***Anyone Have A SodaStream Home Soda Maker???***

[yorkietalkjilly]

I have a Fountain Jet SodaStream Home Soda Maker that is slightly over 2 years old and used quite a bit, not just for soda making but to make sparkling water, far cheaper than Perrier! It is getting very hard to push down on the button to release the CO2 from the cylinder. One of the cylinders I recently bought has been a terrible problem and I have to keep removing it, shaking it and re-attaching it to get it to work at all.

Could the problem with this cylinder be that the mechanism in my Fountain Jet is just getting old? I don't remember it being this hard to press down on the top button as it has been lately. Think it is time to get a new one?

Has anyone ever had problems with one particular cylinder? I use the 60L cylinder and the older the unit gets, the harder the cylinders get to emit the loud buzz.

[yorkietalkjilly]

Bumping for help. Anybody?

[Ahis_Mama]

I was just thinking of this yesterday. I have no experience with this but wanted to know how do you like the taste of the colas?

[yorkietalkjilly]

Well, I just like cola's for the fizz so I love all SodaStream flavors. I actually like the Diet Cola flavor a little more than Diet Coke as it is a little more biting - a harder edge to it that I like. I love getting sparkling water straight from my own kitchen, too, & not lugging home all those heavy glasss Perrier bottles. It's very convenient. I get supplies from Bed, Bath & Beyond or Wal-mart, Target or over the internet. And it saves on landfill space.

[Ahis_Mama]

I think i'll look into this. Thank you. I do prefer the "bite" of the soda's also. That is why I prefer Coke over Pepsi. I love the stronger carbonation taste and not sweeter.

[yorkietalkjilly]

You can totally control the bite with your carbonation. Add less syrup, too, for more bite. There are many ways on net to make up your own syrups, flavors but I just buy my syrups from one of the suppliers as I like theirs. Some gets syrups directly from Coke or restaurant supply. Huge box full for $75.00 last forever! But the ones SS makes are $4.99 or $5.99 & produce 33 12 oz can equivalent supply if you use recommended amount per liter of drink. I use less per liter so get way more out of each bottle of syrup. Got to go load up on supplies tomorrow & might get new sodamaker, too. Or just wait & see if new carbonators release better than the last 3. Think I'll have a glass of my own Perrier now. BTW, you can make sparkling water that will tickle the ceiling with bubbles. Bathe your face each sip.

[RosyBojo]

Is this the samething I've been seeing on commercials where you cant tell the difference?
I have been curious if it really is good.

[yorkietalkjilly]

Yes. They have been in the U.K. I think for years - since the '70's, don't know if same name or not. I think it used to be Soda-Club here before they merged with Sodastream. I can tell the difference between Diet Coke and Sodastream Diet Cola - some maybe can't - but I like most cola flavors except those awful Sam's Cola's from Wal-mart! Taste like they put grapejuice in them or something. Don't ever buy those.

Thing about having your own machine is you can put as much carbonation in the drink as you want and really fizz it up! If you like, you can really get a hard-edge on your cola and it adds dryness. Of course, you can have a sweeter fizzy drink by adding more syrup if you like less dry cola. Or add Truvia or something like that. Plus, you never really have to run out of soda and there is the lugging home of all those cans or bottles and the good feeling you have that you are putting a little less in the landfill. I really like mine and have only ever had problems with one carbonation tank in two years of use, which, after much fussing with it, re-attaching it, is proving to last longer than all my other tanks. I think it must have been overfilled or something - don't know what its troubles were but thought I was going to have to return it but out of deperation, shook it up a lot and kept rescrewing it into the machine. Finally, it began to work normally and has lasted a long time now.

When I have an upset tummy, I make a very fizzy sparkling water drink and it really helps somehow.
(apologize for huge font - I ran Spellcheck and it changes the font for some reason some times.)

[YorkieSpirit1]

I have one also which I love! Its your cylinder, cause this has happened to me before and I just used it up and the next cylinder it didn't happen at all. I just drink carbonated water with slices of lemon and lime in it..I love it! I noticed that they are selling it now on HSN, I've had mine for years also, had to send away for cylinders...now they have them in stores

[yorkietalkjilly]

Originally Posted by YorkieSpirit1

I have one also which I love! Its your cylinder, cause this has happened to me before and I just used it up and the next cylinder it didn't happen at all. I just drink carbonated water with slices of lemon and lime in it..I love it! I noticed that they are selling it now on HSN, I've had mine for years also, had to send away for cylinders...now they have them in stores

That's good to know about that one tank. When you press down to carbonate, does yours require a lot of pressure? Do you have to press pretty hard? Mine seems to be very hard to press down on lately, even before this problem tank.

Which model do you have? Is it black and silver with the button to push on the tip top?

[YorkieSpirit1]

sorry I just noticed that you asked me a question..I have the Fountain Jet. It pushes down hard when I have a new cylinder, it gets easier the emptier it gets. I love it, have had it for years before they started selling it everywhere. Mine also takes the larger cylinders, I have to get them on the sodastream website, but they last longer cause I drink alot of water everyday, so that what I get for mine.

[sugarmamma]

Originally Posted by Ahis_Mama

I think i'll look into this. Thank you. I do prefer the "bite" of the soda's also. That is why I prefer Coke over Pepsi. I love the stronger carbonation taste and not sweeter.

I agree totally, Roni. Pepsi is way too flat for me

I need Diet Coke or Diet Dr Pepper! I may have to look into the soda streamer....

[yorkietalkjilly]

Was at Walmart Monday and they have all the Sodastream products now and even let me exchange my empty carbonators(CO2 tanks) for full ones! Now I don't have to make 2 stops - one at Walmart for things and then Bed, Bath and Beyond for the Sodastream supplies. I got Diet Cola syrup, Regular Cola syrup and Country Time Lemonade Syrup. Not too fond though of the carbonated lemonade taste - it's a little hard for me. But the lemonade syrup is a lovely sauce - albeit a bit strong! Very tangy and intense. I have the Fountain Jet, too. I think this is going into my 3rd year of having the system and I have been able to keep from lugging in extra soda bottles now for quite a while - love the convenience. I have found I like to add some Truvia to the Soda Stream Diet Cola - that or a teaspoon of sugar, for a different taste. I really love the bubbly drinks you can make using it though. And it makes the old Egg Creams!

[jp4m2]

Can someone who has one of these tell me how many servings (about 16oz.) you would get from a canister? I've been wanting to get one of these but I'm on the fence as to whether it's economical or if the diet drinks taste good.

We probably buy a about 3-4 cases of diet pop a week right now is why I ask. These cases used to be $4 now they are running closer to $8....That's just getting to be a bit much for colored sugar water.

[yorkietalkjilly]

Originally Posted by jp4m2

Can someone who has one of these tell me how many servings (about 16oz.) you would get from a canister? I've been wanting to get one of these but I'm on the fence as to whether it's economical or if the diet drinks taste good.

We probably buy a about 3-4 cases of diet pop a week right now is why I ask. These cases used to be $4 now they are running closer to $8....That's just getting to be a bit much for colored sugar water.

The single 60L tank I used produces anywhere from 20 - 30 liters of soda I would guess and that's with a lot of carbonation in some of the liters I make. I make do 6 or 7 hard buzzes, which indicates the CO2 is being emitted from the carbonator. Some I do just one or two hard buzzes if I'm just wanting some carbonation for sparkling water. If I want to bathe my face with bubbles with each drink, I do the 6 or 7. To me, it's not the expense, it is the convenience and control of the drink I might want right then that I bought mine for. I got so tired of lugging in all that drink and then the bottles, cans filling up the trash. I like the hard edge of carbonation I can totally control and you NEVER have a flat or bitter cola. In hot weather, a $2.00 Diet Coke of 2 liter size can be totally flat and bitter, shipping having destroyed the sweetness due to too much heat, I guess. I so hate the bad and expensive diet soda's you occasionally get in hot Texas summers and don't feel like running a bitter Diet Coke back to the store. With this machine, you get none of that worry and you can just use the 3 buzzes of carbonation and your tank will last longer.

And, if you search the web, you will find that with an adapter bought on Amazon.com, you can get your Sodastream tanks refilled at sports stores and paintball game supply stores for about $2.00 or so, and don't have to do exchanges for $15.00 a tank! I have not yet looked into that aspect of it as I'm still unsure if there is or isn't such a thing as "restaurant grade CO2", which Sodastream supposedly is and others say doesn't exist - that CO2 is CO2, wherever you get it. Others buy a modification valve and buy a huge, restaurant size tank and get it refilled at restaurant supply stores for $5 - $6.00 and it lasts forever. I'm a little worried about that sort of deal as I would probably be too worried the big tank might explode or something like that. Also, with that big tank, etc., you would have to keep your Sodastream elsewhere or run a line through the top of the counter so as to hide the big tank in a lower kitchen cabinet or just hook it to the machine every liter made. Still, it is another option.