apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I have no idea why soda water is the big thing? I guess I missed the soda frenzy. I like Penguins does that count?
I can tell you are very happy with this new thing. Thats all that matters, have a "soda poppy day!!

i had a sodastream a few years ago and after using it initially, it was consigned to the dark place for useless kitchen gadgets from which they rarely emerge

meera

I bought one for my husband after he drove me crazy drinking soda water from cans - besides the waste/money, i'd find the cans around the house half finished with flat water in them.

He uses it constantly and we have also converted his parents and a couple of our friends who have come over and seen/used it.

We like it because we don't drink soda, but it's nice to have something cold and fizzy sometimes. You can also add flavors to it to make cola, etc but we've never gone that route.

Oh, and per the video - you get better carbonation if you start with chilled water (rather than cold tap water). We usually fill the empty bottles with flat water and keep them in the fridge chilling and ready for fizzing.

has anyone returned the bottles for carbonation yet? I LOVE soda water. I just don't like flat water, but hate killing 2 liter bottles every day. There is a "diy" home carbonator setup out there, but a bit too bulky for me. I'd gladly pay for either the entry level or the penguin, but don't want to get stuck with a useless gadget if no one will refill the CO2 cartridges (which otherwise, might be more of a drain of resources than a bunch of 2 liters).

We've had one for about six months now and we use it all the time. We fill our bottles with cold water from a Brita water pitcher we keep topped off in the Fridge. Our most frequently made (and requested) drink is simply fresh lemonade with half a lemon and simple syrup. We also change it up with Italian soda syrups, and add cream for French sodas. We've experimented with fresh juice from limes, oranges, pineapples, watermelons etc. to make great drinks as well.

Where it's turned into a surprise star is keeping our bar perfectly set up. I also use the soda water for mixed drinks like fresh Mojitos, Italian Sunsets, and various Collins & Fizz drinks. I also keep a bottle of tonic and ginger ale syrup handy for making cocktails that use those items as well.

Overall it's been fantastic. We go through 1-3 carbonation bottles a month and it's already paid for it's self. We're no longer buying a case of Pellegrino every month from Costco and we don't have to worry about a bottle going flat if we don't use it for a few days or a bottle of tonic water going bad if we don't make mixed drinks with tonic water for a few months. Plus, delivery and pick up service is really easy to use/schedule. Call us converts, but we’re really happy with it and our most frequent guests always have a request for their favorite drink when they come over.

I did a lot of research about this. I saw the penguin and Soda Club products.

The link below is a great alternative and it's very cheap if you use this in the long run. I'm running mine from a 5lbs CO2 tank. I drink about a litre or so a day of this stuff. I still haven't had to refill the tank in 8 months.

You do have to be somewhat handy but you can do it all for about 100 - 140 bucks. It will be cheaper if you already have your own CO2 tank.

I also keep water chilled because the CO2 dissolves easier in cold water.

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Soda-Water-&-Home-Carbonation---Pays-For-Itsel/

I believe if you and your family are soda drinkers- then this make would make a great addition to your kitchen.

The convenience, costs savings etc def make it worthwhile.

I got mine thru http://makeyoursoda.com as they offered a $10 coupon on the site.

The best bet is to get several flavors- so you get to enjoy the variety