Sheryl Lanham of SodaStream gave me the rundown on this product just now (Seattle Boat Show location: East 207), and I’m intrigued. It could really make sense aboard a boat with limited storage.
We don’t drink a lot of sugary pop at home or on the boat, but I do like a little bit of cola or tonic with my favorite rum. And we do like our unsweetened carbonated water, especially the flavor-infused Talking Rain variety. SodaStream has syrups and extracts to produce virtually any soda-based beverage you like.
Essentially, these appliances allow you to carbonate tap water, which isn’t especially innovative all by itself.
What sets this apart is the large 15-ounce CO2 cylinder, sufficient to carbonate 60 liters of water, and the design and quality of the components. Another consideration is the variety of syrups available, including syrups that allow you to create cola and tonic water. These syrups are sweetened with…wait for it…SUGAR! No high-fructose corn syrup! That’s great, as far as I’m concerned.
Here’s the ingredients list for the tonic water syrup, which for $5 will make about 33 cans of tonic:
When you consider the limited storage available on most boats, and the waste inherent in bottled beverages, there are plenty of reasons to consider the SodaStream model if you enjoy carbonated beverages at all. I’d be interested in hearing from Navagear readers who own this (or similar) systems.
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I have one of these at home and have had it for about a year, and it’s phenomenal!
I can see how these would be so, so helpful on a boat. We’d consider getting one here, but not an option in Mexico as far as we know. And- the CO2 cylinders can’t be shipped, either…although you wouldn’t need many to have years of soda! Something to consider for anyone headed out cruising.
As a nutritionist I noticed both sugar and Splenda being used in the product. I wonder what the proportions are, because some of us need to use a non-glucose based sweetener. The concept is worth considering for home use, too, as the “gimic-quotient” would motivate us to drink more fluids.