Soda Making - Green Holiday Idea
Soda Club Machine Makes Sodas, Seltzers and Fruit Waters
Dec 6, 2007
Here’s an Earth-friendly gift idea – perfect for camping enthusiasts, college kids, health conscious seniors or moms who want to control their kids’ sugar intake. Soda Club home soda machine, or the Fountain Jet, creates carbonated beverages at home in a flash.
Americans are practically addicted to fizzy beverages. Beverages loaded with salt and sugar – and high fructose corn syrup – the demon of current nutritional theory. Soda Club, a well-made appliance that’s portable with a small enough footprint so you can put it anywhere, is easy to use. It allows you to eliminate aluminum and plastic empties, too.
Out of the Box
You get the appliance, a CO2 canister (full) and, depending on the package you select, there may be an assortment of flavorings, or you can buy them separately. The flavors encompass everything you’re used to and then some. Root beer, cola, lemon lime, of course, in sugared and diet versions. There are also My Water flavor essences – light fruit flavor, no sweeteners, no sugar.
Compared to Others
Made according to directions, Soda Club flavors have about a third the sugar of name brands and only 2 mg salt, compared to 25 in other names. Caffeine is about 1/3 as well. You can opt to reduce the amount of syrup you add to each bottle made, thereby reducing those numbers further. You can read a chart of these comparisons at Soda Club's Web site.
Costs
The machines, several models, including one whimsically shaped like a penguin, start at about $100. C02 canisters are less than $20. The syrups are $3.99 or about 33 cents per serving. Everything is available through the company.
Bottom Line Evaluation
Many similar soda makers have drawbacks – too big, too flimsy, too expensive, too complicated. This one is really a value. It’s well made. The base is about the size of a paperback novel. Soda Club works quickly and easily with few ways for it to malfunction, if you follow the simple instructions. Taste-wise, it’s all personal preference. It's great to be sure you know what’s in your food or drink. With this machine and filtered water – you’re doing yourself a favor. Die-hard fans of a particular beverage brand may balk and call this “generic” but in all honesty, they’ll have to agree the taste is pretty good. You’re choosing a “green-friendly” product here -- no more empties. Less packaging. A very easy-to-use, 21st Century product. While many gimicky do-it-yourself products yield huge disappointments and a measure of aggravation, ending up stuffed in a closet forever, this is the exception.
If You Decide to Buy One
Soda Club products can be purchased directly form the company's web site, sometimes with a money off coupon deal, often with free shipping. They are also widely featured at home product and home improvement shows across the country. Many cooking, gadget and shopping sites online, like Amazon.com have them as well. Shopping around can turn up decent discounts.
