Where to Buy Carbon Dioxide (CO2) For SodaStream

Draxxx on 21/01/2017 - 14:59
Last edited 21/01/2017 - 17:20 by 1 other user

As a SodaStream owner, I thought about the best way to minimise the cost associated with refills.
They run at about $20 per SodaStream bottle which is 400g of CO2. (which I go through in a month..)

There are kits you can buy (like this http://www.ibrew.com.au/products/freedom-one-soda-stream-ada… ) that can fit a standard
Australian gas bottle. Looking up BOC Gas I figured I could get 12Kg of CO2 for about $50. So I headed out
today and that's what I got. I also got a bit of a surprise; I found out, purely by chance when asking about a larger size,
that I will be charged 'rent' for the gas bottle. (And it wasn't cheap, at about $0.50 per day!)

Unfortunately for me, that means that the expecting 'savings' I would have got from say $240 per year with SodaStream Vs
$50 per year with BOC didn't quite materialise.

So I'm wondering, Where do OzBargainers get CO2 for cheap?
(I'm in Sydney BTW)

Thanks!

Food & Grocery

Comments

  • doweyy on 21/01/2017 - 15:08
    +1

    You can also use dry ice as a supplement for gaseous CO2 provided by BOC. They sell These dry ice pellets which can be used.

    Check out this video on a good way to do it, it's a bit touchy because you need to weigh up the exact amount of dry ice you need, but it's a cheaper option.

    • Diji1 on 21/01/2017 - 15:27
      -2

      Does this actually work? On the face of it it seems ridiculous that it would because aren't those things filled with CO2 to a high pressure?

      • doweyy on 21/01/2017 - 15:30

        Yeah it works but it really depends what lengths you want to go to to save money, it's a bit of a tough process but it will save you money in the long term

      • doweyy on 21/01/2017 - 15:31

        However dry ice is a very touchy substance, too much and it will blow the cylinder possibly, so you need to be very careful with the amount you put in

  • ChillBro on 21/01/2017 - 15:08
    +8

    I can breathe into a bag for you. $19.99 per grocery bag + shipping.

    • supnigs super skids on 21/01/2017 - 15:39
      +4

      You maybe be better off selling your panties online.

    • Draxxx on 22/01/2017 - 10:17
      +2

      Sounds like hot air to me.. ;)

  • emaydedewhy on 21/01/2017 - 15:58
    +2

    Soda King is doing a promo at the moment for a free cylinder exchange here

    • Draxxx on 22/01/2017 - 10:18

      Saw that, but the saving is very marginal, and I'd be stuck without a genuine bottle (deal breaker).

  • carnyturbo on 21/01/2017 - 17:00
    +7

    If you're in it for the long term, you can buy a 2.6kg CO2 bottle normally used for homebrew for $199 filled, (or 6.8kg for $299) and a sodastream adapter ($25) and fill the sodastream gas bottles yourself. Refill of 2.6kg CO2 is about $25 at any homebrew store. Sounds like you'll use 5kg a year, so $225 in your first year (about the same as your current spend?) then will drop to $50 per year after. Lots of YouTube vids on refilling soda stream yourself, key is to use a scale so you know when to stop filling.

    You could even buy a keg and bypass the soda stream machine altogether - have 19L of soda water on tap. Then since you have the keg and tap already you could buy a cheap fermenter and start homebrewing. Maybe get a second fridge for chilling/serving the keg and another for fermenting the homebrew. Then end up filling the fridges with more kegs. Maybe upgrade to an electric BIAB system to brew more beer, and a stainless conical fermenter because it looks cool, then who knows maybe you move to a bigger house with more room to brew and build yourself a custom brew room. Maybe you end up spending thousands of dollars on a few hundred litres of mediocre beer, but hey at least it's a hobby you enjoy. And at least you've got cheap CO2 for soda water whenever you want.

    • Diji1 on 21/01/2017 - 18:31
      +4

      You don't think he should just skip all those steps and move straight to the 235 acre soda water bottling plant? It would save time!

    • Draxxx on 22/01/2017 - 10:14

      Thanks carnyturbo. This is what I actually after.
      Guess I should have gone to a Brewer instead of gas supplier.

  • Pharos5 on 21/01/2017 - 17:51

    I just wait for discounts.

  • rockyroad on 21/01/2017 - 19:10

    Hi. I have the Freedom One adaptor hose as you mentioned. I bought my CO2 cylinder from the local beer brewing store. It lasts me about six months drinking soda water every day. They do bottle exchange for about $25.

    Hope that helps.

    • Draxxx on 09/10/2017 - 18:36

      What carbonator are you using rockyroad? Sodastream? SodaKing?

  • dasher86 on 21/01/2017 - 21:04

    Or you could buy cheap carbonated soft drinks from Aldi and when on special at colesworth

    • Draxxx on 22/01/2017 - 10:22

      The reason I use the Sodastream is they have a 'Zero' range which is no sugar, no artificial sweeteners.
      Don't need that sugar!

  • pjcook on 22/01/2017 - 08:41
    +1

    I got a hose from Keg Kinghttp://kegking.com.au/co2-cylinders/freedomone-sodastream-adapter-hose-36inch.html and then went to my local brewing shop and purchased a 12 Kg bottle for $240.00, it cost $20.00 to exchange for a full one when needed. Yep cost a bit to setup but ongoing costs are minimal compared to using the sodastream bottles

    • Draxxx on 22/01/2017 - 10:15

      Thanks pjcook. That's kind of setup I was trying to achieve.
      Don't mind the initial outlay, so long as the refills are cheaper.

    • peteru on 22/01/2017 - 12:37

      Where do you get 12kg swaps for $20?

      My LHBS wants $50 for a 6kg MKOL bottle swap and won't touch Keg King bottles.

      • pjcook on 23/01/2017 - 09:38

        Oops sorry, my bad, I was guessing the size of my bottle :) it is 4 KG. Still significantly cheaper than Sodastream Bottles

  • [Deactivated] on 22/01/2017 - 11:36
    -1

    I don't understand why you would do this

    • pjcook on 23/01/2017 - 09:42

      After the initial outlay the cost per bottle is around 10 x cheaper, the Sodastream bottle is only 400 g and cost around $18.00 to exchange, wher I pay $20.00 to exchange my 4 KG bottle.

      • [Deactivated] on 23/01/2017 - 12:29

        I don't understand why you would have a soda steam/put bubbles in your water

        • pjcook on 24/01/2017 - 08:42
          +1

          I do not drink soft drinks but I like carbonated water, so I use a Soda stream to carbonate it.

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