If you talk about the product, you get to try out the product.
Today I will be talking about our SodaStream again. I had written about it last year when we first got it, and one of the most popular posts I’ve ever written for GeekMom is about a Soda Stream syrup hack using real sugar.
We’ve had our SodaStream just under a year and we like it a lot. We’ve had to replace the CO2 cartridge three times in that year, meaning we’ve made nearly 200 liters of soda with us. We’ve tried the SodaStream-brand syrups, we’ve made our own syrups, and we’ve tried the Mio-type concentrated flavor syrups. The latter option has been the most convenient for us, and that’s what we tend to do most often.
With that background, I had applied in January through the House Party social service to try out some Soda Stream flavors and talk it up through social media.
The SodaStream pack arrived in mid-January. You can see what I had received in the photo above. The sampler box of syrups, two 1L bottles, a recipe that mixes flavors, and several coupons to give to friends. I was surprised to see that most of the flavors in the pack weren’t necessarily new. In fact, we had tried the Country Time and Kool-Aid flavors in the past. Read on for my impressions of the Chatterbox.
Each little container was enough syrup for a 1L bottle of soda.
2/3 of the Flavors Down
As of this writing, we have tried 8 of the 12 flavors. We had started with the Crystal Light lemonade and I have to say that my original concerns with the syrups stand: I don’t care for the flavor of artificial sweetners, and this was no exception. While the soda tasted good going down, I was left with the metallic aftertaste I always experience after having sucralose.
On the other hand, my husband doesn’t mind the taste of sucralose and liked most of the flavors.
The Kool Aid flavors were our favorite…I think it’s a nostalgia thing for me. Having a grape or orange soda was a serious treat for me when I was growing up. For my palette it seemed to have the least sucralose flavor, although I could personally do without the artificial colors.
Carbonated Iced Tea?
We don’t care for carbonated iced tea, so we didn’t quite enjoy the Country Time tea/lemonade combination, or the Crystal Light peach iced tea.
What About the “Water Enhancers?”
Our preferred method of flavoring our Soda Stream soda has become those little bottles of “water enhancers”, such as Mio. I absolutely love the Kool Aid flavors, and I think it’s a neater-cleaner way of flavoring soda than with the more-substantial Soda Stream syrups.
Those are similarly flavored with sucralose.
Easy to Use Packaging: The SodaStream “Caps”
I actually liked the easy-to-use packaging that these Chatterbox flavors came in. You simply rip the top and pour in the syrup. I know you can buy “variety packs” of syrups this way, but wouldn’t it be nice to buy a package of just, say, Kool Aid grape soda like this?
Rip off the top of the 1L syrup pack and pour it in. It’s that simple!
I was thinking about that right about the time I learned of the SodaStream “Caps”. They were launched last fall. These are pre-packaged syrup capsules designed to sit on top of a 1L soda bottle (with carbonated water ready to flavor). Depress the capsule on top of the bottle and the syrup easily flavors your soda.
Scarlett Johannsen demonstrated it during the controversial Super Bowl Commercial (0:08 into the video):
Unfortunately, these “Caps” are expensive! 8L worth of soda for $16-20? Really?
One of the benefits the SodaStream company pitches about their product is its “value“. $2+ per liter, to me, isn’t a “value”. I could get that at my local 7-11 convenience store.
At least with the variety packs, you’re paying less than $1 per liter. More of a value, IMHO.
This reminds me of how expensive having a Keurig coffee maker can be. You’re certainly paying for the convenience. Like the Keurig, I’m not sure you’re saving any money (or garbage, for that matter) if you choose to use the “Caps”.
Conclusions
The flavors in the Chatterbox were tasty, and we appreciated receiving two new 1L bottles, since the bottles are said to have a 3 year lifetime. I personally am not a fan of the sucralose aftertaste, but my family didn’t mind it at all.
While the SodaStream is truly an outstanding value if you buy the large bottles of syrup, or bottles of “water enhancer” from your local grocery store, the release of the SodaStream “Caps” seems almost ridiculous to me. Convenient, yes…a value, not at all.
A complimentary “Chatterbox” and two 1L bottles were provided for purposes of this review.
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