Learn me on a Soda Stream type of device

[Baboontyme 2882]

Anyone have one? Recs on a particular model? Thinking this might get some run in my house. Wife likes sparkling water/La Croix type of stuff, also guilty pleasure of Coke/ginger ale. I like the La Croix type of stuff as an alcohol mixer. What would be a good starter kit?

[Baboontyme 2882]

Pulled the trigger on a Soda Stream as part of the wife's gift. We like it so far. It's amazing the array of different flavors out there - from zero cal energy drink to cane sugar cola to mango flavored sparkling water. 

I only got 1 cylinder to start, I can see already that the downside is going to be that the volume as advertised is not going to be the true volume. By that I mean they say a cylinder of gas can kick out 60L. The unit lets you determine the amount of "fizz" per liter of soda you make. "light fizz" is 2 presses on the machine. Who the fuck wants light fizz soda? Also even "heavy fizz" at 6 presses is not heavy. I'm up to 20 now that I'm experimenting and it doesn't taste super fizzy. I think if you're trying to mimic actual fountain soda or something you would get in a 20oz bottle or 12oz can you're looking at at least 15-18 pumps. 

Also for the sparkling waters 'a drop' of the zero cal syrup/flavoring is not sufficient. So I would ignore that if you're trying to figure out how economical this is going to be, as well. 

All in all I'm not sure it will be economical but it's a lot of fun and it might as well be a bowling ball with Homer written on it because I'm gonna use it for mixers more than the wife is. 

[rage-a-holic 4732]

I've been using one for 5 years. I've got a 20lb CO2 tank stored under the cabinets with a 4 foot hose running to the Sodastream. The tank costs $18 to refill every 12-14 months.

Get crazy with it. Fizzy vodka, gin, etc. Turn a cheap white wine into "champagne". Don't wast money on their syrups. Buy Mio drops or cheap powdered drink mixes and make a concentrate.

[Baboontyme 2882]

Wow. Thanks rage. I know you are the Captain of the bargain team. Let me look into this further and I'm probably gonna bother you with further questions.

[Baboontyme 2882]

18 hours ago, rage-a-holic said:

I've been using one for 5 years. I've got a 20lb CO2 tank stored under the cabinets with a 4 foot hose running to the Sodastream. The tank costs $18 to refill every 12-14 months.

Get crazy with it. Fizzy vodka, gin, etc. Turn a cheap white wine into "champagne". Don't wast money on their syrups. Buy Mio drops or cheap powdered drink mixes and make a concentrate.

First dumb ass question. So you put shit other than water under the fizz stick? I guess they only instruct you to do water is just to keep it clean and non-sticky?

[rage-a-holic 4732]

6 hours ago, Baboontyme said:

First dumb ass question. So you put shit other than water under the fizz stick? I guess they only instruct you to do water is just to keep it clean and non-sticky?

The "water only" BS is for warranty and liability reasons. If you want to clean the nozzle enclosure, just fizz a sodastream bottle full of hot water or wipe it down with Chlorox clean up.

And if you really want "sodas", buy Coke/DP/Pepsi syrup bags or boxes. Sam's Club will sell most of them but you may have other options depending on where you live.

[52-80 19377]

I use the 60L tanks and they last literally years for this household.

 

Tried all the in-house syrups.  Don't like them at all.

 

We only use it to carbonate water.  And it's damn tasty.  Usually 3 1.5L sec pulses is enough for a 1L bottle. 

 

Too much and something will explode.  Though obviously it will take tons.  Like 20 seconds non-stop.  I've seen it on YouTube.

 

Ours is the machine with cast metal cylinder and comes with the glass carafe