Comments on: Saving Pennies or Dollars? Making Your Own Soda

By: Sarah R

Sarah R — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 19:57:33 +0000

I received a SodaStream for my birthday just over a month ago, and I love it. I am not concerned whether it will pay back the cost, because I like that I can choose my own flavors and sweetener levels, and we’re taking a LOT fewer cans and bottles back for the 10-cent refund at the supermarket, which saves me time.

I am using the syrups that came with my starter kit, but after that, I plan to flavor inexpensively with lemon and lime peel and herbs from my garden(try spearmint and lime together – it’s divine!), so that should be pretty inexpensive.

It’s a fun toy. I enjoy it. I figure I won’t save money but it should all even out.

By: AnnJo

AnnJo — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 16:08:32 +0000

Re: Israel-bashing: My understanding is that Sodastream’s production facility in Israel is on the outskirts of Beersheba. If that is “Occupied Palestinian Territories” then so is Tel Aviv or anywhere else in Israel. Calling all of Israel “Occupied Palestinian Territories” would pretty much be the definition of “Israel-bashing” since it denies the country the right to exist. If Dena @12 is referring to some other facility, I’d want to know where it is before assuming Dena’s comment is not “Israel-bashing.”

And if decades-old grievances whose impacts are still felt today are a basis for boycotts, then Dena should also be boycotting Austria, which cooperated with the Nazis in reducing a pre-WWII Jewish population of close to 200,000 people to under 2,000, mostly by murder and with the confiscation of all their property, possibly including the land on which Dena’s product is manufactured.

By: littlepitcher

littlepitcher — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 14:07:35 +0000

@32JS–The phosphoric acid also contributes to osteoporosis. Sodium in sodas has been linked to high blood pressure and heart disease.

That said, good ginger ale and birch ale/beer recipes abound, and the first edition of the Ball Blue Book (1907) has a large-quantity recipe for root beer.

I’ll stick to green and herb teas. Local water is terrible.

By: Brittany

Brittany — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 02:16:47 +0000

Don’t know know, friends? Anyone who says anything acknowledging the humanity and potential rights of Palestinians is Israel-bashing.

By: em

em — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 02:00:30 +0000

Splenda is no better then high fructose corn syrup or aspertame, it just has less of a history of problems surrounding it because its hasn’t been around as long, but those problems are certainly there. If you want to know how any of these things effect you (including sugar) then go 2 weeks without them. Most people will notice by then, if not sooner, the horrible effects these artificial and highly refined sweeteners have on the body. If you do choose to do this expect a withdraw period starting around day 2 or 3 and lasting as long as a week depending on how addicted your body is to these toxins, Just thought I’d put that out there since people are talking about no calorie sodas as a healthier option.

By: kristine

kristine — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 23:58:50 +0000

graytham, I also do not see how it was Israel bashing,. It was a civil and polite opinion- and it was indeed a factor of his purchase. I guess I feel the need to stand up and say something here, as a traveling exhibit of drawings by Palestinian children is being censored in the midwest US. The children are the innocent bystanders of conflict, and the exhibit shows their hand-drawn childhood witness- rockets from the sky, dead townspeople, covering their eyes. It does not matter the sides, it is just sad when the fears of children, told as drawings, are censored, and people are trying terribly to discredit what they would rather not see. (As an art educator, I can say the level of skill certainly appears age appropriate). It is like choosing to look away. So anyway-I felt like I should also stand up for #12.

By: AnnJo

AnnJo — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 22:25:06 +0000

I’ve had a Soda Club machine for over three years, used mostly for making seltzer water, but occasionally sodas. By my calculations, the cost of the CO2 runs about 14 cents or less for a liter of seltzer or soda. I could buy a 2L bottle of seltzer for about 85 cents on sale, so in theory, I’ve recouped the price of the machine after about 330 liters. That was probably a year ago.

Of course, the reality was that I could never justify to myself paying for someone to put bubbles in tap water, shipping oil from across the globe to make a plastic bottle to put the bubbly water into, shipping that bottle from the manufacturer to the grocery store, etc., so I never bought seltzer water.

So the device has actually increased my expenditures, but I’m more than satisfied with it.

Another advantage is that you can control the degree of carbonation in your beverage, so if you like things more fizzy or less fizzy than store-bought, you can have it the way you like it.

By: Melody Bakeeff

Melody Bakeeff — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 22:06:32 +0000

I just bought one of these recently and I can definitely say that I ran my own numbers in my head at least and no it won’t significantly save me money and it will take more than a year to ‘break even’. BUT I did it not only for the ‘hidden’ costs of buying store soda as other people have pointed out (fossil fuel costs for transport, possible manufacturing waste and forced recycling of cans/bottles) but in fact to promote us drinking less soda. I find the bottles don’t hold the carbonation well and therefore you have to make it when you want it versus just popping a top or opening a bottle. Besides, I have always thought ‘fountain’ soda tasted best when you get the carbonation/syrup ratio correct and I can always seem to taste the aluminum in canned soda!

Plus, even though it still has some ‘bad’ elements in it being soda syrup, it is made with real sugar mixed with Splenda versus HFCS and I would much rather have my type 1 diabetic daughter drinking a ‘real’ soda with 8 grams of carbs per serving than a diet soda with artifical sweeteners that have studies backing their destructive effects on how our bodies process sugar. Granted Splenda hasn’t been fully proven either way yet and I’d be much happier if it was made with Stevia but in my mind at least, it’s better than conventional soda.

By: Jenny

Jenny — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 21:53:19 +0000

I have a soda stream and I got it not only for the cost benefits – I drink a bit more than a 12 pack a week, but also for the health benefits. Here’s why – regular coke has high fructose corn syrup. Died coke has aspartame. Neither of those things are good for me. Soda stream “coke” uses real sugar and their diet uses Splenda. Now it may be splitting hairs, but I’d rather have regular sugar or Splenda than HFC or aspartame.

Anyway, I find the difference in taste to be just enough that I drink less soda now than I used to. I do drink the other flavors, but my soda consumption has gone way down – from 3-5 cans a day to maybe 1/2 a liter. I think the $99 I spent on the machine is worth it just for that alone.

By: JS

JS — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 19:25:23 +0000

Most sodas- diet and regular- have phosphoric and/or citric acid added, which erodes tooth enamel (a study in the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation found dental erosion from plain carbonated water to be very low). Looking at the SodaStream website, it looks like most of their syrups have these added acids, so even sugar-free homemade soda is going to potentially increase your dental bills. And of course, sugared soda will have an even greater negative effect on your teeth.

By: Gretchen

Gretchen — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 15:53:54 +0000

I gave up so much other unhealthy crap, I’m keeping the soda.

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 15:34:39 +0000

@graytham (#24) – How is comment #12 “Israel-bashing”? You may not agree that the area in question is an illegal settlement, but that hardly constitutes bashing. The fact is that there is controversy regarding who has legal rights to the area, so the statement made by Dena Shunra is not only not “garbage”, but is a valid opinion that mirrors that of many others throughout the world.

By: Tom

Tom — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 15:30:27 +0000

Kate, #19 – Don’t confuse cheaply made and poorly made. My guess is that SodaStream is on a razor/razor blade model, and they’ll quickly lose their customer base if their relatively expensive machine breaks down ($80 for the machine is way more than most toasters or coffepots).
I’d be more worried about new machine models changing, making it harder to come by the consumables. That’s where planned obsolescence comes to play.

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 15:29:16 +0000

I also agree with Trent regarding the negative effects of soda on ones health. Even diet soda is full of all sorts of substances that are unhealthy. I’m not saying everyone should give up soda. I still drink it from time to time myself. I fully realize the negative health impacts, though.

By: em

em — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 15:28:39 +0000

To all those who drink diet and think its not hurting you I would recommend doing some research on all the artificial sweeteners in your sodas because they are crippling on your health. They can cause minor symptoms like headaches, blurred vision, trouble sleeping, and many more or they can make serious health problems worse or progress faster. Drinking regular soda is much safer, not that its healthy either but healthier.

By: Jane

Jane — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 15:17:55 +0000

@Kate
Like I said above, we’ve had our Sodastream machine for over six years, and it is still going strong. The technology is pretty uncomplicated, and you are replacing regularly one important part – the actual cartridge. I have at least six friends who have machines as well (it spread like wildfire once everyone realized how nice it was), and they have all been used for a very long time. One friend bought one in Germany and the company replaced it with an American version once they moved back to the States. I imagine they would replace one if on the off chance it broke.

I think one of the biggest benefits of the machine is that you don’t have to recycle all the cans or bottles. Plus you are getting the water from the tap, so you are minimizing the amount of fossil fuels it takes to transport soda from one place to another. Plus this means I also don’t have to lug soda or seltzer home from the grocery store every week. This is also an added value to me.

By: Tanya

Tanya — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 15:17:01 +0000

We have a SodaStream machine and we use it to make orange pop. We don’t drink it by the gallon, but we do enjoy having it in the house. It’s convenient, tasty and fun to have available. I think, in the long run, it will save us money.

By: graytham

graytham — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 14:57:09 +0000

Why is #12′s blatantly Israel-bashing comment allowed through, when so many others that merely mention a website are put into moderation? I’m disappointed to see a comment like that here, and reading that garbage really ruined my visit to TSD today.

By: TLS

TLS — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 14:10:12 +0000

I make a lightly carbonated beverage at home called ‘water kefir’. There is a small initial outlay to get the water kefir grains you need, but after that, the cost is minimal. You can flavor it in any way you choose. It is healthy and tasty.

You can get the grains online at Cultures for Health.

By: Adam P

Adam P — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 14:03:59 +0000

Sorry, I agree with Trent on the soda thing. Read “The Sugar Fix” and see how many cans of soda a day you can chug down.