I regularly use 4 x 1.25L of soda water each week, which cost approx $15 per month or $175 per year
Is it cheaper to buy a soda drink maker? Is Sodastream the only brand available in the local market?
Keen to get feedback from existing owners.
Soda Maker, Is It Worth It?
Sydgun on 11/03/2018 - 13:31
Last edited 11/03/2018 - 13:56 by 1 other user
Last edited 11/03/2018 - 13:56 by 1 other user
Poll Options
- 17Buy a soda maker
- 28Cheaper to stick to bottled soda water
Comments
You can replace the cartridges cheaply - either break the top off and use dry ice or get an adaptor and c02 tank from ebay
Where's the option to just drink water?
How much sugar is is Soda Water?
There's no sugar in soda water. it is literally water with bubbles.
Sparkling water is slightly acidic but impact on teeth is a lot lot less than lemonade or cola drinks.
Also, shop bought soda water tends to have salt in it.
I just got a knockoff one on Ebay for $45 shipped, with 4x 1 liter bottles. Uses sodastream c02 canisters.
I also get great prices for CO2 from my welding gas supplier, and refill my own soda stream co2 canister from a big tank. I do it for my friends for $10 instead of $20 at woolworths. Not much or any cost savings if you pay full price for co2, but a hell of a lot less plastic bottles being thrown out and far more convenient. The real savings is when you find cheap co2.the newer SS bottles have a one way valve so you can't refill them yourself unless you know a way to fill the newer bottles if so please share.
Sorry for the delay! I fill mine once a week from my 22kg co2 bottle, which I pay $27 for ($8 month rental) That's 52 refills, or $0.52 each.
The one way valve is bullshit, sure in theory it's one way, if you crack open the bottle (inverted) with full pressure behind it the valve in the neck of the SS bottle closes, the key is to run out a tiny but of liquid co2 from the big bottle (mine hangs against the wall with ratchet straps) and then attach the SS bottle (fully empty) and then slowly open the big bottle until you can feel the liquid co2 start to chill the SS bottle. Once it's flowing, you can open it up a bit more. If you go to far and trip the one way valve you can just turn off the big bottle, and vent a bit of co2 from your connector, and then try again.
I made the adapter planning on having to remove the neck and drill out the one way valve, but then realized that I can get around it without modifying it. More info on my website ( taylorhayis.com/carbonation )Thanks for the reply I also rent a 22kg co2 bottle and invert it and fill mine and some other home brewers co2 bottles and SS bottles, I'll give your method a go next time we order a 22kg bottle.I was going to try and fill the SS bottle using the pressure in the donor bottle without depressing the valve on the SS bottle. Cheers UBE.
IMHO not worth it, mrs used to drink only mineral water, less than $1 for about a litre at Coles.
Paid about $80 for a soda stream, I didn't count the litres of water we used but I read somewhere that it was ballpark similar to buying water.Main thing for us was the taste, we used filtered water, but after gassing there was an aftertaste that wasn't there before gassing. In the end I was trying to save on the plastic bottles and carrying them home from the supermarket, cost and convenience but the product didn't stack up in the one place it needed to, taste.
In the end we are just drinking filtered water from the fridge most of the time now and buying less mineral water.
boil tap water ?
http://www.news.com.au/finance/money/costs/why-sodastream-is…
Maths says no. But that is news.com.au maths, which is the same site that claimed a Tesla supercharger took 4hours.
$15 per month
Are you getting the expensive stuff? 16 x $0.75 at Coles is $12 per month. Even cheaper at ALDI.
BTW my dentist says that carbonated water is bad for your teeth. Not as bad as coke etc but just drinking plain water is best. Something along the lines that the carbonation process increases the acidity of water. Just FYI.
16 x $0.75 at Coles is $12 per month. Even cheaper at ALDI.
Nsw prices on drinks have changed thanks to state government.
It's not restricted to NSW. Prices between states can vary.
You based your monthly figure on 4 weeks……there is an extra 2-3 days in 11 of the months
Good pick up.
(52 x 4 x .75)/12 = $13 per month
OP's $15 is a round up then :)
You can modify a Sodastream with larger CO2 cylinders and Sodastream adapter.
https://keg-king.com.au/co2-cylinders.html
I have the 6kg cylinder. Refills cost $50-$60.
Large initial cost, but pays off after the first refill.
All those who voted to stick to bottled soda water,
Shame,Shame,Shame…Explain,Explain,Explain…
Lame,Lame,Lame.
Don't bother clicking the link, it's just a long, big budget advertisement for Soda Stream.
A soda stream is super convenient, even if the cost savings are negligible. Not to mention the environmental impact. Fancy throwing out all those plastic bottles given the recycling crisis we are currently in.
You can always put them in the recycle bin.
Which currently is likely going to end up in the tip. Recycling is pretty much dead in Australia due to the ban China put in place.
Lol no way it is financially better
Thanks for all the feedback. Quite surprised to see that getting a soda machine is not necessarily the better option financially.
Have you done the math based on your current consumption? It would probably be more expensive or take years to cost the same or less than buying.
You could always buy one and even if you don't like it, just use it until you "break even" or get below it. Probably sell the machine also.
Although, if do you buy one, I reckon one either drinks more or less than they used to. Can go either way (and obviously change over time).
When we first got one, we drank it a lot more. Now we've plateaued a bit.
Oh and FYI the bottles you put the soda water in are only 840ml and have an expiry date too. So you have to replace the after a few years also.
I’m surprised that nobody has mentioned the other uses for a sodastream. Especially for carbonated alcohol or apple juice.
I tried once and it ended in disaster. Probably did something wrong, but haven't tried since.
I bought one in Christmas 2016. We're only onto our second gas cylinder and I refill the bottle with bubbly goodness once a week.
We have one and it has worked out cheaper for us, Only because it forced us to drink less soda.
We would buy a 2ltr bottle, leave it in the fridge and when having a meal would have a glass, mainly because it was just there and open. But now you have to make the decision that you want to get it out from the cupboard, fill it up, fizz it, add flavor then mix, and it's a smaller bottle (1ltr i think?).
if you want cheap, stock up from Aldi.
I drink soda water a lot, usually by itself. I don't like drinking the large bottles as you lose the carbonation after while.
I choose the Schweppes soda water 4x300ml bottles
- only need one bottle at a time
- keeps the carbonation all the time.
- glass bottleaverage sale price is $3.20 per pack of 4 but sometimes can be bought for $2.75 per pack of 4. under 70 cents a bottle of 300ml. and I drink about 4 bottles a week but if you are drinking 5 litres of the stuff a week, that is a lot, and my wife thought I had a problem.
I think the cost saving is negligible. It depends on how much you drink. BIGGEST convenience is you have it when you want it. And you don't have to lug heavy bottles home from the supermarket, which are heavy and take plenty of space in your shopping.
I recommend for anyone commencing a weight loss plan and cutting out sugary soda drinks. You can't replicate the sugar, but this will replicate the bubbles. You get used to it under a week.
We tend to mix the soda water with juice or with soft drinks.. usually 50:50. The dilution makes it less sweet whilst still pleasant to drink.
Our weekly consumption varies between 2 to 3 bottles a week (3.75L) but not more than 4 bottles. I find that Aldi's brand has a weak carbonation level. Coles and Woolies are better in my opinion.
We had one and ended up throwing it away - it wasn't that cheap when you consider you have to regularly replace the gas cylinders at about $20 each time (E.G: http://www.sodastream.com.au/coles-express-cylinder-exchange…).
In our experience the cylinders didn't last that long either.
Also look at this if you want a REALLY long read on the subject: http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1201332
I'm not voting yes or no but something to consider.