I had the awesome opportunity to review a SodaStream Soda Maker as well as many of their Sodamix syrup flavors!
This products has me smiling for several reasons; its value, style, convenience, nutrition, eco-friendliness, and of course taste! I was sent the Jet SodaStream machine in black, it takes up minimal space on my kitchen counter and makes carbonated beverages with just the push of a button. Many other styles and colors can be found on the SodaStream website. The process is so simple, my 6 year old was even making soda. You fill the carbonating bottle with tap water and screw it into the machine, you are then able to add as much or as little carbonation you'd like in your drink. You simple press the carbonating button on the top till you hear a "buzz" and repeat that two more times. You can end the process there and enjoy carbonated water or add one of the many flavors that SodaStream offers. The boys were so excited to try this, it made it out of the box and onto the counter in a hurry! We had so much fun and were pleasantly surprised by the ease of it all, as well as the minimal clean-up!
Here is a quick video showing just how simple it really is!
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| So many flavor choices! |
Sodamix syrups are made with either a combination of Splenda and sugar or just Splenda in the diet flavors. They do not contain high fructose corn syrup or aspartame! I am not partial to the taste of sucralose so this took me a little getting used to. I noticed it more on the root beer flavor and with other flavors could not detect the taste. The kids didn't seem to mind and were thrilled to be having such a treat since we rarely drink soda in our house. I was happy to be giving my children a sweet drink knowing they weren't guzzling down carbonated corn syrup! The SodaStream beverages offer a healthier choice, cutting out a lot of the calories, carbs, sugar, sodium and even caffeine with their recipes. This makes it a great choice for a Mama of a six month old who is trying to get back into her skinny jeans!
You can see the comparison to other brands:
| Calories | Carbs | Sugar | Sodium | Caffeine | |
| Pepsi® | 100 | 27g | 27g | 25mg | 25mg |
| Coca-Cola® | 100 | 27g | 27g | 35mg | 23mg |
| SodaStream Cola | 34 | 9g | 9g | 2mg | 15mg |
| 7-UP® | 100 | 26g | 26g | 50mg | 0mg |
| Sprite® | 100 | 26g | 26g | 45mg | 0mg |
| SodaStream Lemon Lime | 36 | 9g | 9g | 25mg | 0mg |
All SodaStream regular sodamix uses a mixture of Splenda® and sugar. Diet flavors are sugar-free, sweetened with Splenda® brand sweetener. Comparison is based on 8 fl. oz. serving size (0.34 fl. oz. of SodaStream sodamix per 8 fl. oz. of water).
I have tried many of the flavors and so far my favorites are Cola and Orange-Mango! If you'd rather have a flavored sparkling water they've got you covered too! I received four MyWater flavors and just added a splash to a bottle of carbonated water for a hint of fruit flavor. My favorite is the lemon-lime!
With a family of 6 it is great to have the option to mix up several flavors to make the whole family happy! I am not a diet soda drinker, so now when a friend comes over who is I have their favorite flavor on hand.
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| Orange-Mango flavor...so yummy! |
They recently introduced Sparkling Naturals which I can't wait to try! "Sparkling Naturals contain no artificial flavors, no artificial colors and no artificial sweeteners, and do not contain any preservatives, making them a perfect, sparkling, natural soda alternative for the entire family." The apple-mango flavor sounds delish!
Each bottle of Sodamix makes 12 liters of soda and MyWater Essence flavors make around 20 liters of sparkling water per bottle!
I have minimal food storage space in my house so finding the space for a few small bottle of syrup compared to several 2 liter bottles or large boxes of cans is perfect for my family. Not to mention we are cutting out all of that waste! Less packaging waste from cans and bottles and less pollution caused by transport of bottled beverages.
The bottles are not dishwasher safe, but are easy to clean by hand and can be used again and again. They come with screw on lids so you can keep your favorite soda creations in the fridge.
The carbonating cartridge will make 66 liters of soda and can exchanged for a refill or spares are available for purchase.
Whether you are looking for a healthy alternative to regular soda, looking to decrease your carbon footprint, are tired of spending time and money at the store, or all of the above...I recommend checking out SodaStream and see what flavors your family would enjoy!
You can also check out their blog at http://msfizz.sodastreamusa.com/
What flavor would YOU like to try?!
I received a Fountain Jet - Soda Starter Kit for this review. All opinions are my own and I have not been compensated in any other way for my review.
