Make carbonated water or soda at home
For about $1 per liter, the Sodastream carbonated water and soda maker is a super simple, convenient and “no trash” way to get on demand sparkling water or flavored soda at home. And it you’re a big soda drinker, it’s a great alternative to sugary and artificial sweetened sodas. Or simply add your own Sodastream flavoring to the mix.
I never really considered this being a good buy for at home use, but it really has been one of our best purchases ever. Instead of drinking diet soda with dinner, I drink sparkling water – a cheaper, healthier and no waste alternative.
If you like flavored sodas, the Sodastream gives you many mixes you can easily add to your water for what would cost about 15 cents per can.
The hardest part about buying a Sodastream is deciding which model to buy – they offer four from about $100 to $200. Basically, the big difference is construction material (plastic vs metal) and aesthetic (plain Jane to fancy penguin with glass carafe).
The Sodastream is a simple device – there is no electric or moving parts. You simply insert the pressurized carbonation tank into the unit to “power it”. Insert or screw in the bottle with cold water (the directions suggest using refrigerated water, which I’ve found does yield maximum carbonation). Hit the carbonate button a few times and you’re done. Once the carbonation tank is empty (appx 40 liters), you simply purchase a replacement tank for about $35 and ship back the old one.
I’ve only found a few minor drawbacks to Sodastream: you should carbonate the water when you need it. Like any bottled carbonated beverage, it will lose its carbonation over time after opened. At the time of publishing, the Sodastream units were hard to find, even online. Finally, with the basic model, you must screw the bottle into the unit at a strange angle, making it cumbersome to use. All that aside, the Sodastream has a been a great purchase.