Are Home Soda Makers Worth It? Benefits Beyond Price
A soda machine is a significant investment. Soda makers indeed help save the environment by reducing plastic bottle production and disposal, but does it offer more beyond the environmental aspect?
Soda makers are worthwhile in more ways than one. If you want to learn the advantages of owning one, be sure to read this article until the end.
Cost of Making Soda Using Soda Makers
Much with any home appliance, one of the factors to consider before getting yourself a soda machine is the price. Soda makers can range from $80 - $300 and above. But the bigger question is whether carbonated beverages from a soda maker is cheaper than the ones from the store. Let’s break it down.
For this example, we’ll use the most basic and perhaps the most affordable model - the SodaStream Fizzi, which costs an average of $89.99. This set includes a 1L carbonating bottle and one CO2 cylinder that can make up to 60 liters of carbonated drink.
Assuming you drink 1 cup or 16 ounces of soda every day. This is about 1/2 of a liter, so one bottle would take about two days to finish. When it comes to flavors, a bottle of soda syrup concentrate costs about $4.99, making 12 liters of soda or 24 servings of 16-ounce cups. It takes about five bottles of syrup to fully consume one CO2 cylinder.
Since one syrup bottle is already added to the initial cost, we only need to add four more, which totals $19.96 ($4.99 each x 4 more bottles). This brings the total price of consuming the CO2 cylinder entirely to approximately $114.94. Putting it all together, 1 cup or 16 ounces of soda would cost $0.95 using the soda maker.
Now, let’s compare this data to store-bought sodas. A 1L bottle costs about $1.25. Continuing with the 16-ounce cup example, it would only cost about $0.62 per cup. Some stores even offer a lower price for 2-liter soda bottles at $2.27, which would only be $0.57 per cup—a significant difference to the carbonated beverage from SodaStream.
Cost of Making Sparkling Water Using Soda Makers
If you just intend to make sparkling water, we can eliminate the syrup cost from the initial SodaStream Fizzi price of $89.99. If you divide 120 servings, a 16-ounce cup would just be $0.75. Usually, sparkling water is sold in a bundle of 12 that costs about $16.65 or $1.38 per bottle ($0.69 per 16 ounces).
Plus, after using up all your consumables, you would need to purchase a CO2 cylinder and flavorings again to use your soda maker. There are also maintenance costs you would have to incur in the future.
The point is, buying individual sodas and sparkling water from the store is still cheaper than making them using a soda maker. However, there are other reasons why this nifty appliance is worth buying. After all, they were designed to fight off the shortcomings of store-bought carbonated beverages.
Health Benefits of Having a Soda Maker
1. Reduces calorie and sugar intake
SodaStream offers various flavor essences and syrup concentrates, which have relatively lower sugar and calorie content than the typical cola. 8-ounce of cola made using SodaStream only contains 8 grams of sugar.
In contrast, store-bought Cola has 27 grams of sugar per 8 ounces. By extension, one serving of SodaStream cola only has 35 calories, whereas store-bought ones have about 100 calories.
2. Helps you lose weight
After meals, drinking sparkling water gives more feeling of fullness than plain water. This is because sparkling water keeps the food in the stomach longer, so you don't feel hungry as much.
3. Aids indigestion
Research suggests that sparkling water improves your swallowing ability. It stimulates the nerves responsible for swallowing, especially when the water is cold and has strong carbonation.
A separate study stated that people choose sparkling water as the first option to relieve their throats. It also has significant effects on alleviating constipation and reducing indigestion symptoms such as stomach pain.
4. Keeps you hydrated
Switching from plain water to sparkling water is an excellent alternative for keeping hydrated. It is also more fun, satisfying and makes you feel more refreshed. Sparkling water doesn’t contain any calories or sugar and has the same hydration effects as spring or purified water.
Keeping hydrated allows you to be physically and mentally active to get through the day. It also reduces oxidative stress when working out and protects you from getting headaches. But if consuming too much sparkling water makes you bloated, you can drink flat water from time to time.
5. Potential benefits for heart health
Initial studies suggest that sparkling water is beneficial for heart health. Researchers measured the effect of sparkling water on cholesterol levels, and it reduced LDL (bad) cholesterol, blood sugar levels, inflammatory markers, and increased HDL (good) cholesterol. Much is yet to be discovered with this claim, but it already shows promising results.
6. Absence of phosphorus and chemicals
People often think that carbonated beverages erode tooth enamel and deprive calcium of bones. It is true for soft drinks that have chemicals, sugars, and phosphoric acid.
Sparkling water only has carbonation, which doesn’t contribute to any of these things. Previous studies link lower bone density and degrading tooth enamel with soft drinks, not with carbonation alone.
The Best Uses of Soda Makers
1. Allows customization
SodaStream offers various flavors that allow you to create various carbonated beverages and flavored sparkling water. Be sure to try out the lesser-known flavors so you can have a new experience every time.
There are also low-calorie flavorings, so you won’t have to worry about your health as you indulge. If you prefer a healthier option, feel free to add fresh fruit juice like lemon and lime to your seltzer water. You can also make delicious fizzy cocktails out of them. The possibilities are endless!
2. Provides convenience
When you run out of soda, taking a trip to the store to satisfy your craving seems like a lot of work. But if you have a soda maker at home, you wouldn’t have to exert as much effort since you can easily make a batch of sparkling water.
3. Helps the environment
The very goal of SodaStream and other soda makers is to reduce single-use plastic bottles. Given that one carbonating bottle can be reused for up to three years, it could save thousands of disposable bottles every year. This is one of the main reasons why they are worth it!
4. It can be cheap
SodaStream CO2 canisters can be exchanged at retail stores for a lower price, which is one way to save money. But if you want to save a significant amount and at the same time don’t run out of supply, you can use a CO2 tank with an adaptor instead.
It is quite a challenging process to set up the tank into the soda maker, but it’s necessary for a long-lasting operation.
5. Assists in cleaning
Aside from quenching your thirst, sparkling water can also be a cleaning agent. It’s a bit unconventional, but it is an incredible hack. The fizzy action will lift stubborn stains on any surface, so it becomes easier to remove.
Highly Recommended Soda Maker Brands
At this point, perhaps you have already made up your mind about investing in a soda maker. You can choose the SodaStream Fizzi as a starter kit. It is one of the simplest appliances to use and the most affordable. And you only need to push the button on top of the machine to have instant sparkling water.
SodaStream has over ten models available. They even have automated ones that allow you to set your desired carbonation level with LED indicators, such as the One Touch or SodaStream Source. Other models like Aqua Fizz use glass bottles to help the environment even more.
There are also other promising brands on the market, such as Aarke. It is relatively new compared to SodaStream, so they don’t have many options for now. However, the brand's design is unmatched, which is enough to draw some people's attention. Aarke carbonator is no doubt an excellent addition to any home bar.
Conclusion
“Worth it” means more than just the price tag. It is about the experience and the overall health and environmental impact—This is what soda makers are about.
If you are a fan of soda or any carbonated beverage, then chances are, you would be more interested in buying a soda maker than most people. But if the thought of owning one crossed your mind, know that you will also be helping the environment.
Do you want to invest in a soda maker? Which brand would you likely go for and why? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
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Comments
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u might not have to buy soda water plastic bottles, but u still have to buy regular water plastic bottles to fill the tank
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Easy and less expensive is a CO2 bottle. Regulator 40.00, carbonator and ball fitting with hose 20.00. 20 lbs CO2 bottle, found on Craigs list 40.00, 35.23 to exchange for a full food grade bottle at welding supply. This May last for 3-4 years with the refill.
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