maker!

One of the first questions people ask me is How Does It Taste? We personally enjoy the Sodamix flavors, but upon your research you will find mixed reaction from people who love the flavors and others not so much. If you expect the Cola flavor for example to taste exactly like Coca Cola then you will be sadly disappointed. If you aren’t married to one particular brand then you will be pleasantly surprised with the flavors, and recipes you can come up with.

Currently SodaStream offers over 30 different regular, diet and caffeine free sodamix flavors to choose from. You may or may not realize that national soda brands have a lot of calories, and use high fructose corn syrup. Soda really isn’t that good for you right? Wrong, SodaStream flavors are healthier because they don’t use high fructose corn syrup, and diet flavors are sweetened with Splenda brand sweetener, not aspartame.

Two of the most popular brands of Soda would have to be Coca Cola and Sprite. We all know that too much soda consumption is contributing to obesity problems in children, and it’s easy to see why. According to the Coca Cola website one 8 fl oz bottle of Sprite has 100 calories and 26 grams of sugars per serving. If you prefer Coca Cola you will consume 100 calories and 27 grams of sugars per serving. Yikes! With SodaStream you will not only be enjoying a tasty beverage, but it’s also not that bad for you. Pictures are always better than words so check out the nutrition facts from two of SodaStreams comparable products:

As you can see SodaStream has far less calories and sugars per equivalent serving as compared to the major brands. It’s completely possible to enjoy soda, but worry less about packing on those extra pounds due to high calories and high fructose corn syrup!

One last thing about SodaStream flavors and nutrition. We have come to love the SodaStream Sparkling Natural flavors as they are perfect for kids who want soda, and adults who want healthy beverages. Our kids love the taste, and the kicker is they don’t even know it’s good for them. Check out this short video about SodaStream Natural for kids:

Another heavily debated topic is “Will You Save Money” switching to SodaStream? The answer to this question is…It depends! My family used to drink the name brand sodas such as Coca Cola, Sierra Mist, and Sprite more often than store bought brands. We wanted a simple solution that could save a little money, and through our research we found SodaStream. Before we purchased our Sodastream Jet we would buy 2 liter bottles to save money over buying cans. In our area we would typically pay around $1.79 per 2 liter for name brands,and $0.79 cents for store brands. This will obviously vary by location, but should be somewhere in the same range. With this system you use something called a carbonator which turns your flat tap water into sparkling carbonated water in about 30 seconds. With the Sodastream carbonator exchange program you will pay around $15 dollars for a 60 liter carbonator. This breaks down to $0.25 cents per liter or $0.50 cents per two liters of sparkling water.

Remember this is a Sodastream, so the other half to this equation is flavors! Flavors range in price from $4.99-$9.99 and can make up 12 liters or 33 cans of fresh delicious soda. This breaks down to $0.42-$0.83 cents per liter for flavors. As you can see based on these numbers you will pay anywhere from $1.34-$2.16 per two liters of soda. If you stick to the $4.99 flavors you will save up to $.45 cents per 2 liter over name brand sodas.

Besides the actual cost of buying soda you have to take into consideration a few other important factors. Have you ever noticed how quickly soda goes flat? We noticed that most of our soda found its way into the drain rather than our mouths. Let’s face it flat soda is just no good. We would probably waste 1/4 of a 2 liter which equates to around $.45 cents. With the Sodastream you will never have to worry about this again. You control how fresh your soda is therefore eliminating waste, and saving money!

Ultimately how much savings are involved will depend on how fizzy you like your water and what flavors you like to mix. The fun of mixing fresh sodas however is worth it for my family! Will it be for you and yours?

If all i’m doing is making and drinking my soda at home, how does this help our environment?

Like many we didn’t realize what goes into getting all of that canned and bottled soda to our local grocery store. All of that plastic that goes into making soda bottles, and the exhaust emissions from trucks delivering those same products to your local stores. Yes like many we recycle our bottles, but by simply using our SodaStream Soda Maker we noticed that we didn’t have any bottles to deposit in our recycle bin anymore. You can read SodaStream – Better Than Recycling to get more information about how this product helps our environment. We think that it’s a great product for the environment, and the benefits speak for themselves.

We are always looking for the best prices and we find that purchasing your Soda Maker either directly from the SodaStreamUSA website or Amazon.com will get you the best price. If you haven’t decided on the model you would like to purchase please click on the respective model below for more specific information to get you started:

SodaStream Jet

SodaStream Pure

SodaStream Crystal

SodaStream Penguin

SodaStream Genesis

SodaStream Fizz

Making your own soda, improving the environment, saving money, and improving your health has never been easier. Our family loves our soda maker and you will too. Thanks for reading our SodaStream Review, and we hope you have as much fun with your Soda Maker as we have…It’s totally worth it!

The iSi Twist n Sparkle introduces a fun and easy way to carbonate not only water, but practically whatever type of beverage you want. This carbonating system is unique due to the fact that it directly carbonates your water or beverage of choice by way of a sparkling wand. This sparkling wand is inserted directly into the BPA-Free bottle and carbonation completes in about one minute using the iSi soda charger within the sparkling wand. Here is a short video that shows the Twist n Sparkle in action:

What Are The Benefits To Using This System?

You can feel good about using the Twist n Sparkle to make your earth friendly fizz and here is why:

- Less packaging waste & pollution from making and transporting cans & bottles
- Reusable, recyclable PET bottle and cap
- iSi® soda chargers are recyclable
- Smaller carbon footprint
- BPA free
- Phthalate free

In addition to the earth friendly benefits you can also sparkle up pretty much whatever you want including:

Fizzy Fruit Juices & Iced Teas
Carbonate your juices and iced teas for a healthy, yummy treat

Festive Cocktails & Coolers
Add fizz to your favorite cocktails and wine or try one of our deliciously easy recipes—let your inspiration sparkle

Fun Dessert Floats
Turn a scoop of ice cream or sorbet into a scrumptious dessert sure to appeal to kids of all ages

Sparkling Water
Enjoy the refreshing taste of sparkling water you can make at home which saves money!

Let’s Take A Look In More Detail

One thing we love about the Twist n Sparkle is all of the Everyday and Speciality drink recipes that you can make with ease. The system is also remarkably easy to use and requires no electricity or batteries to operate. Cleaning it is a breeze and since it doesn’t require housing for a carbonator, valuable counter space is saved. There is not much to like about the Twist n Sparkle!

What Comes In The Box?

- One Reusable bottle (1QT capacity)
- One Sparkling wand
- 3 recyclable Co2 chargers
- One recipe booklet featuring 26 delicious beverage ideas

Are There Any Cons?

The only thing that we have seen is that it’s slower than other systems to carbonate. Other systems can carbonate water in under 30 seconds where this system can take up to a minute. Not really a big deal however, and certainly not a deal breaker in our opinion!

Where Can I Find The Best Price?

By far we have seen the best price for the Twist n Sparkle at Amazon.com. This unit has a very high customer rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars, so head on over to Amazon, read some reviews and grab yours today!

If you have been looking for a home soda maker but haven’t quite decided on the right model then have no fear, SodaStream is here! OK that was pretty corny but in all seriousness the SodaStream Pure Starter Kit has everything you will need to make sparkling fizzy water or soda in less than 30 seconds. If you are somewhat familiar with SodaStream you may already know that functionality between the various models is very similar. The SodaStream Pure is the most sleek and elegant design among all of the models available. With stainless steel accents and your choice between two colors (white or gray) this soda machine will definitely be the topic of conversation in your kitchen.

Is This Better Than Buying Soda From The Store?

My family thinks so! There are tons of benefits to using the SodaStream Pure and here are just a few that we’d like to mention:

- No electricty or batteries needed
- Just 30 seconds needed to make soda or sparkling water (using standard tap water)
- No need to store bulky bottles or make extra room for soda/water storage
- Reusable BPA-Free plastic bottles (Safe for children)
- Over 30 delicious soda flavors including all natural flavors to suite every taste
- Environmentally friendly (helps reduce bottle waste by simply using the product)
- Hermetic Seal Caps that keeps soda fresher than store bought soda. Flat soda will be a thing of the past
- And so much more!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so a video must be worth…well I have no idea, but check out this short video showing the SodaStream Pure in action!

Let’s Take a Look in More Detail

When you open the box you will find the three main parts you will need to carbonate your tap water. To get started all you have to do is attach the 60 liter carbonator to the SodaStream Pure. Next you will take the BPA-Free plastic bottle and twist it clockwise until it’s completely attached. Lastly you will make your water fizzy by pressing down on the carbonating lever in the front and that’s it…easy as pie!

What Comes In The Box?

There are four different starter kit variations which will primarily differ with the amount of carbonators and BPA-Free plastic bottles you will get. We recommend starting with one of the Value Kits as they provide the best combination of price and value. You can find these at a great price directly at the SodaStream website and they consist of the following:

Pure Seltzer Value Kit includes:

- Pure Home Soda Maker
- 3 60 liter Carbonators
- 3 Carbonating Bottles
- Sodamix Variety 12 pack
- MyWater Flavor Essence Variety 3 pack

Pure Soda Value Kit includes:

- Pure Home Soda Maker
- 2 60 liter Carbonators
- 3 Carbonating Bottles
- 6 SodaMix bottles (your choice) – each bottle makes 12 liters of soda
- Sodamix Variety 12 pack

Are There Any Cons?

Some users have mixed reviews on SodaStream flavors, some love them and others not so much. Our family personally enjoys the flavors, but do admit that some are better than others. This is assuming you are just using the flavors at face value. You can also concoct your own recipes which is where the real fun begins.

Where Can I Find The Best Price?

In our research we have found that SodaStream has the best prices on the SodaStream Value Kits. If you are just looking for the SodaStream Pure Starter Kit, we recommend heading over to Amazon for the best price and Free shipping!

Can you Make Your Own Soda, save money and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time? Absolutely! Did you know that it’s really simple to make your own beverages at home? If you learn How To Make Soda at home you will help decrease pollution related to beverage transport and make fun fizzy drinks that your whole family will love. It’s a win-win as you will save money, help the environment, and have fun during the whole process.

Why Make Your Own Soda?

As you may already know brand name sodas are packed with calories and tons of high fructose corn syrup which is kind of unhealthy for you. Mixing your own gives you control over what ingredients you can use. Fresh fruit, natural flavors, and fruit juices are just a few things that you can substitute in lieu of artificial flavors. In addition here are some other great reasons to Make Your Own Soda:

- Less usage of plastic bottles and aluminum cans
- Complete control over ingredients
- Many different flavor combinations
- You can use “Real” fruit instead of artificial flavors
- Ability to control the taste
- And much more

It Can’t Be That Easy…Right?

When it comes to soda there are undoubtedly many flavors on the market, If you have ever watched one of those shows about “how things are made” and caught the one about the soda factory you will probably believe that only major corporations can churn out great tasting soda. Even though there are literally hundreds of different flavors of soda the truth is that most sodas share the same core parts of carbonation, flavor and sweetness. That’s it really. Of course how great your soda will taste will depend on what method you use, and a few other factors such as how fizzy (carbonated) you like your water and how flavorful you like your soda.

Gettin “Fizzy” with it!

In order to have a great tasting soda you will need carbonation. To keep it simple there are two ways to achieve carbonation that won’t break the bank. The first option is to simply buy a bottle of seltzer water from your local grocery store and mix it with your chosen ingredients. It can’t get any simpler than that. With that said this method can add up over time. If you plan on making soda more consistently you may be better off utilizing a machine that can carbonate your plain tap water instead. Check out SodaStream for more information on various models that can accomplish this for you. You can also carbonate with dry ice, but we don’t recommend this method as it can be very dangerous if not done properly.

Here Comes The Brand New “Flavor” In Your Root Beer!

Ok so now that you have your carbonation method it’s time to start thinking about different ways to flavor your carbonated water. First start with a simple syrup mixture consisting of one part water and one part sugar. You can then add at least two parts of your flavoring or more depending on your desired taste. Heat this combo up until it starts to boil then turn the heat off. Let this sit for about 30 minutes then transfer to another container and stick it in your refrigerator. As far as the ratio of carbonated water to flavoring you will have to decide by taste but 3 ounces of syrup to 12 ounces of carbonated water is a good place to start. The key here is to experiment with different flavor combinations and see what you can come up with. Make it fun, and who knows maybe you will come up with the next great “must have” soda flavor.

If you would prefer to have someone else be the mixologist then you can try using a pre-made flavor instead. This will shorten the learning curve and you can certainly still experiment and come up with many different and great recipes.

Just to give you an idea of what you can do with pre-made flavors here are a couple of Drink Recipes courtesy of SodaStream to get you going in the right direction:

Shirley Temple
8 oz. SodaStream Ginger Ale
1 1/2 oz. Grenadine or maraschino cherry juice
Maraschino cherries

Pour grenadine or cherry juice over ice. Add Ginger Ale and serve with a cherry on top!

Berry Dream
4 oz. SodaStream Cranberry-Raspberry
2 oz. Light cream
1/4 cup Strawberries, raspberries or blueberries in syrup
1 cup ice

In a blender, puree ice, cream and berries until smooth and creamy
Pour into a cup and stir in soda
Extra special treat: Serve in a martini glass, garnished with a sprig of mint and fresh berries.

This is just the tip of the iceberg! You can check out other tasty Drink Recipes to get your creative juices flowing so you can come up with your unique flavor combinations.

Whether you make your own flavors or opt for pre-made flavors, learning to Make Your Own Soda will be fun, good for the environment, and very yummy for your tummy. Cheers!

If you are looking for a soda maker with a stylish and sleek design that combines top-notch performance then look no further than the SodaStream Crystal Home Soda Maker. This soda maker was the first to offer reusable cut glass carafes which are also dishwasher-safe. The other benefit to the glass carafes is that they don’t need to be twisted on like the plastic bottles on other SodaStream soda makers. This is truly an Eco-Friendly soda maker winning the Green GOOD DESIGN Award, Housewares Design “Green House” Award for 2011.

What are the benefits to using a SodaStream Crystal Home Soda Maker?

- No electricity or batteries needed
- Takes just 30 seconds to make soda or sparkling water (straight from the tap)
- No need to store bulky bottles and have massive space for soda/water storage
- Reusable cut glass carafes which are dishwasher-safe
- Over 30 delicious soda flavors at the touch of a button
- Environmentally friendly
- fizz-preserving stoppers that keeps soda fresher than store bought soda. Flat soda will be a thing of the past
- And so much more!

Let’s Take a Look In More Detail

You can choose between two color combinations of Red & Silver or Black & Silver. As mentioned earlier in the review the main difference between this and other SodaStream soda makers is the up and down mechanism which fits around the glass carafe bottles versus having to twist the bottles on and off each time you use the machine. This really isn’t that big of a difference but if you are using your soda maker a lot this can save a little time. Another major benefit is the glass carafe bottles are dishwasher-safe with the SodaStream Crystal as compared to the plastic bottles on other SodaStream units which need to be washed by hand. Similar to other SodaStream soda makers you can turn your tap water into fizzy sparkling water in less than 30 seconds.

We have taken our SodaStream Home Soda Maker to our friends and families homes, and used it on our patio to serve guests. The SodaStream Crystal is no exception! Without the need for electricity or batteries it can go where you go. This is truly a “Green” product!

Can I See It In Action?

Sure check out this short video to see how it works. This video is pretty cool by the way!

Is the SodaStream Crystal really a “Green” product?

Absolutely! Consider this: A family of four can decrease their home soft drink related packaging usage by over 90 percent just by simply using a SodaStream soda maker. How you may ask? Easy! The SodaStream Carbonator is reusable for up to 3 years. The typical American will toss away over 1500 aluminum cans, and/or hundreds of plastic 2-liter bottles in that time. But a SodaStream user will get by with one or two reusable carbonators in the same time and nearly eliminate their bottle/can waste. We mentioned that you use tap water to make fizzy sparkling water. Because of this you also help reduce manufactured plastic that’s used for bottled beverages which means less plastic waste, less transport of bottled beverages and much more!

What Comes In The Box?

SodaStream offers two options with the Crystal Machine Starter Kit and Crystal Machine Value Kit. With the basic starter kit you will receive the following:

- SodaStream Crystal Soda Maker in Red & Silver or Black & Silver
- One Reusable 20-ounce cut glass carafe with fizz preserving caps which are dishwasher-safe
- One Co2 cylinder (Carbonator) good for making up to 60 liters of soda
- Two year manufacturers warranty

What Else Do You Need To Know?

Maintenance and upkeep is very simple. Each carbonator will make 60 liters of fizzy sparkling water. Each SodaMix flavor will make the equivalent of 12 liters (33 cans) of soda. When your carbonator runs out you can easily exchange the unit directly through the SodaStream website, or through a participating retailer. It’s that simple!

Where Can I Get The Best Price?

We generally find that purchasing directly from SodaStream will get you the best price. However you can also find the SodaStream Crystal at Amazon.com and they are currently offering Free Shipping!

For years you have been able to make many of your favorite beverages from home using a machine including coffee, juice, smoothies, margaritas, and shakes. Did you know that you can now add homemade soda to that list! With the SodaStream Genesis Home Soda Maker you will be able to make more the 30 different variations of regular, diet, energy and caffeine-free flavors of soda all from the comfort of your own kitchen. Did we mention that this is all done with the tap water that comes out of your faucet! One of the immediate impacts my family saw when switching to SodaStream was the amount of bottle waste decrease. You really don’t realize how many bottles you use until you stop using them, and the environment will appreciate your efforts even more. Wait did you say tap water? Yes! If you think bottled water is safer than tap water, please read Bottled Water vs Tap Water – Bottled Water Facts to get the low down! A combination of a good water filter (faucet or pitcher) with the SodaStream Genesis will make awesome fizzy water which can be turned into soda in less than 30 seconds.

What are the benefits to using a SodaStream Genesis Home Soda Maker?

- No electricity or batteries needed
- Takes just 30 seconds to make soda or sparkling water (straight from the tap)
- No need to store bulky bottles and have massive space for soda/water storage
- Reusable BPA-Free plastic bottles (Safe for children)
- Over 30 delicious soda flavors at the touch of a button
- Environmentally friendly
- Hermetic Seal Caps that keeps soda fresher than store bought soda. Flat soda will be a thing of the past
- And so much more!

Let’s Take a Look In More Detail

The first thing you will notice when you open the box is the modern slim design. If you are reluctant to place another bulky machine on your kitchen counter then you will love the SodaStream Genesis. Measuring at just 9 x 6 x 17 inches it will fit nicely on your counter without sacrificing counter space. We have taken our SodaStream machine to our friends and families homes, and used it on our patio to serve guests. The SodaStream Genesis is no exception! Without the need for electricity or batteries it can go where you go. This is truly a “Green” product!

Is the SodaStream Genesis really a “Green” product?

You bet! Consider this: A family of four can decrease their home soft drink related packaging usage by over 90 percent just by simply using a SodaStream soda maker. How you may ask? Easy! The SodaStream Carbonator is reusable for up to 3 years. The typical American will toss away over 1500 aluminum cans, and/or hundreds of plastic 2-liter bottles in that time. But a SodaStream user will get by with one or two reusable carbonators in the same time and nearly eliminate their bottle/can waste. We mentioned that you use tap water to make fizzy sparkling water. Because of this you also help reduce manufactured plastic that’s used for bottled beverages which means less plastic waste, less transport of bottled beverages and the list just goes on and on.

What Comes In The Box?

This will depend on which starter kit you go with. The best prices we have seen have been at Amazon and they have a few different variations. Generally you will receive the following:

- SodaStream Genesis Soda Maker with your choice of 3 colors (White, Red, or Black/Silver)
- Two BPA-Free plastic bottles
- One Co2 cylinder (Carbonator) good for making up to 60 liters of soda

What Else Do You Need To Know?

Maintenance and upkeep is very simple. Each carbonator will make 60 liters of fizzy sparkling water. Each SodaMix flavor will make the equivalent of 12 liters (33 cans) of soda. When your carbonator runs out you can easily exchange the unit directly through the SodaStream website, or through a participating retailer. It’s that simple!

Where Can I Get The Best Price?

We generally find that Amazon consistently has the best price. To get more information and read more reviews click the following links below:

SodaStream Genesis Home Soda Maker Kit

SodaStream Genesis Customer Reviews

One of the great things about the SodaStream besides the great tasting soda you can make is the ability to turn your tap water into sparkling carbonated water. Bottled water on the other hand has been touted as being a safer alternative to tap water, but is this really the case? Let’s put bottled water vs tap water, and see if bottled water is really worth the extra money. Here are the top things to consider:

Is bottled water safer than tap water?

Municipal tap water is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which enacts strict standards and rigorous testing of tap water safety. According to Food & Drug Administration (FDA) rules bottled water is actually subject to less testing and lower standards than tap water. According to Food and Water Watch Organization in 2009, almost 50 percent of all bottled water came from municipal tap water supplies.

What about the taste?

Many people are concerned that tap water doesn’t taste as good as bottled water. This will ultimately depend on where you reside, but I have personally had water straight from the tap that tastes much better than any bottled water.  Simply incorporating a Water Filter Solution can improve the taste if your local tap water isn’t up to par.

Bottled water isn’t that expensive…right?

Let’s use an analogy to illustrate how expensive bottled water really is. The price of oil is always in the news, and most of us drive an automobile. In my city a gallon of gas will run you about $3.50, and let’s say while you’re filling up the tank you pick up a one liter bottle of water for around $2.50 (U.S.). Let’s turn that liter into one gallon of water which would make the price around $10.00. Let’s say that your car has a 15 gallon tank, it would cost you about $52 dollars to fill up your car with gas, and if your car ran on the same bottled water you drink it would cost you $150 dollars, or approximately 3 times more.

Tap water on the other hand is a fraction of the cost of bottled water. The same $2.50 you spend buying a one liter bottle of water would afford you around 1,000 gallons of tap water!

Is bottled water really bad for the environment?

According to Food & Water Watch Organization the United States purchased and consumed 37 billion bottles of water in 2005. Its estimated that more than 75% of bottles in the US do not get recycled, and end up in landfills, lakes, streams and oceans. Remember all of that bottled water has to make it to the shelf somehow, and this is usually handled by transport. Bottled water production in the United States wastes fossil fuels in production and transport.

What does this all mean?

Great marketing has consumers in the U.S. more than willing to shell out billions of dollars for bottled water based on claims that it’s safer, and more pristine than tap water. We can do our part by changing our habits and becoming less dependent on bottled water. Start making your sparkling water and sodas at home today by checking out our SodaStream Reviews page for additional information about SodaStream soda makers.

Sources:

Food & Water Watch Organization

The SodaStream Fizz in our opinion is one of the coolest Soda Makers currently available. Like other SodaStream models the Fizz is very similar in that it uses a Co2 carbonater to turn standard tap water into fizzy sparkling water in under 30 seconds. What sets the SodaStream Fizz apart from other models is that it uses Fizz chip Technology to monitor the gas level of the Co2 carbonater. This means you will know when it’s time to exchange your carbonator. The other nice thing is that the Fizz Chip shows the carbonation level in your drink to ensure perfect carbonation every time.

Lets take a look at the SodaStream Fizz in action:

What are the benefits to using a SodaStream Fizz Home Soda Maker?

- No electricity or batteries needed
- Takes just 30 seconds to make soda or sparkling water (straight from the tap)
- No need to store bulky bottles and have massive space for soda/water storage
- Reusable BPA-Free plastic bottles (Safe for children)
- Over 30 delicious soda flavors at the touch of a button
- Environmentally friendly
- Hermetic Seal Caps that keeps soda fresher than store bought soda. Flat soda will be a thing of the past
- Ability to accommodate the larger 130 liter carbonator Co2 cylinder (sold Separately).
- And so much more!

What Comes In The Box?

This will depend on which starter kit you go with. The best prices we’ve seen have been directly at SodaStream and they have four different variations of the Starter Kit. With the Fizz Seltzer Starter Kit you will receive the following:

- SodaStream Fizz Soda Maker with your choice of 5 colors (black, red, blue, green and pink!)
- One BPA-Free plastic bottle
- One Co2 cylinder (Carbonator) good for making up to 60 liters of soda

As with any product nothing is absolutely perfect, and there are usually some cons and here is what we’ve found:

- The carbonating bottles aren’t dishwasher safe which means that you have to wash them by hand. Not that big of a deal however.
- Additional carbonating bottles must be purchased separately as the SodaStream Jet Starter Kit only comes with one bottle. However for the best value we recommend purchasing the Fizz Seltzer Value Kit or Fizz Soda Value Kit which come with additional carbonators and BPA Free plastic bottles to get you started.

I have heard that the SodaStream Fizz is environmentally friendly…Is this true?

You bet! Consider this: A family of four can decrease their home soft drink related packaging usage by over 90 percent just by simply using a SodaStream soda maker. How you may ask? Easy! The SodaStream Carbonator is reusable for up to 3 years. The typical American will toss away over 1500 aluminum cans, and/or hundreds of plastic 2-liter bottles in that time. But a SodaStream user will get by with one or two reusable carbonators in the same time and nearly eliminate their bottle/can waste. We mentioned that you use tap water to make fizzy sparkling water. Because of this you also help reduce manufactured plastic that’s used for bottled beverages which means less plastic waste, less transport of bottled beverages and the list just goes on and on.

What Else Do You Need To Know?

Maintenance and upkeep is very simple. Each carbonator will make 60 liters of fizzy sparkling water or 130 liters for the over sized carbonater. Each SodaMix flavor will make the equivalent of 12 liters (33 cans) of soda. When your carbonator runs out you can easily exchange the unit directly through the SodaStream website, or through a participating retailer. It’s that simple!

Where Can I Get The Best Price?

We generally find the best price directly at SodaStream. To get more information and see all of the available kit options please click on the following link below:

SodaStream Fizz Machines

If you just need the basic SodaStream Fizz Home Soda Maker and aren’t looking for the value kits please visit Amazon. They are currently offering free shipping on this model!

Of the seven soda makers currently available the SodaStream Jet is the entry level soda maker. Don’t let that fool you because it’s a Worldwide Best Seller and for good reason. Most of the differences between the available models are mostly cosmetic and a few minor features! The end result is what really matters which is amazing tasting fizzy homemade soda, and the SodaStream Jet doesn’t disappoint. We personally use this model in our home and couldn’t be happier with the performance and ease of use!

What are the benefits to using a SodaStream Jet Home Soda Maker?

- No electricity or batteries needed
- Takes just 30 seconds to make soda or sparkling water (straight from the tap)
- No need to store bulky bottles and have massive space for soda/water storage
- Reusable BPA-Free plastic bottles (Safe for children)
- Over 30 delicious soda flavors at the touch of a button
- Environmentally friendly
- Hermetic Seal Caps that keeps soda fresher than store bought soda. Flat soda will be a thing of the past
- Ability to accommodate the larger 130 liter carbonator Co2 cylinder (sold Separately).
- And so much more!

As with any product nothing is absolutely perfect, and there are usually some cons and here is what we’ve found:

- The carbonating bottles aren’t dishwasher safe which means that you have to wash them by hand. Not that big of a deal however.
- Additional carbonating bottles must be purchased separately as the SodaStream Jet Starter Kit only comes with one bottle.

I have heard that the SodaStream Jet is environmentally friendly…Is this true?

You bet! It’s Better Than Recycling. Consider this: A family of four can decrease their home soft drink related packaging usage by over 90 percent just by simply using a SodaStream soda maker. How you may ask? Easy! The SodaStream Carbonator is reusable for up to 3 years. The typical American will toss away over 1500 aluminum cans, and/or hundreds of plastic 2-liter bottles in that time. But a SodaStream user will get by with one or two reusable carbonators in the same time and nearly eliminate their bottle/can waste. We mentioned that you use tap water to make fizzy sparkling water. Because of this you also help reduce manufactured plastic that’s used for bottled beverages which means less plastic waste, less transport of bottled beverages and the list just goes on and on.

What Comes In The Box?

This will depend on which starter kit you go with. The best prices we have seen have been at Amazon and they have a few different variations. Generally you will receive the following:

SodaStream Jet Starter Kit
- SodaStream Jet Soda Maker with your choice of 3 colors (White, Red, or Black/Silver)
- One BPA-Free plastic bottle
- One Co2 cylinder (Carbonator) good for making up to 60 liters of soda

What Else Do You Need To Know?

Maintenance and upkeep is very simple. Each carbonator will make 60 liters of fizzy sparkling water or 130 liters for the over sized carbonater. Each SodaMix flavor will make the equivalent of 12 liters (33 cans) of soda. When your carbonator runs out you can easily exchange the unit directly through the SodaStream website, or through a participating retailer. It’s that simple!

Where Can I Get The Best Price?

We generally find that Amazon consistently has the best price. To get more information and read more reviews click the following links below:

SodaStream Jet Starter Kit

SodaStream Jet Customer Reviews