My mom used to act like a can of pop (yes, I say pop – go ahead and psychoanalyze where I’m from because I don’t call it “soda” or “coke”) was a super treat. We only got one every once in a while or on special occasions. And most definitely, we were not allowed to act silly with it – like blow bubbles into the cup. (I know EVERYONE else was allowed to do that!) I have carried much of that mindset into my life – albeit a bit more relaxed because we live in 2014 when we swing by the fast food joints much more often than I would personally desire.
I recently received the new Soda Stream source to review. This slick little unit is pretty cute (and doesn’t take a lot of counter space) – it looks pretty slick. Plus it means that we no longer have to take bottles back and forth from the car and to the recycling bins. It’s all in one simple easy re-usable unit. It also means that you save a ton of money – making your own soda (with water) is way less expensive than buying all the cans of soda just one flavor bottle can make!
It is so simple and easy to use that my 12-year-old daughter was showing me how to do it it. You just snap to lock the bottle in and then push the “carbonating block” (which is pretty much the front of the machine) down until it lights up to indicate how much fizz it’s adding to the water. There are three settings for fizz (light, medium, and high). For carbonated water you do not need to anything to it. For soda, you add flavoring then gently roll the bottle until the flavor is mixed in. (Don’t shake it – opening it after shaking will just cause a giant mess – we “accidentally” tried it, which the 12-year-old then got to clean up).
There are over 60 flavors to choose from – cola, diet, gingerale, lemon-lime, caffeine free, cherry cola, cosmopolitan (Ladies Night!), energy drinks, and Dr. Pete among others! We are still having fun experimenting. We are trying to come up with the perfect treat to serve at our Superbowl Party. But our FAVES are Country Time Pink Lemonade and Ocean Spray Cranberry.
Not only are we having far more pop than mom would be proud of but, we are also being mad scientists with flavoring it and most definitely blowing bubbles into it! Anything you think we should add in? What should be in our own version of “Orange Crush” (Go Broncos!)? What flavor is “Superbowl Soda”?
The Soda Stream is available at Target, WalMart, Ace Hardware, William Sonoma, Sam’s Club, Kohl’s, Staples, Best Buy, JC Penney and Macy’s. The models range from $79.99 to $199 depending on the model you purchase (the Source is $99.95) and the flavorings cost between $5 and $8.