Soda Stream Am I Crazy - RV-Dreams Community Forum

The Bear II · RV-Dreams Family Member

Soda Stream Am I Crazy

GENECOP · RV-Dreams Family Member

Ok, we have it also, here is our experience. We first saw it at an RV show, we tasted it at the show, read many positive things about it, purchased one, the first 4 times making soda we adjusted, less fizz, more fizz, less syrup, more syrup, ETC.....it has currently been sitting on our shelf for the last 3 months... So I must conclude....We don't like the taste......G

mrschwarz · RV-Dreams Community Member

I have a Soda Club unit for years. That was its name before it was called Soda Stream. We used up the flavoring (my wife liked it). I like seltzer so I don't use the flavoring. It makes great seltzer and I am still using the original CO2 tanks that I got more than 8 years ago.

Technomadia · RV-Dreams Family Member

We love love love our Sodastream - but we're not into the soda flavors. Don't like coke, pepsi.. and certainly not generic 'cola'.

We do like their energy drink syrup, and use that a lot. But mostly we drink the fizzy water straight up, or with a squirt of lime or a dash of pure fruit juice. We do like their creme soda syrup flavor, especially with a shot of vanilla vodka :)

- Cherie

Howard · Host

We were sent a Soda Club machine to demo several years ago. We certainly liked the concept, but ultimately we aren't soda drinkers.

For us, the tastes weren't "authentic", but they were good enough, and we hung onto it so that guests would have several options for drinks when visiting. However, it was taking up space, we stopped drinking soda completely, and we didn't have enough soda-drinking guests to justify keeping it around. It's been gone well over a year. smile

Cindy T · RV-Dreams Family Member

I don't think you're crazy at all. I don't have a Soda Stream but have tried it both in a demo at a store & at a friend's house. I thought the flavor was awful! No Soda Stream for me.

Cindy T

arkypam · RV-Dreams Family Member

I don't drink much soda myself, but my husband is a diet coke addict. He bought a soda stream machine several years ago and wouldn't be without it. We go to Sam's Club and buy a cube of real Coke brand syrup (they have other flavors/brands too). He transfers about a half gallon at a time into a plastic jug that's easy to pour from and we keep that inside in a cupboard in the RV. It's probably slightly more expensive than the soda stream syrup but much cheaper than buying cans. My husband adds lemon or lime juice. I've tried some of the soda stream flavors like grapefruit and found them to be good. But, then, I'm not much of a soda drinker.

The Bear II · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks for the replys, I'm glad to know I'm not crazy.

I thought about buying the bulk Diet Coke syrup but the smallest I've found is 3 gallons and I'm sure I wouldn't be able to use it up before it goes bad.

However, the underlying taste I get with the Soda Stream is strong soda water flavor no matter how little or how much fizz I use. It reminds me of the taste you get drinking mineral water from a hot springs like Calistoga.

It just amazes me to read the testimonials (there are a lot of them) indicating the diet cola flavoring tastes just like diet coke. It's not even close.

I guess I'll keep it around for the times when I need soda water to get rid of a stain....

Alie and Jims Carrilite · RV-Dreams Family Member

Has anyone tried it for a mixed drink?
Or is the cola so bad even cheap booze won't cover it.

Jim Dean · RV-Dreams Family Member

We have had a Soda Club system for several years. We were introduced to it when we visited Howard and Linda when they came through Texas the first time. We do not like the cola flavors because we keep comparing them to the 'real' thing. However we do enjoy the different fruit flavors plus we mix flavors such as orange and cream soda. Tastes like the orange sherbet push ups. DW mixes cranberry/raspberry with ginger ale. The grand daughters like that one also and call it "Nonnie juice."

MikeH · RV-Dreams Family Member

GENECOP wrote:
Ok, we have it also, here is our experience. We first saw it at an RV show, we tasted it at the show, read many positive things about it, purchased one, the first 4 times making soda we adjusted, less fizz, more fizz, less syrup, more syrup, ETC.....it has currently been sitting on our shelf for the last 3 months... So I must conclude....We don't like the taste......G

So from the sounds of it you might want to look in to a recipe book for said soda device. I've honestly never even heard of mixing up your own soda, that's totally new to me but the flavors would be MUCH more varied than in the store. I love kiwi\watermelon so that would be something interesting to try, at least for a little while!

WeebleSue · RV-Dreams Community Member

Guys, I recently got a Soda Stream unit, and I bought several of the syrup flavors. Once I got home, I read the contents, and realized that the Soda Stream syrup prides itself on "No Aspartame." That means it is sweetened with Stevia. Ugh. I don't like the stuff, and that is why their syrups taste different from true Diet Coke. Diet Coke is flavored with aspartame (Equal).

I know some people who prefer Stevia to aspartame, so they perhaps like the flavors better. Of *course* the advertisers are ONLY going to show those people who like the flavor or who can't tell the difference.

Sam's Club sells official Diet Coke syrup, but I can only find it in 5-gal bibs for around $64. That's a heckuva lotta diet coke. Even I couldn't drink that much, and I pretty much only drink Diet Coke!! I am searching online for smaller containers of it (and that's what led me to this forum!) but can't find it anywhere. Amazon is out of stock. :(

It would be nice if I could find someone local to go in on a container with me - or more folks. 1 gallon should last a while, I would think.

Happy camping everyone!
susan

PNV · RV-Dreams Community Member

Since I grew up drinking seltzer and never really liked all that flavoring this was the perfect unit to take with in the motorhome. Of course it came with sample "flavors" which I did try and totally agree with you that they were awful.
For me this is the perfect unit.

RanCar · RV-Dreams Community Member

I never take testimonials seriously. They're designed to SELL SELL SELL some product. For all you know they were written by the seller him or herself. Ever read alternative health site testimonials? 'Nuff said.

-- Edited by RanCar on Sunday 22nd of July 2012 04:31:27 AM

road of happy destiny · RV-Dreams Family Member

WE bought one several years ago at the Tampa RV show and thought it was a great idea. We took several flavors plus the diet cola home and used it for several years. We don't drink the surgery syrup so that was a waste of $$ it neever measured up to our favorite soda whisch is Pepsi. Though we kept it on the closet shelf for quite awhile. Too messy, bottle's would leak and DW got tires of cleaning up after them.

tibbar · RV-Dreams Family Member

I am glad to see this topic. I was going to buy a Soda Stream but decided against it because it seemed to cost just as much as the store brand cola I liked. Looks like I saved myself from a bad purchase. In the mean time I have decided soda just isn't doing my body any favors and have quit buying it for home use.

thebearII · RV-Dreams Family Member

Just found out my DW has purchased a new SodaStream unit. She watched a demo on HSN and all of the callers expressed how great it was. She's thinking maybe they have improved the flavors.

I will report back once we try the new one.

Donna162 · RV-Dreams Family Member

I've been using a soda stream for about 3 years and the taste hasn't changed a bit. I use it for a while cause it really does save me money but then I get tired of the taste and go back to diet coke. Right now I'm trying it again hoping I can get used to the taste trying to save money. I agree with one of the other posts that it's the stevia or whatever it is they use....doesn't taste like diet coke.

Lucky Mike · RV-Dreams Family Member

I have thought about it , looked.....Tried and decided for the 4 dollars a week I spend on selzer , diet coke its easier to open the fridge and pop the top and its already cold.

dont have to mix it , test it or waste good burbon(god forbid)................

WestWardHo · RV-Dreams Family Member

God Forbid!

The Bear II · RV-Dreams Family Member

Just a follow up to my original post. The new Soda Stream arrived a few months ago...no improvement in taste. Neither one of us can stand the taste of the diet coke and coke flavors.

No matter what I try... Bottled water or tap water, colder or warmer water, more or less syrup, more bubbles less bubbles... I still get a strong mineral water taste. This happenss with the old and the new Soda Stream...we stopped using both.

WendysPhotos · RV-Dreams Family Member

I have a Soda Stream and love it. The one of the reasons it does not taste like the 'Real' thing is because it uses actual sugar ( a lot less also) not High Fructose Corn Syrup. It also doed not have as much acid in it. So it takes about 14 days of drinking it, but then the less syrupy taste of cola starts to taste bad. I actually do not like fountain cola anymore. I also try to be a 'Little' green and really like that I am not throwing away all that plastic.

Try several flavors until you find one you like. You can also add more syrup for awhile to help sweeten it then lower the sweetener.

Just my thoughts. We like ours and have had no leaks either.

The Bear II · RV-Dreams Family Member

Tried all of that....it's the after taste that I can't get used to. Same type of taste as when I drink mineral water.

Seems to come from the carbonation they use. Tried several cannisters same taste.

Both my DW and I have given up on it.

TRAILERKING · RV-Dreams Family Member

The Bear II wrote:
Tried all of that....it's the after taste that I can't get used to. Same type of taste as when I drink mineral water.

Seems to come from the carbonation they use. Tried several cannisters same taste.

Both my DW and I have given up on it.

I guess....... good to feed to your "Unwanted" guests.

Wheel_Estate · RV-Dreams Family Member

We tried a few flavors while visiting friends who had kids. The kids seemed to like the stuff, but I can describe it in one word...YUCK!!

NOWYO · RV-Dreams Community Member

I looked into the soda stream about a year ago and found some of the same testimonials as there are here. YUCK! BUT....

I found some websites that offer alternatives to the sodastream syrup. I also found a place where you can buy syrup that hasn't been sweetened yet. Most people complain that the artificial sweetener is the reason the sodastream syrup tastes so bad. If you like soda, it might be worth a try...

www.prairiemoon.biz/SodaStream-Alternative-Flavors--Syrup--Concentrate--Recipes_c_615.html

-- Edited by NOWYO on Saturday 12th of April 2014 09:49:58 PM