I bought myself a cheap sodastream for fathers day recently. I did some research and lots of DIYers recommended getting your own CO2 tank and adapter hose to hook up to the sodastream directly instead of refilling the small canisters that sit inside.

I waited to make sure the sodastream was going to be something I liked before committing to the big tank. I’m a big dr pepper fan and the dr pete syrup wan’t very good. It was metalic and tasted like a cross between dr pepper and pepsi. I’m not a huge cola flavor fan. But I love carbonated waters and got the bubly natural flavors and those have been good.

Nobody in the family really liked their first drinks. A lot got poured out. But, I decided to pull the trigger and got a big 20lbs tank for no other reason than to save money on all the carbonated water I buy. I go through 1-2 cans per day. That shit’s only getting more and more expensive too. I took it to the local gas store and filled it with beverage grade CO2, ($40) hooked it up, and was pleasantly surprised.

Not just that it worked, but by how GOOD it tasted. Even plain with no flavors. Had others in the family taste to confirm and they all agree the new CO2 tank tastes WAY better. I wonder if the small canister that came with the sodastream was just sitting in a warehouse for so long it started to pick up a lot of taste from the metal or something.

Very happy, gonna need to retry the dr pete syrup, and see if that was the problem.

  • Maeve@kbin.earth
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    57
    arrow-down
    5
    ·
    4 days ago

    I’ll pass on a company doing business in illegally occupied Palestine and just drink water.

    • schipelblorp@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      12
      ·
      4 days ago

      If you’ve already bought the machrne and are filling your own cannisters, you are doing nothing to support them.

      That’s where I am: drinking tap water with lemon til I can get my own tank.

      • Maeve@kbin.earth
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        23
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        4 days ago

        SodaStream too.

        I just drink water, coffee, tea but usually just water

        • yaroto98@lemmy.worldOP
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          8
          ·
          4 days ago

          Ah, I just heard sodastream was owned by pepsi. Didn’t know if the palestine connection was direct or a parent company connection.

          • calebwill@lemmy.zip
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            32
            arrow-down
            2
            ·
            4 days ago

            While it is a subsidiary of Pepsi, SodaStream is an Israeli company that has at times based its operations in territories under military occupation.

            SodaStream is one of the priority boycott targets of the Palestinian-led BDS movement.

            https://bdsmovement.net/Guide-to-BDS-Boycott

            Pepsi itself is not one of the BDS boycott targets, but Coca-Cola is.

            • yaroto98@lemmy.worldOP
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              13
              ·
              4 days ago

              Oh, I did not know, thanks!

              When this one bites the dust, I’ll get a different brand. Saw a bunch on aliexpress.

              • Talaraine@fedia.io
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                8
                ·
                4 days ago

                TBF I bought a sodastream over a decade ago and it’s still running, despite the company’s attempts to get me to upgrade xD. Every day that thing lasts and I’m using my own 20 lb tank I still feel like I’m sticking it to the man. After all, they’re making bank selling you a tiny tank of air for 50 bucks.

                • yaroto98@lemmy.worldOP
                  link
                  fedilink
                  arrow-up
                  4
                  ·
                  4 days ago

                  Yea, looking at the prices, I wonder if they sell the units for cost or very little profit and plan on making most of the profits from CO2 refills and syrup. Inkjet business model.

          • Maeve@kbin.earth
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            7
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            4 days ago

            Any degrees of removal are just obsfucation, no?

            Anyway, I am sorry to tell you, and also just thought maybe I should. At any rate, it’s done now. Forgive me.

            • yaroto98@lemmy.worldOP
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              10
              ·
              4 days ago

              Eh, too late now. But going forward I’ll actually be giving less to both companies. CO2 refills will be done with a local company not sodastream, and I’m pretty sure the carbonated waters I was buying were likely also pepsi owned companies. So less there too. I did find a snowcone supply store that sells dr pepper syrup concentrate. It should be pretty easy to avoid giving them money going forward.

              • Maeve@kbin.earth
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                8
                ·
                4 days ago

                Yeah what’s done is done. Don’t beat yourself up. I weighed telling you but did so others would know. Going forward, enjoy your soda!

                • yaroto98@lemmy.worldOP
                  link
                  fedilink
                  arrow-up
                  5
                  ·
                  4 days ago

                  Hindsight is 20/20. But I can now justify not buying sodastream dr pete syrup in the future despite it being cheaper than dr pepper.

    • rosholger@quokk.au
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      4 days ago

      Luckily there are alternatives to SodaStream. AGA, Aarke, etc. Also make sure not to buy SodaStream brand canisters