SodaStream Source Sparkling Water Maker Starter Kit

I just received this MINUTES ago so i can't speak of the longevity of the product, but I can say I am absolutely thrilled. I have been wanting one of these for a long time but kept putting it off because I have so many useless kitchen gadgets that I barely use that have been quite a disappointment. This? I am kicking myself for not buying it sooner. I have always been addicted to soda, not for the sugar but the carbonation. I have always found even plain bottled sparkling water or seltzer to have an odd taste that I found off-putting. Recently having been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes I knew I had to stop drinking soda completely and have been soda free for about 3 weeks now, and its been tough not drinking any fizz. So I figured I would finally buy one of these. It couldn't be easier to use, and the sparkling water tasted like just that. Sparkling water! I even poured a small glass and added about 2 tbsp of 100% fruit juice and I swear it tasted like soda, but not that sickly overly sweetened-by-corn-syrup flavor that all the bottled sodas have. I love that I can make soda any way I want, control how much flavor/sweetness is added, and it's also a heck of a lot cheaper. My biggest soda vice is ginger ale. I could literally drink gallons of it, especially when I'm sick. Now I can make my own unsweetened REAL ginger ale, once my powdered ginger arrives in the mail. I firmly believe this product is going to help me improve my health AND allow me to keep drinking soda that I can make to my exact preference. I am most definitely going to recommend this to anyone looking to purchase such a product.

This thing works well but obviously it can feel like a bit of a rip-off having to exchange/buy soda stream's proprietary CO2 bottles. Because of this I decided to convert the unit to a 5lb CO2 tank that I can refill at a local gas supply company for $20. The thing I didn't really appreciate before starting on this journey was how expensive the conversion was going to be before I started buying things. There's the cost of the tank ($80-100 with first fill), high pressure hose ($80) and special adapter to connect to the SodaStream ($30). You can get the hose and adapter online for $80 which would have made life a bit easier. Either way, to do this you're spending $150-$200 just for the conversion. Yes, in the long run refilling the 5lb CO2 tank will be way cheaper and you will barely ever have to do it, but just recognize that the conversion will cost you more than the SodaStream itself.Now, WHAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE, is bought a paintball tank adapter on Amazon for like $20 and a NEW 12oz paintball tank for another $20. Yes, it would have to refill the tank more frequently but this would have clearly been the cheapest option upfront and barely more expensive when it comes to long term refilling of the tank.As far as the SodaStream itself goes, my wife loves it and uses it all the time. Would highly recommend it as a purchase if you drink a lot of carbonated water or other beverages (although we've only done water). This would be a 5-star item if they didn't require purchase of their proprietary CO2 bottles.

READ THIS if you're evaluating overall price of using this unit. What I did not read ANYWHERE was about the CO2 cartridges as well as the rebate (thank you) offered with this starter kit. Pricing replacement cartridges kinda expensive for $30 - $40! I called mfgr - very professional rep explained how it all works. You take the starter CO2 that comes in package to Walmart (or Target) customer service & they will charge you $14.99 for a full size replacement CO2 cartridge (and you give them the "starter" CO2 cartridge). Apprehensive at first, but customer svc dept Walmart actually had a sign posted and plenty of cartridges in stock. I'm so glad for initial rebate & phone call because I was going to order couple CO2 cartridges, but I decided to just order 1 so when 1 runs out I have a spare until I can get to Walmart to swap again for $14.99. I was relieved that the cartridges are only $14.99 during trade-in process.I can actually do it myself and it's EASY. NO twisting, no individual cartridges, not too heavy or bulky. We've tried a couple different kinds of "bubble" water makers. Just don't over fill these bottles, really, or there will be a little water on the counter. Otherwise there is no dripping or any spillage whatsoever. Owned it about a month now & I use it daily. I ordered the 2 pack Sodastream Twin pack water bottles so I could have 3 bottles total so the water could get & stay cold in fridg. Thanks America's Test Kitchen as well as other reviewers for detail about this.