SodaStream Shhh I'm Busy with the Fizzy.

Hands up, all of you out there, who back in the early 1980's had a SodaStream or wanted one.

I in the latter was the sad child who did not.

We live in the city of the SodaStream too, so it should have been on our kitchen side too. 

I used to go round to friends of the family and gaze longingly at their SodaStream, the height of cool sophistication. Thinking just being able to have fizzy pop at the touch of a button, actually to make it yourself, wow how great. I was always in awe I used to ask my mum for one often, but it was never to be.

I did get one a few years later at a car boot, it was a great purchase, my friends children had that same look of awe and being little, squealing with excitement at the loud noise as it finished fizzing the water. I was complete. I used it until it sadly broke.

Now a trip down memory lane, who remembers this ad

The SodaStream is definitely more cool than those jumpers and trousers, good rap though!
If you want more laughs take a look at youtube for more ads the one from 1980 has a Myleene Klass lookalike. I warn you though you will be singing Get Busy with the Fizzy all day! Check out the crazy people trying concoctions with a SodaStream, definitely "Don't try these at home!" for a few.

OK so now you know how hard done by I was as a child, you can share in my delight as sitting in all its sleek new glory, I have on my kitchen worktop the new SodaStream Pure!!! Taadah!

I was like a kid at Christmas when it arrived, I do usually let Chris the gadget fiend loose on new appliances, but this was my baby.

Firstly its appearance, SodaStream has had a massive makeover, its arrived into the 21st century looking lean and lovely. Its stylish, sleek, in a pewter grey. Very slimline and fits nicely on my worktop.

 I put it together with absolute ease, picture only instructions are included.

When you buy your SodaStream drinks maker, a full CO2 gas cylinder is included in your starter pack. With this drinks maker pack, you receive a one-off ‘user licence’ which entitles you to use the gas cylinder throughout the life of your drinks maker. When the gas in the cylinder is used up, you exchange the empty cylinder for a full one, paying only the cost of the gas refill.

For the Pure machine the exchanged  bottle costs £18.99 but you are refunded £10 as you will already have a licence once the empty is returned, for other machines the bottles are smaller and cost £12.99 £8 refunded for exchange. To find out where you can exchange your bottle just use the Store Locator, I have John Lewis and Lakeland near to me.

After it was assembled, the realisation came, that one nobody was in the house and I wanted to see everybodys excitement with mine .

Plus you need to chill some water. Two 1 lire bottles are included, they are again stylish, one has a plastic bottom, one with a metal bottom. No idea as to why one is different, anybody know?

You just fill them to the line with tap or (I used) filter water

then chill.

OK the Grand Fizzing Ceremony, yes it really was like that, we all gathered round and I was a little nervous, the old SodaStream always made me jump, I liked it mind you.

The lever has to be pulled in short sharp goes until the you hear the noise and satisfyingly it made me jump along with Paige and Conor too.

Chris is more adult and laid back, he slept through the mild earth tremor we had a few years back. Though not so adult that he did not say "Yay it trumped!"

Next came the flavour adding, we were sent a lemon and lime and orange.

You just use the lid as a measure and add, then turn back and forth gently to mix with your carbonated water.

There are many flavours to choose from, some nice sounding ones like SodaStream Clear Cranberry Raspberry, SodaStream Clear Mango Apple and the usual Coke, Apple and Ginger Ale. Priced at £3.99 on the SodaStream website, we bought a coke flavour for £3 at Asda.

The great thing that has not changed is you are going to save a fortune on buying pop from the supermarket, at £3 for a flavour, that makes it 25p a litre. 40p when you cost in the canister, still way cheaper than branded pop.

Don't forget you do not have to lug bottles back every week either. 

The orange was lovely crisp, orangey, fizzy and sweet. We all liked it.

The lemon and lime is clear, zesty and refreshing. Paige and Conor gave the thumbs up and emptied a 1 litre bottle of the coke flavour in record time.

There is a Variety Sample pack on the website with 12 including 6 diet flavours. great if you want to try out new tastes without buying the whole bottle and not liking it.
 We also noticed in Asda we, could buy new bottles, handy for large families.

I cant wait to try more of the flavours and happy that I have my wish list gadget finally albeit the new and much in my opinion good looking version.

Check out the Mocktails here too
http://given-to-distracting-others.blogspot.com/2010/10/sodastream-halloween-mocktails.html

The company is also right here in 2010, considering it all started in 1903 when Guy Gilby (of the famous London Gin dynasty) invented the first SodaStream machine. This large machine was used by butlers in the country houses of British aristocrats.

They also are an "Active Green" product
meaning that consumers are actively reducing their CO2 footprint every time they make carbonated drinks or sparkling water at home instead of buying it from the supermarket. The more the system is used on a daily basis, the more CO2 footprint the user actively saves. (This differs from "Passive Green" products, which use green-friendly production processes, but their products are not inherently helping the consumers save on their daily footprint.)
 

Because SodaStream uses water straight from the tap, the system makes traditional store-bought beverage bottles obsolete. That means less plastic manufactured, less plastic waste is created, and fewer bottled beverages must be transported from manufacturers to distributors to stores to homes.

I follow them on Twitter http://twitter.com/sodastreamuk and

Facebook www.facebook.com/Sodastreamuk?ref=mf they have a  fab FizzyFriday comp to win one each week too.

You can buy the machines, canisters and flavours direct from SodaStream
also Argos and Comet for the machine, supermarkets for the flavours and accessories. We have found them in Asda, Sainsbury and Tesco so far.