The pros and cons of the SodaStream Fountain Jet Club Soda Maker - 4 thumbs up

If you're like me and drink a lot of club soda (aka seltzer water, sparkling water, carbonated water) or flavored sodas, you'll love being able to make your own with the SodaStream Fountain Jet Machine. Also know as the Soda Club Fountain Jet, owning a SodaStream Sparkling Water and Soda Maker means that you'll never be out of your own bubbly.

Instead of buying costly plastic containers of club soda or flavored sodas at the store, all you have to do is use your own water in the Soda Club's bottle, and add your own amount of fizz from the carbonation canister (CO2 canister) in the machine, and the flavorings of your choice. I like my seltzer water to be especially sparkling so a few taps on the top of my Soda Jet and, voila, I'm set for a few hours.

There are though some cons to using a club soda maker which I'll lay out below. But, imho, the pros of making my own club soda (or even soda pop by adding in available soda flavorings) greatly outweighs the negatives. One huge pro for me is being able to create my own Skinny Girl Cocktails by making my own base mixers.

Come along and read about my personal experience using the a soda stream club soda maker.

This is the very Soda Stream I bought when I first thought of making my own club soda at home. Little did I know how this gem would change the way I drank water.

The Sodastream makes sparkling water by injecting carbonation from a canister into a special bottle (don't worry, you don't have to keep buying the bottles!).

As I mentioned, it's very easy to make your own flavored sodas with the use of the Soda Stream Fountain Jet. Mix up cherry coke by adding a bit of the cherry flavoring with the cola and you've got 32 ounces of fresh soda to hold you for a few hours. I love getting creative and coming up with different flavors - my guests never know what they'll be sipping! And, I find that the diet flavors made for the SodaStream are just more "real" tasting than normal diet sodas. Here's some of my favorite flavors to add - click on any picture below for pricing and assorted information.

Note: these bottles make the equivalent of about 32 cans of soda!

Sodastream Diet Pink Grapefruit Sodamix Syrup

Sodastream Diet Cranberry-Raspberry Sodamix Syrup

Sodastream Diet Orange Sodamix Syrup

Diet Lemon Lime SodaMix

SodaStream Diet Grape Syrups

Sodastream Diet Cream Soda Sodamix Syrup

You can either find a place which will exchange the carbonation canisters (CO2 canisters) or you can purchase new ones online. I do both, depending on how badly I need a replacement.

If I had a classy bar (drats, I don't...), I'd be all over this adorable SodaStream Penguin Starter Kit. I love the modern design and the practicality of the thing too.

Lots of folks really use these SodaStream Fountain Jets and here's proof! Click on any picture below to go to the video on YouTube.

If you're more a fan of cola and traditional soda flavors, you're in luck. Here they are:

...The cons are coming later.

As mentioned, I'm such a fan of the SodaStream Fountain Jet that I carry it everywhere with me. Since it doesn't use batteries or electricity, I've even been known to make a club sode while riding in the front passenger seat of the car! The below are some of the pros as I see them.

1. Environmentally friendly! Prior to purchasing my SodaStream Fountain Jet on Amazon.com, I'd but at least 2 cases of liter bottles of club soda from my local Costco. Open bottles would be left all over the house driving everyone else crazy! But, I drink a LOT of club soda as I much prefer it over regular water. So, that was a whole lot of bottles heading to the landfill. But, no more! I have purchased 6 extra carbonation bottles for my fountain jet and keep all flavors of seltzer water in the fridge now.
2. Customized flavorings. I've come up with some pretty interesting flavors by mixing the SodaStream soda flavors and have surprised many a guest with a delicious concoction for them to sip.
3. Ability to mix as much syrup into the carbonated water as I choose. I tend to like lightly flavored sodas so one of the flavored containers might make 1 liter for most people but I'll stretch it out to make 4 or even 5 liters of my own soda. If you've got a real sweet tooth, add more of the concentrated soda flavors to your own club soda.
4. The SodaStream is about as portable as you can get! When we go out on the boat, instead of toting heavy containers of club soda in plastic, I just pack up the club soda maker and 2 of the bottles that comes with it. Taking along fresh water makes it very easy and convenient to make my own club soda or soda pops. The absolute best benefit is there's no trash to lug off the boat after a busy weekend of fun and sun!
5. Extremely cost effective. Who the heck doesn't want to save money these days? Each of the SodaStream carbonated canisters makes up to 60 liters of carbonated water - depending on how much you like bubbles.

I like the idea of trying new things and, when it comes to being creative and making my own soda pop, I'm all in! The flavorings below are started kits so there's more than one flavor. Most of these contain diet and regular flavorings so you get a nice variety.

There are just a few things I've found that I consider "cons" but, when weighed against the "pros", the SodaStream is a clear winner. Here's the cons as I see them:

1. I always seem to be running out of bottles! You need to use special bottles which screw into the SodaStream to make your own sodas or club soda. I have 6 but still seem to always be looking for just one more. Ah, but this con is easily remedied by purchasing another few bottles which I'm about to do!
2. You have to make sure you have carbonation in the carbonation tank. This "con" is easily remedied also by having an extra carbonation tank on hand, which I do. Each tank makes around 60 liters of club soda or soda pop, depending on how much you like bubbles. I like to extra carbonate my seltzer water so I find that a tank makes right around 50 liters of club soda.
3. It can be a bit noisy. This is another "con" which isn't such a big deal but, when you press the button to add in the carbonation, once the SodaJet has injected the bubbles, there's a loud buzz to alert you to let off the button. This is only a problem when others in the household are sleeping. I've learned to make my Soda Club club soda at night...
4. You can choose to recycle the CO2 canister but there is a shipping charge to think about. SodaStream carbonation refills are available at various brick and mortar stores (such as my local Staples), so I just drop off an old one, get my refund and apply it to the purchase of a new refill at the Staples. Look around your local area for a store which will do the same thing or just buy them off amazon.com.

I'd love to hear any comments you may have about making your own carbonated water. I love the stuff and can't imagine life without it!