Soda Stream Pure Soda Maker Review

Let's face it: Soda can be an expensive (and heavy) burden for your household. Soda Stream makes an innovative product called the Soda Stream Pure that can help your family save money, take a few pounds off of each of your family's trips to the store, and also have a healthier impact on the environment.

Soda Stream Pure: The Basics
The Soda Stream Pure creates carbonated water by releasing carbon dioxide into one liter plastic bottles. The carbon dioxide tank yields 60 liters of soda. The Soda Stream Pure comes with one CO2 Tank, and two plastic bottles. One of the bottles is gray, and the other has stainless steel accents that match the machine itself.

Soda Stream Pure is Environmentally Friendly
One of the biggest selling points about the Soda Stream Pure is that it is an environmentally friendly product. Rather than consuming aluminum, plastic, and glass bottles, you are reusing the same bottle over and over again.

While many people do recycle their soda cans and bottles, the actual process of recycling requires heat and electricity - often produced by fossil fuel burning power plants. There is also a transportation cost to consider: the carbon dioxide tank used in the Soda Stream Pure weighs about the same as one two liter bottle of soda, and yields 60 liters. That means less gasoline is expended delivering the end product.

Using the Soda Stream Pure
Simply fill one of the plastic bottles to the water line, and place in your refrigerator. The reason for refrigerating the water rather than immediately using it is because the colder the water is, the more carbon dioxide it will retain (yielding a fizzier soda). Make sure not to place the water bottles in the freezer. While it may be tempting to do so and save time, temperatures under 34 degrees can damage the bottle - requiring you to purchase a new one.

After the water has chilled, remove the cap, screw the bottle into the soda maker and pull the lever (releasing quickly) until you hear three buzzes. Pull the bottle towards you, and you will hear a hiss as the pressure is released. Unscrew the bottle, and carefully add the flavored syrup to the bottle (for the type of soda you want to drink). Ever so gently, rock the bottle in a circular motion on its side so that the flavoring mixes with the carbonated water. You do not want to shake the bottle - unless you want the soda to burst when you take the top off!

The first time that I used the Soda Stream Pure, when I went to add the syrup, the carbonated water reacted violently and spewed over. This can be avoided by filling the water bottle below the water line and SLOWLY adding the flavored syrup.

Convenience Factor of Owning a Soda Stream Pure
Another of the biggest selling points of the Soda Stream Pure is the convenience factor that it provides. There is no need to lug multiple bottles or heavy cases of soda. Before owning it, I regularly bought four to five two liter bottles of soda every time I went grocery shopping. Now I simply go to the water dispenser on my fridge.

The Taste
Soda Steam offers a total of 35 different flavors of normal and diet soda, and also soda water to choose from. The actual taste of the flavors is comparable to many of the other generic soda brands available. My personal favorites included Diet Cola, Orange Mango, Lemonade, and the "MyWater Flavor Essence Orange."

Replacing Carbon Dioxide Tanks for the Soda Stream Pure - Easy or Nightmare?
A big negative about the Soda Stream Pure is that you are forced to purchase your carbon dioxide directly from Soda Stream, rather than being able to refill the tanks yourself. On top of the overpriced carbon dioxide, Soda Stream forces you to purchase an additional carbon dioxide tank ($40 for 1 refill and 1 "spare") as they will only allow you to exchange tanks in sets of two (for $30)

The Co2 tanks come shipped directly to your house, an can conveniently be ordered online. A serious negative about ordering replacement carbon dioxide tanks online is that Soda Stream charges high shipping charges. That $30 spent on product actually costs $37.99 to have delivered - making the "savings" significantly less.

It should be noted that co2 canisters can also be exchanged in person at "participating retailers", however they are far and few between. According to Soda Stream's retail locator, the closest place to exchange carbon dioxide tanks was a half an hour drive, negating the "environmentally friendly" factor of using the Soda Stream Pure in the first place (and I live in a major city).

When I called the retailer on the phone, they told me that they didn't carry the correct size tank (the Soda Stream Pure will only take the 60 liter tanks). I called several other retailers, and was told that they were either "out of stock" or that they didn't carry it (despite the listing on Soda Stream's website). For those who don't live near a retailer that will exchange CO2 canisters, you will be stuck paying for shipping from ordering through Soda Stream's website.

Does a Soda Stream Pure Actually Save you Money?
The average 2 liter bottle of Coca Cola (and other name brands) costs $1.69 from Stop and Shop / Giant Eagle. Let's assume one purchases sixty two liter bottles - they would spend $101.40.

The cost of exchanging two 60 liter CO2 canisters to make the equivalent 120 liters of soda costs $30 from the Soda Stream website. It would also take 10 Sodamix bottles at $4.99 to add flavor to that carbonated soda, bringing the total to $79.99. That results in a savings of $21.41.

The Soda Stream Pure itself costs $149.95. Your household would have drink 840 liters of soda (410 2 liter bottles) before they actually start to see any real savings of money, at a total cost of $709.88. It should be noted that Soda Stream does offer the Fountain Jet for $89.95.

Now, consider the fact that the soda you are making with the Soda Stream Pure is generic. There are several different companies that offer generic soda from between $0.55 to $0.99 for a 2 liter bottle. Even the name brand soda companies will often have sales where their product is $1 for a 2 liter bottle. If you were to purchase 410 2 liter bottles at $1, then you'd spend only $410 versus the $709.88 ordering carbon dioxide and flavored syrup from Soda Stream (assuming you recycle the bottles). That's almost exactly $300 you can save by not purchasing a Soda Stream Pure and deciding to buy generic soda instead.

None of these calculations have accounted for the shipping and handling one must pay for ordering online - which will quickly make the potential savings dwindle.

Personal Thoughts
Despite the overpriced refilling of carbon dioxide tanks, the Soda Stream Pure machine itself is a fantastic product. It has already withstood some serious abuse in our household, and looks attractive in our kitchen. The Soda Stream Pure provide a great convenience factor of not having to lug heavy soda bottles back and forth, and then spend additional time recycling the empties. It is great for entertaining guests too.

If customers weren't forced into purchasing their CO2 from Soda Stream and could refill elsewhere, then I would highly recommend the Soda Stream Pure to everyone who drinks soda (which is almost everyone on the planet!).

The Soda Stream Pure is a costly luxury item that is not right for everyone. Households who go through several bottles of soda a week and are looking mainly to save money should consider purchasing the Soda Stream Fountain Jet at half the cost.

The Soda Stream Pure is a fancier model that will take a beating and fit in with your other stainless steel appliances, rather than stick out like a sore thumb. If your time is more important to you than money or hassling with recycling (and I know mine is), and you want to make an eco-friendly choice, then the Soda Stream Pure is right for you.

For more information about Soda Stream products, visit SodaStream.com

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