When I was a kid, we would sometimes make our own drinks. First there was the big jar we’d fill with water and a dozen bags of tea and let it sit out in the sun all day. Sun tea just tastes that much better. Then was Tang – the drink of astronauts (look it up all you youngsters). Next was Kool-Aid, with the kinda cool, kinda creepy character from the commercials. What I never thought I could end up making was my own soda. Just never crossed my mind. Guest blogger, Naomi has just the thing to do that and more. Give a good welcome to Naomi…

On a recent 91 degree day when I was running errands in New York City I went through Columbus Circle and happened upon a party, New York City-style. Musicians. Loudspeakers. Dancers. Matching T-Shirts. Flyers. And a cause. They were promoting Soda Stream. My family already had one. Here’s our story….

A couple years ago my daughters and I visited with friends and became intrigued by their Soda Steam Seltzer Maker. We are a big seltzer drinking family. It seemed like a potential gift for my husband. Our hosts and their three daughters sensed our curiosity and enthusiasm and quickly rattled off the benefits of the Soda Stream:

  •  Health:  Seltzer is as healthy as water but the bubbles add pizzazz. By now I’m sure we’re all familiar with the health concerns associated with soda and even juice. Much to my chagrin, when we did get our soda stream, it came with a free sampler pack of 12 flavors for making soda. I told my girls we could make the samples but were not going to suddenly start drinking soda regularly. We were all delighted to learn that we could buy non-caloric seltzer flavorings.
  • Financial: Our hosts estimated that it took them 5 months for their initial investment in the Soda Stream to pay off, based on previously purchasing one case of seltzer per week.
  • Schlepping: My husband no longer lugs dozens of bottles when shopping or recycling. He now only trades in the empty carbon dioxide cartridges for full ones (3 cartridges last us about 3 months.)
  • Environmental: With reusable bottles we don’t go through dozens of bottles a month.  And as an additional environmental incentive, there is a significant cost savings for trading in an empty cartridge when purchasing a full one.
  • Storage: It goes without saying that with four reusable bottles we no longer need to find space to store more bottles each month.  This is a real bonus for us urbanites!
  • Education and involvement of children: My children love to make the seltzer.
  • Religious: Religiously observant Jews enjoy the Soda Stream because it can be used on Shabbat (the Jewish Sabbath) and (without the flavorings) be kosher for Passover.

So, how did the gift go? My husband loved it! He couldn’t stop telling people about it. Of course my daughters and I felt great. When he told his father, my father-in-law responded, “We used to have something like that when you were a kid.”

It’s true – the technology is old. What fascinates me is Soda Stream’s recent success both in the United States and globally.  My best answer is that is reflects our times. We live in an era in which organic food, CSA’s, and environmentalism create a culture in which one just might find a band singing about seltzer.

(There are a few different brands of home soda makers; Soda Stream is the only one we have experience with, but the benefits above are likely to be applicable to other brands.)

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