Soda Stream | Imamother

sky

Wed, Dec 16 2015, 1:04 pm

Anyone own a soda stream?
What are the benefits?
How much does it cost per bottle of seltzer?
Do you save money or is a convenience thing?
How much does it cost to exchange the gas "tanks"?

I'm trying to figure it out. We spend .33 - .50 cents per seltzer bottle depending on sales and buy about 48 at a time, more when the price is really low.

The seltzer machine appears to cost much more, even once you cover the cost of the original machine.
And I'm not seeing the convenience because it appears the 30 and 60 L gases are the easiest to exchange and if I'm exchanging it that often I might as well buy that much seltzer in one trip. (we wouldn't use it on shabbos so I would need at least 4 - 5 bottles to make enough seltzer for shabbos).

but I'm always thinking about buying it and found an excellent deal, but I can't figure out how it becomes worth it.

Wed, Dec 16 2015, 1:12 pm

Our understanding is that it can be used on Shabbat. We have one with no electric components.

We only use it for seltzer, so we do not use the flavor packs. There is no cost savings; it comes out about even for us. I purchased it to support an Israeli company.

mha3484

Wed, Dec 16 2015, 1:26 pm

I agree with CM, we also break even. We like it because there is no schlepping heavy bottles home or running to the store for seltzer and leaving with other purchases. DH will not drink tap water no matter what so there is always fizzy water available for him. We have the most basic machine so we use it on shabbos and yomtov.

I return the carbonators to BBB and use the 20% of coupon.

shabbatiscoming

Wed, Dec 16 2015, 3:33 pm

Just a note about shabbat use: here in israel, where soda stream is produced, there is a letter inside the container with letters from rabbanim (it could be the cheif rabbi of israel, I cant remember who) that explain why it is in fact allowed to use a soda stream on shabbat.

heidi

Wed, Dec 16 2015, 3:50 pm

My parents bought theirs in America and it has electric components and thus can't be used on Shabbos. Ours is basically a pump and thus can be used for Shabbos.

amother

Aubergine

Wed, Dec 16 2015, 7:56 pm

We live in a small apartment with limited cabinet space, We don't have a car , walk to our supermarket and haul our groceries back in a bubby cart. Two cases of seltzer, which costs 60 cents a liter when it's on sale--I have no idea what the regular price is because I would never buy it except on sale--weigh almost as much as I do. Plus there is a deposit on the bottles, which means I have to collect them and haul them back, or count the deposit as part of the price. I would be crazy not to use Sodastream. Sadly, my rav said we can't use it on Pesach because the CO2 may be captured from fermentation of chametz.

dr. pepper

Wed, Dec 16 2015, 8:16 pm

We love ours. As do many of our family members.

My husband once figured it out to be something like 17 cents per bottle.

Besides the money savings, the shlepping and waiting for the sales, the giving up space for cases of it...

Soda Stream is so much more convenient.

Sky, you say you wont use it on Shabbos.
But why? DH learned about it. I have never heard a dissenting voice from any posek to use the simple ones on Shabbos.

MagentaYenta

Wed, Dec 16 2015, 8:20 pm

amother wrote:

...my rav said we can't use it on Pesach because the CO2 may be captured from fermentation of chametz.

There are companies that manufacture gases for commercial use, although it is a by product of fermentation, captured CO2 has no commercial use. It's also uneconomical to presume that one could capture sufficient gas to fill the needs of the soft drink industry.

Follow your Rabbi's advice by all means, but don't discount the reality of a commercial manufacturing process.

amother

Aubergine

Wed, Dec 16 2015, 8:26 pm

Coming as it does from Israel, well-known for its innovative conservation of resources, Sodastream's CO2 is more likely to be captured from fermentation than CO2 from any other country. While it's doubtful that **all** of their CO2 is reclaimed yeast poop, they wouldn't be telling anyone which cylinders are and which are from other sources.

MagentaYenta

Wed, Dec 16 2015, 8:31 pm

amother wrote:

I just did a google and there is little to support reclaimed CO2 being used in food grade gas. I welcome a link from you.

Wed, Dec 16 2015, 10:12 pm

Was always curious about this...
Is it electric? Is the Israeli one the same as the one sold in American?

Also just curious where u found a good deal?

Wed, Dec 16 2015, 10:30 pm

Here are the models currently listed on the Soda Stream website (US version):

https://www.sodastreamusa.com/......aspx

Of the models available in the U.S., some have LED displays or other electrical components. Most do not require electricity. I got the Fountain Jet model at Target.

Wed, Dec 16 2015, 10:55 pm

cm wrote:

Right so I'm curious if they don't use electricity and are cheaper/ better in Israel if I should get mine there?

The Happy Wife

Wed, Dec 16 2015, 10:58 pm

amother wrote:

Actually, their CO2 is certified by OU so I imagine it would be very easy to determine the source and if it's kosher for Pesach.

shanie5

Sat, Dec 19 2015, 11:05 pm

r1 wrote:

Right so I'm curious if they don't use electricity and are cheaper/ better in Israel if I should get mine there?

http://www.lev-tov-landing.com/

You can buy the plain models in the states too. The ones that dont have led dispalys and may be used on shabbos. I paid about $40 for mine at walmart-with coupons and a rebate.

ffbmom

Sun, Dec 20 2015, 9:30 am

I bought mine about a year ago. It was purely for convenience. However, it stopped working, just like that. When I called the company, they said mine was the only model that had a difficult to fix washer that needed to be replaced. So far I have not replaced it. Nobody seems to be able to do it. I'm looking for another model on sale. I loved the soda stream. I think mine was called Play.