The Home Soda Machine: Why to Consider One Instead of a Coke
Whether it’s sparkling water or flavored soda, having a home soda machine will give you benefits such as no high-fructose corn syrup and no aspartame. You can easily turn water into soda and not have to worry about the excess cans or bottles.
There are many options and features to consider. Take a look through this article to understand more about soda makers and what they can offer for your home.
What is a Home Soda Maker?
A home soda maker takes water and turns it into a carbonated beverage. Imagine being able to create your own style of cola right in your kitchen. You can make over 30 flavors of different types of sodas including regular, diet, and other flavored mixes.
There are different types of soda makers depending on which brand you opt to buy, but typically they use a carbon dioxide cartridge (for the fizz) and pump the carbonation into a reusable bottle.
Having a soda machine is basically four steps to your new carbonated beverage:
- Pour in your water
- Push a button
- Add flavor to your fizzy drink
- Enjoy!
Don’t let all of the different brands and options on the market confuse you. This review guide has been put together to help inform you of how to find the best soda machine for your home and discussing possible benefits of owning one.
Finding the Best Soda Maker for Your Home
Many of the SodaStream brand home soda machines don’t even require power. That means no electricity and no batteries! Of course, if there’s no care about the extra electric, you can always try the DIY approach to home soda making.
If this is your first time using a home soda machine, you might be interested to know that there is a starter kit available on Amazon that includes the following:
- Sparkling Water Maker
- 1-liter BPA-free Reusable Bottle
Mini Carbonator
This model is known as the SodaStream Source Water Maker and boasts over 40 mix varieties allowing you a great combination of flavors to choose from. And with no electricity required, you’ll be able to skip the extra electric bill costs.
Another alternative is the SodaStream Crystal machine. This particular machine takes a more eco-friendly approach to the setup. Included with the machine, you’ll receive a 60L C02 carbonator and a reusable carafe with fizz-preserving closure.
Do the Flavors Taste Like Actual Brands?
According to Fox News, they admitted most testers saying it tasted “just like coke”. Although there was the outlier who claimed anyone who drank Coke for a living might just be able to tell the difference.
Surely there are critics out there that would be able to tell the difference between a regular soda and one made at home, but your taste buds will have to make that call.
Depending on the type of water that is used in the machine, it could affect how the flavors taste. For example, if you are making your drinks with filtered water, they will have a more crisp taste. It’s also helpful if you can get the water to a very cold temperature (not freezing, though!) to make the soda come out nice and refreshing.
Is There a Soda Maker with Glass Bottles?
Your preference will determine if the glass carafe is a fit for your needs. It’s helpful to have the option for glass because of the reusability. With the glass bottles, cleaning is easy because they only require soap and water. You won’t have to worry about detail scrubbing dishes anytime soon.
Do Soda Machines Come with Any Extra Benefits?
Aside from the huge selection of flavors, no electricity needed, and eco-friendly options, the SodaStream machines come with a two year warranty. It’s also important to note that with some models you’ll receive a free 60-liter carbonator mail in rebate. You can use the rebate at nearly 10,000 locations.
Your family will also have the added benefit of reduced waste and less costs when compared with drinking other soda bottles and cans.
The machines are designed with a sleek look to show off in your kitchen. You’re bound to have guests ask what type of machine is sitting on the counter. They are small, don’t take up much space, and have different color options to help blend in with your kitchen.
Considering Which Soda Maker to Buy and Where
As mentioned above, there are different home soda machines that offer BPA-free or glass bottles. This should be a consideration to think about. Don’t forget that the key difference between glass and plastic carafes is the fact that the plastic carafe has an approximate two year expiration.
Retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, and other large stores carry the SodaStream and possibly other home soda machines. As more and more consumers are starting to see soda machine capabilities, there are different brands becoming available.
Pay attention to certain SodaStream models that allow for the concentration of the carbonation. Do you like more fizz or less fizz? Controlling how much is in your drink might be a factor in your purchase decision.
Summary and Thoughts
People are constantly trying to find more healthier alternatives for better eating, drinking, and overall living a happier lifestyle. SodaStream does a great job with bringing an exciting and engaging way to create your own carbonated water with just the press of a button.
The machines are very low maintenance (if any) and require virtually no cleaning. This is helpful for saving you time and not having to worry about taking out the recycling full of cans and/or bottles. Plus, with less cleaning comes more time with family!
One of the coolest parts about owning a soda machine is that your mind is the limit when it comes to discovering new flavors, trying out different level of fizziness, and helping the environment out by creating less waste.
