Sometimes I wonder how sugary, carbonated beverages are still somehow thriving in the consumer marketplace. They’re not good for you, they’re expensive, and some of the flavors are just downright weird. I mean, would Dr. Pepper be a good flavor anywhere other than in a carbonated beverage? But then, on a sweltering summer day… I get it. There’s nothing that kills the heat quite like an ice-cold, fizzy bev.
Many might associate carbonated beverage popularity with the soda fountains of the 1950s, but judging from the last decade of beverage trends, it’s clear that we are the true Carbonation Generation. Pretty much every demographic has developed a strong penchant for sugar-free, carbonated or sparkling water. We love it so much, we give it pet names like “fizzy,” “bubbles,” or my personal favorite, seasonally relevant moniker, “mom water.”
But it turns out that even affordable things become expensive when you buy them all the time! If you find yourself buying case after case of sparkling water, it might be time to look into a SodaStream.
Which SodaStream is the Best SodaStream?
Here are your three main SodaStream sparkling water options:
Sodastream Fizzi Classic ($90): No batteries, no cords. Just you, a bottle, and a pressurized canister of CO2. Just push a button on top 2-5 times (depending on your preferred level of carbonation) and you’re done!
Sodastream One-Touch Electric ($120): This version has three buttons on the top that are preset to specific amounts of infusion. Basically, a low, medium, and high for carbonation. This one plugs into the wall so it’s always ready. It’s just a single button-push between you and fizzy water.
Sodastream Fizz Premium ($160): For the glamorous, highly conscious, and financially gifted, there’s the Premium. This version carbonates water directly into glass bottles that don’t need to be replaced every year or so like their plastic counterparts. Like the Fizzi, it doesn’t require electricity, but you pay a much prettier penny for the materials involved.
My favorite of the bunch is undoubtedly the Fizzi Classic. I got one of these for Christmas in 2017 (thanks, Milo!), but didn’t fully appreciate it until early 2019.
Reasons I like the Fizzi Classic over the other models include:
- No electricity required
- Extremely lightweight & easy to store
- Simple mechanical construction makes any necessary troubleshooting 100x easier than an electric model
- You can bring it and use it pretty much anywhere (camping, hotels rooms, porch parties, etc.)
So far, I have used it to replicate the lime-“flavored” fizzy water I used to buy in stores, but I’ve also used it to save my ass when making gin & tonics without tonic in the house, created some pretty delicious fruit syups to add to plain water, and saved myself hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars in random beverage purchases.
The original title of this review was “Completely Unsponsored, Highly Enthusiastic SodaStream Fizzi Review.” Not only is this thing the cure to running out of La Croix, but it’s also a way more sustainable way to navigate your sparkling water addiction. Sure, you can recycle cans of sparkling water, but with the SodaStream, you reuse the same containers over and over. And that carbonation canister? It’s recyclable.
You might be wondering how you’re supposed to recycle a CO2 cartridge, right? Trust me when I say it couldn’t be easier. SodaStream has partnered with some major chain retail locations like Target and Wal-Mart to give you a super simple drop-off/pick-up solution to recycling your CO2 cartridge.
SodaStream vs. Canned Sparkling Water: The Math
Here’s the fun part. Let’s pretend that you, a moderate and reasonable person, only have one fizzy water per day. (Lol.) That’s 12 fluid ounces of carbonated smelly water every 24 hours. Let’s see how SodaStream measures up against its pre-packaged, recyclable-yet-environmentally-expensive, store-bought counterpart.
Store-Bought Canned Sparkling Water Value Breakdown
Required Items:
- 24-pack of lime fizzy water: $8.99 at Costco
Includes: 8.5 L of fizzy water, or 288 fl. oz.
Days with fizzy water: 24
Monthly fizzy water budget: $11.23
Yearly fizzy water budget: $134.85
Cost per fluid ounce: $0.03
Total investment: $134.85/year for one sparkling water per day.
Not too shabby, right? For only $11.23/month, you can have a delicious beverage that isn’t flat water every single day. Seems reasonable, right?
Well, while this might seem like a pretty low number, you have to remember that this is just the consumer cost of your moderate pre-packaged fizzy water habit. The environmental impact of the canned stuff also includes the manufacturing of the cans and packaging, the fuel and emissions from transportation, and the cost to recycle the leftovers – and that’s assuming it’s getting recycled.
$8.99 for a 24 pack is the best price we found for the most popular brand. Chances are good that you’d be able to find something a little less expensive from a different brand, but none of that stuff will matter after this next part so just keep reading.
SodaStream Value Breakdown
Required Items:
- SodaStream Fizzi MegaKit (includes CO2 cartridge & two bottles): $75 at Amazon
- 1 CO2 canister: $15 with returned canister exchange
Makes: 60 L of fizzy water, or 2,028 fl. oz.
Days with fizzy water: 169
Yearly fizzy water budget: $90 (including initial purchase)
Yearly fizzy water budget: $30 (not including initial purchase)
Cost per fluid ounce (including initial purchase): $0.02
Cost per fluid ounce (after first cartridge refill): $0.0034
Total investment: $75 initially, and $15 every 6 months (okay, 5.63) months
I used the lowest price I could find online for the pre-packaged fizzy water, and the SodaStream still came through with a lower overall cost for the first year. And, I don’t wanna make you feel bad, canned fizzy lovers, but if we go into the second year of SodaStream ownership… well, it gets a little bit ridiculous. After owning a SodaStream for the first year, your annual fizzy water costs is only $32.41.
On top of that, all of the can-related issues we faced earlier are nearly eliminated. There’s only one big shipment involved, and since the CO2 canisters are recyclable (or refillable, whichever works for you) the carbon footprint is way, way smaller.
How to Get SodaStream Fizzi & Which Package is Best
When you go to buy a SodaStream, it can get kinda confusing kinda fast. You can buy the SodaStream Fizzi machine by itself for $60, there’s always some kind of bundle. Then, depending on whether you’re shopping with SodaStream directly, on Amazon, or at one of the many retailers who carry the product, the bundle content will vary.
The bundles include at least one proprietary bottle, a CO2 cartridge, and maybe some flavors or a warranty. Here are the SodaStream Fizzi Classic bundles we’ve found, and the price differences between them:
SodaStream Fizzi + 1 cartridge + 1 bottle
SodaStream: $89.99
Bed Bath & Beyond: $89.99
SodaStream Fizzi + 1 cartridge + 3 bottles
Amazon: $74.99
SodaStream Fizzi + 1 Cartridge + 2 Bottles + 1 Flavor
SodaStream: $99
SodaStream Fizzi + 2 Cartridges + 2 Bottles + 2 Flavors
Amazon: $139.99
I should also mention that these cuties comes in a variety of different colors, including baby blue, white, and fire engine red.
Adding in Flavors or… Ideas of Flavors
We all know that sparkling water never really has a flavor. Even if the can or bottle is covered in fruit, it tastes as much like fruit as the water used to rinse actual fruit tastes like fruit. As in… it doesn’t. In fact, people have made an art form out of mocking sparkling water “flavors” and you’d be wise to spend at least part of your day reading the insanely hilarious ways people have described the flavor of sparkling water.
SodaStream has its own line of water flavor drops, and they come in all of your favorite sparkling water flavors like lime, lemon, orange, and raspberry. You can get all five for $25 on Amazon, but there are some DIY options that are worth looking into.
Important note about flavorings: you always add the flavors after you carbonate! Some of the SodaStream branded flavors will cause a major eruption if added before you carbonate. Trust me, I’ve been there! You can also pour flavors or syrups in the bottom of a glass, then top it with carbonated water with the exact same effects (and less potential mess).
Making your own syrups for sodas is pretty darn easy. Using sugar is a good way to make syrups incredibly simply (I guess that’s why they call it “simple syrup”), but making sugar-free and low-sugar flavors isn’t off the table, either!
There is one flavor additive that I would unconditionally recommend getting for your SodaStream if you love the idea of custom cocktails. In order to make tonic water, you need some pretty specialized flavors. Luckily, you can get a tiny bottle of concentrated tonic water flavor for $6 and make it on the fly! Making club soda at home is a tiny bit more involved, but wholly worth it if you hate running out of common mixers!
Last Ditch Effort
Okay, I’m not going to harp on you about the amazing abilities of SodaStream after this paragraph, but you gotta let me gush one last time.
If you’ve been on the fence about picking up a SodaStream Fizzi Classic, or one of the other models – definitely consider it.
Basically, SodaStream rings a lot of bells for me. For one, it makes me feel better about my intentions to minimize my carbon footprint and be as low-waste as possible. Two, it taps my creative side when coming up with cocktails and mixers. Three, it’s not soda, and that means I’m drinking actual water instead of mucky, sugar-filled or aspartame-laced sodas. And four… it’s just fun. It’s fun to show it off to friends, it’s fun to make drinks for yourself, and it’s honestly fun to watch the infusion process. (Bubbles!!!)
Do you have a SodaStream? If so, which one?
Tell us your favorite tips, tricks, and SodaStream recipes in the comments!