Thursday, July 22, 2010

Review & GIVEAWAY!: SodaStream Soda Maker

image courtesy SodaStream

Let me take a few minutes to tell you about my favorite new kitchen toy: The SodaStream. I was given the opportunity to try this baby out for myself in my own kitchen and I fell in love. I was like a kid at Christmas as I took it out of its careful packaging, oohing and ahhing over every bit I unpacked. Here's what I got:






9 SodaMix Flavors, including:

  • Diet Cola

  • Diet Pink Grapefruit

  • Diet Lemon-Lime

  • Diet Cranberry-Raspberry

  • Lemonade

  • Root Beer

  • Orange Mango

  • Energy

  • Cola




It's so much fun to make your own soda at home! Even my husband, who doesn't get excited about much, got excited about the SodaStream. It's so simple to use that even the kids like making their own soda. And for sleepovers and playing with friends -- how cool is it to be able to make your friends fresh soda with the push of a button? Very cool.

So it's fun, you're thinking, but it's still soda, and soda's junk.

Sure, I'll give you that. Soda's not a drink for every day, and not something I'd serve my children at meal times. But if you're going to have some soda now and then, I bet you want it to be a bit better for you and your family, right?

SodaStream's SodaMix Flavors have no high fructose corn syrup, no aspartame (they're sweetened with Splenda), and are lower in calories than store-bought sodas (averaging 35 calories per serving). There are fewer carbs, less sodium, and less sugar than store brands. Plus, you control the water you use as well as the amount of flavoring and carbonation. Like a lot of bubbles and just a bit of flavor? You can do that. Like the traditional store-bought soda flavors? Easy as can be. Like just a few bubbles and lots of syrup-y goodness? You can do that, too. Maybe you prefer sparkling water with no flavorings. Easiest of all.  SodaStream allows you to control and customize what you drink. It's soda on your terms.

SodaStream is better for the environment than store-bought soda, too! When you're making soda at home, in a reusable plastic bottle (SodaStream comes with two of them), there's no buying bottles or cans at the store, and no worrying about throwing them away or recycling them (my community doesn't even have a recycling program!). There's less waste in landfills. There's less energy going toward the manufacturing and shipping of those bottles. Plus, you don't have to cart them from store to home!

SodaStream is fresher than store-bought soda. You make what you need, in a neat 1 liter reusable bottle. Because it's a smaller size than traditional 2-liter store bought bottles, it's likely to stay bubbly until you're through with it. I don't know about you, but I hate it when I open a half-full bottle from the store only to find it's gone flat. SodaStream is still bubbly the next day, and I love that.

SodaStream is a great value! Twenty-five cents gets you a liter of sparkling water. According to my math, SodaStream soda costs about half of the store-bought price, and I get to make my own soda. You all know how much I love making my own.

We tried all the flavors. They're all delicious. There were a few favorites, though, and I'd like to talk about them briefly:


The kids enjoy the Root Beer best. It's delicious, and it's first ingredient is simply sugar.


I enjoyed the Diet Cola best. I thought it would taste like Diet Coke, but it didn't. It tastes like a mix of Diet Pepsi and RC Cola. Best of all (and this is not a scientific finding, and not a product claim, merely something I noticed), I don't feel dehydrated and puffy when I drink it. When I consume Diet Coke and other store-bought colas, I feel unwell. I feel puffy and dehydrated and out of sorts. With the Diet Cola from SodaStream, I feel very hydrated and I love that. I enjoy diet cola, and I like that I can feel good and have my little pleasure at the same time.

My husband's in an intense Army school right now. It involves classroom time all day, plus hours of studying at home. He is ever so thankful for SodaStream's Energy flavor. It's an exact match of Red Bull energy drink, only better ingredients and only 35 calories per serving. He loves it and brings it with him to class each day.

Look at how easy it is to make a liter of soda at home:

















I highly recommend giving SodaStream a try. You can buy it online or in many retail locations. It's a great value for your wallet, the environment, and your taste buds.

Or Win It!

That's right! Win yourself the Fountain Jet Soda Lover’s Start-up Kit (approx. $100 retail value.) It includes the Fountain Jet, CO2 makes over 100 liters of soda, 2 reusable carbonating bottles, a sample pack of flavors, and 3 full-sized flavors of the winner’s choice. Sorry, continental U.S. Addresses Only.

Here's how to enter:

Mandatory Entry: Visit SodaStream and leave me a comment telling me which three full-sized flavors you'd most like to try.

Optional Additional Entries:
  1. Be a public follower of this blog via Google Friend Connect. Leave me a separate comment telling me you're a public follower.
  2. Like All Home Cooking. All Year Long. on Facebook. Leave me a comment about this giveaway on Facebook AND tell me you've Liked me on Facebook in the comments section below.
  3. Explore the SodaStream site and tell me something you've learned. (Leave another separate comment)
  4. Post about this giveaway on your own blog. Leave me a comment with a link to your post.
I'll draw for a winner on Thursday, July 29, after 6 p.m. eastern time. Good luck!

Disclosure: I was provided with the SodaStream At Home Soda Maker, 9 SodaMix Flavors, My Water Essence Flavors, and a Carbonator free of charge from SodaStream for the purposes of my review. My opinions are solely my own and are in no way influences by this.

89 comments:

Katie said...

I'd like to try diet root beer, diet pink grapefruit, and diet cranberry raspberry!

kt1969 at comcast dot net

Katie said...

I like your blog on Facebook and I left you a comment under the announcement of the giveaway.

Katie E.

kt1969 at comcast dot net

Katie said...

I learned that you are reducing your carbon footprint every time you make your own soda/sparkling water at home instead of buying it in the store!


kt1969 at comcast dot net

Heather @ It's A Lovely Life! said...

I'd like to try Pete's choice, ginger ale, and rootbeer.

Heather @ It's A Lovely Life! said...

I follow you!

Heather @ It's A Lovely Life! said...

I learned that this has less sodium than store bought!

Unknown said...

I'd like to try diet cola, lemon lime and root beer.

Unknown said...

I learned that SodaStream is an "active green" product, each user is reducing their carbon footprint each time they use it.

Unknown said...

I've liked your blog on Facebook, and commented. Thanks for the review...we've been curious about this.

Heather said...

The three flavors we'd love to try are root beer, cream soda and ginger ale. If my husband had his choice it would be root beer, root beer and root beer!

Heather

Heather said...

I follow your blog!

Heather

Heather said...

I must say that I'm shocked to learn how much less of all the 'stuff' that this has...less caffeine, less sugar, fewer carbs, less sodium.

This sounds like a great thing and pretty fun for the every so often treat!

Thanks,
Heather

Keli said...

i'd like to try cola, lemon lime & root beer

Jacquie Z said...

I would like to win this and try the diet pink grapefruit, diet fountain mist and diet creme flavors.

mochadoo said...

I'd like to try root beer, lemonade and cola!

mochadoo said...

Already like you on facebook!

meeyeehere said...

Cream soda cherry cola and root beer sound too yummy!!! I love soda but it is so bad for you to drink that stuff at the store.I have entered many of these giveaways and I am hopeful that I may win one.So far no luck but I have my fingers crossed.
jacksoncrisman@yahoo.com

meeyeehere said...

I follow you on google connect
jacksoncrisman@yahoo.com

jmischler said...

I would like to try root bear, lemon-lime, and diet coke.

Unknown said...

What a cool thing, I have never seen this before! Thanks so much for sharing it with us!
I would definitely try the cream soda, orange, and root beer! Yummy!

Unknown said...

I've been a loyal follower for a while now :)

Amy said...

I am a follower!

Amy said...

lemonade,diet cranberry raspberry, and ginger ale!

Amy said...

I learned that it costs about 25 cents for a 12 ounce serving!

Amanda Richins said...

I would love to try Cola Root Beer and Ginger Ale!

Amanda Richins said...

I follow you with blogger!!

Edna said...

I would love to try the Cherry Cola, Ginger Ale and the Cola

Edna said...

I learned that you reduce your carbon footprint which is extremely important to me also that the carbs in this are reduced which is important to me since most of my family is diabetic.

Edna said...

I follow your blog .... you have a great site.

Edna said...

I "liked" you on facebook!

Nina said...

Fountain Mist, Cola, and Orange

Nina said...

I follow your blog.

jenny said...

Root beer, cream soda and ginger ale here!

The Red Menace said...

Tonic would be great for cocktails. For straight up soda though, it's got to be cream soda and ginger ale!

The Red Menace said...

"Liked on FB!"

Jen said...

I'd like to try any of the flavors with lemon! YUM!

Jen said...

I am a follower via google connect! I love your blog. People think it is hard to cook from scratch...but it is so easy.

Jen said...

I "like" you on FB.

jenbrandes@frontiernet.net

Naomi said...

I think my family would enjoy the Pete's Choice, Root Beer and Diet Lemon Lime flavors.

Naomi said...

I am a follower through Google Friend Connect.

Naomi said...

I like you on FB!

Amy said...

I'd love to try diet cola, diet cream soda, and diet pete's choice (because I'm a HUGE diet dr. pepper fan).

foodiefairytale at gmail dot com

Amy said...

I'm a public follower of your blog

foodiefairytale at gmail dot com

Amy said...

I follow you on facebook

foodiefairytale at gmail dot com

Amy said...

I learned that there are great environmental benefits to using SodaStream:

One SodaStream carbonator makes 60 or 110 liters, equivalent to 170 or 310 aluminum cans! When empty, the carbonator is refilled and reused, ready to make more fizzy and tasty soda whenever you want it.

foodiefairytale at gmail dot com

Jacquie Z said...

I would try the diet pink grapfruit,diet fountain mist and diet creme flavors

Eve said...

Wow! There are so many flavors I'd like to try. Top 3 picks would be: Diet Lemon Lime, Diet Peach Iced Tea, and Cream Soda

Eve said...

following your blog publicaly GFC

Eve said...

explored the soda stream site and learned that it is an "active green" product.

Eve said...

blogged about this http://babyonthemind.blogspot.com/2010/07/sodastream_24.html

Andrea the Kitchen Witch said...

I'd like to try the Mt Dew flavor, for the hubs, he loves Dew :)

Andrea the Kitchen Witch said...

I like your blog on facebook :)

Andrea the Kitchen Witch said...

I am a follower, too :)

Dottie I said...

I would like to try Cola, Orange, and Lemonade sodamix flavors!

Dottie I said...

I learned that bottled water is not better than tap water via the sodastream website

Unknown said...

I am a follower on GFC

JennyB~

Tori said...

Cherry cola
pete's choice
and cream soda
vrtheriot@gmail.com

Tori said...

I am a public follower
vrtheriot@gmail.com

Tori said...

I learned :
both regulation and enforcement of bottled water safety is weaker than of tap water safety
vrtheriot@gmail.com

Carrie H. said...

I joined your group on Facebook- looks like FUN :)

Carrie said...

My favorite flavors look to be Root Beer, Orange Mango, and Zero Cola- yummy!

Tomi C said...

I'd like to try the Orange Mango, diet cola and diet pink grapefruit.

tclarkusa at gmail dot com

Tomi C said...

I visited the SodaStream website and learned if you're drinking plain seltzer, you can recarbonate the drink. However, if you already prepared a drink with sodamix, you can't. Since only water can be carbonated in the home soda maker, you can not re-carbonate once you've added sodamix.

tclarkusa at gmail dot com

Tomi C said...

I follow you on GFC

tclarkusa at gmail dot com

MBF said...

I would like to try the Root Beer, Ginger Ale, and Mint flavors

MBF said...

Google Friend Connect Follower

mmatt624(at)gmail(dot)com

MBF said...

I learned that this is a great value at just 25 cents per liter for sparkling water versus 25 cents per can of cola

Amy Walker said...

I would like to try the diet cola, ginger ale, and orange mango

cheapnchoosy at gmail dot com

Amy Walker said...

I learned that with SodaStream, you control the fizz...can make it strong or light.

cheapnchoosy at gmail dot com

Amy Walker said...

Liked you on FB (as Amy Hawkins Walker) and left a comment about this giveaway.

cheapnchoosy at gmail dot com

Julia said...

I would like to try root beer, orange mango, and cherry cola

lovemygirls7702 (at) yahoo (dot) com

Julia said...

I am a follower!

lovemygirls7702 (at) yahoo (dot) com

Julia said...

I learned you can turn tap water into sparkling water in under 30 seconds

lovemygirls7702 (at) yahoo (dot) com

Unknown said...

I'd love to try the Mint, Diet Pete's Choice, and Diet Root Beer flavors!

Unknown said...

I learned that SodaStream products are Kosher certified

Yona said...

Even though it's not diet - the Orange Mango looks good. I would like to try the Diet Peach Tea and a Diet Cranberry Raspberry. Email: yona(at)pricelesswriters.com

Yona said...

Liked you on Facebook and left a comment (Priceless Writers). Email: yona(at)pricelesswriters.com

Yona said...

SodaStreams are eco-friendly because you are not purchasing drinks that are contained in plastic bottles. Email: yona(at)pricelesswriters.com

Yona said...

Im a Google Connect Friend. Email: yona(at)pricelesswriters.com

SquirrelProductions said...

I'd really like to try the lemon lime,cranberry raspberry, and orange mango! They all sound so good.

SquirrelProductions said...

I learned that you can send in used carbonators to get refilled, but you can also bring them to a local store.

SquirrelProductions said...

I'm following your blog on Google friend connect. I'm so glad I found your blog - your recipes are fantastic!

Amanda Richins said...

I linked this post in a post of my own! And told them to follow you of course!

Amanda Richins said...

I learned the price is about 25 cents per 12 oz. Interesting!

Anonymous said...

I like Lemonade,Pete's Choice & Cranberry Raspberry

luckydolls123[at]verizon[dot]net

Anonymous said...

Google Friend Connect
michelle rosborough

luckydolls123[at]verizon[dot]net

Anonymous said...

Liked you on Facebook
michelle rosborough

luckydolls123[at]verizon[dot]net

Anonymous said...

Plus, with SodaStream, you control the fizz

luckydolls123[at]verizon[dot]net

Amnicon Studio said...

I publicly follow you and I "like" you on FB.

I would love to try root beer, lemon lime, and orange.

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