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I'm gonna load my own.

Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2019 10:39 pm
by Mags
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Bet that got your attention.

Got tired of the build up of carbonated beverage cans and bottles and paying the deposits that I never redeem. Used to give them away to charitable orgs, but they don't want them anymore. Can't blame them. The redemption kiosks are a sticky, messy health hazard and haunted by yellow jacket bees.

So I'm going this route, Soda Stream Fizzi. The automatic one. https://www.amazon.com/SodaStream-Touch ... B07GBJ9NYR
I'll never use the 1 liter bottle, so ordered a bunch of 1/2 liter bottles too. I once had a pump version but hated the pumping, so rarely used it. Eventually gave it away.

Re: I'm gonna load my own.

Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 10:30 am
by markiver54
Good idea Mags. Can you buy/add flavor?

Re: I'm gonna load my own.

Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 11:12 am
by Mags
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Yes. There is bundle that can be bought that includes flavored syrup samplers. And they can be bought separately. But I like my bubbles clear and clean.
markiver54 wrote:
Tue Aug 13, 2019 10:30 am
Good idea Mags. Can you buy/add flavor?

Re: I'm gonna load my own.

Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 11:28 am
by Mistered
Please post a followup of your results with this.
I have been thinking of one my self maybe to make carbonated lemonade or iced tea as I do not drink any typical sodas.

Re: I'm gonna load my own.

Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 11:49 am
by BigAl52
I got one as a gift a few years ago. It was ok and I didn't care much for the syrup line up they had. Some are ok and some aren't very good. The biggest part of it that I didn't like was getting more CO2 was kind of a pain. Either order it or get it from local retailer. Wife found out that Bed Bath and Beyond had an exchange program with them I think. You might very well like it. Not trying to totally dish the product just got lazy on my end and don't use it anymore.

Re: I'm gonna load my own.

Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 11:57 am
by Mistered
The biggest part of it that I didn't like was getting more CO2 was kind of a pain.
I considered this part as well as I am thinking one is stuck with some sort of 'proprietary' refill from Soda Stream.
I have been looking into it and it appears there is a modification one can accomplish to adapt a standard bulk CO2 cylinder to it which would lower cost dramatically and make it much more efficient.

Re: I'm gonna load my own.

Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 12:00 pm
by markiver54
Mistered wrote:
Tue Aug 13, 2019 11:57 am
The biggest part of it that I didn't like was getting more CO2 was kind of a pain.
I considered this part as well as I am thinking one is stuck with some sort of 'proprietary' refill from Soda Stream.
I have been looking into it and it appears there is a modification one can accomplish to adapt a standard bulk CO2 cylinder to it which would lower cost dramatically and make it much more efficient.
Sounds like a good Idea Ed because I can understand what Al is saying also.

Re: I'm gonna load my own.

Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 1:37 pm
by fortyshooter
Maybe Helium if you want a light type drink! :lol:

Re: I'm gonna load my own.

Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 10:41 pm
by Mags
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... and to talk funny too when ya belch. :P
fortyshooter wrote:
Tue Aug 13, 2019 1:37 pm
Maybe Helium if you want a light type drink! :lol:

Re: I'm gonna load my own.

Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 10:44 pm
by Mags
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There is an adapter. It can also be used to adapt to CO2 bottles for paint ball and pellet guns.
Mistered wrote:
Tue Aug 13, 2019 11:57 am
The biggest part of it that I didn't like was getting more CO2 was kind of a pain.
I considered this part as well as I am thinking one is stuck with some sort of 'proprietary' refill from Soda Stream.
I have been looking into it and it appears there is a modification one can accomplish to adapt a standard bulk CO2 cylinder to it which would lower cost dramatically and make it much more efficient.

Re: I'm gonna load my own.

Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 11:10 pm
by Mags
.
I side stepped telling Mark about how awful the syrups are. I didn't like any that came with the older machine I had. The older one came with 1 liter water bottles and left overs could go flat. It was a manual pump. 15-20 buttons presses to get the CO2 in the water at the desired fizzy level. After a while I too quit using it. Never made it all the way through the first CO2 cylinder. Eventually gave it away. Now that they came out with a machine that fills automatically (3 settings) and 0.5 liter bottles (sold separately), might work out this time. Several places have a bottle exchange now. Bed, Bath and Beyond, Kitchen Kaboodle, Williams Sonoma, Target and Walmart to name a few.

Taste. Personally I do not like carbonated chlorinated city water. Good tasting well or spring water chilled before gassing I think is best.
BigAl52 wrote:
Tue Aug 13, 2019 11:49 am
I got one as a gift a few years ago. It was ok and I didn't care much for the syrup line up they had. Some are ok and some aren't very good. The biggest part of it that I didn't like was getting more CO2 was kind of a pain. Either order it or get it from local retailer. Wife found out that Bed Bath and Beyond had an exchange program with them I think. You might very well like it. Not trying to totally dish the product just got lazy on my end and don't use it anymore.

Re: I'm gonna load my own.

Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 11:16 pm
by BigAl52
Good luck with it this time hope it works out I do like fizzy stuff to but I quit buying all the water with fizz and flavors in it. Its just an expense that was out of control.

Re: I'm gonna load my own.

Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 11:22 pm
by Mags
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I quit typical sodas a long time ago. Well except for A&W Root Beer, and even then I heavily dilute it with carbonated water. Just a hint of root beer flavor left. I made Italian Soda (carbonated lemonade) with the old machine that was really good. Never tried it with iced tea.

The new machine should be here tomorrow.
Mistered wrote:
Tue Aug 13, 2019 11:28 am
Please post a followup of your results with this.
I have been thinking of one my self maybe to make carbonated lemonade or iced tea as I do not drink any typical sodas.

Re: I'm gonna load my own.

Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 11:30 pm
by Mags
.
I've been buying unflavored LaCroix in the 12 oz cans + Oregon 10cent per can deposit. I really like it, but the cans piling up has gotten out of hand. If not for the deposit I'd just dispose of the cans in recycling. I may have to cave and visit one of the gross redemption kiosks to get rid of them and get a few buck back.
BigAl52 wrote:
Tue Aug 13, 2019 11:16 pm
Good luck with it this time hope it works out I do like fizzy stuff to but I quit buying all the water with fizz and flavors in it. Its just an expense that was out of control.

Re: I'm gonna load my own.

Posted: Thu Aug 15, 2019 11:54 am
by Mags
.
The SodaStream arrived late yesterday afternoon. First impression out of the box, a bit taller than I was unconsciously expecting, 17 inches.

Put it together and loaded up the 0.5L water bottles. As easy as advertised. Going to have figure out which of the 3 settings though to use with the 0.5L water bottles. The defaults are for 1.0L water bottles. I used the max button and the carbonation was pretty strong. On the next water bottle fill I'll use the middle setting and see how that goes. No lemonade or iced tea on hand at the moment. So trying that is down the road. Anyway for me this is a keeper this time around.

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Re: I'm gonna load my own.

Posted: Thu Aug 15, 2019 11:59 am
by markiver54
Will be interested to hear how you like it after further use!

Re: I'm gonna load my own.

Posted: Thu Aug 15, 2019 6:38 pm
by Mags
I filled the 0.5L bottles using the #1 and #2 settings. We'' see what the fizz taste level is like in a little while.

Re: I'm gonna load my own. Reload Testing.

Posted: Thu Aug 15, 2019 9:42 pm
by Mags
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As mentioned previously, the #3 reload setting resulted in aggressive carbonation in the 0.5L water bottle. Reloaded again using the #1 and #2 setting and retasted. Setting #1 seems most appropriate for the 0.5L water bottle.

Re: I'm gonna load my own. Reload Testing.

Posted: Thu Aug 15, 2019 9:47 pm
by markiver54
Mags wrote:
Thu Aug 15, 2019 9:42 pm
.
As mentioned previously, the #3 reload setting resulted in aggressive carbonation in the 0.5L water bottle. Reloaded again using the #1 and #2 setting and retasted. Setting #1 seems most appropriate for the 0.5L water bottle.
Careful while testing Mags! Please...no internal combustion... :lol:

Re: I'm gonna load my own. Reload Testing.

Posted: Thu Aug 15, 2019 9:58 pm
by Mags
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Just CO2 belching, so combustion unlikely. Now if helium was an option, I could talk like Donald Duck.
markiver54 wrote:
Thu Aug 15, 2019 9:47 pm
Mags wrote:
Thu Aug 15, 2019 9:42 pm
.
As mentioned previously, the #3 reload setting resulted in aggressive carbonation in the 0.5L water bottle. Reloaded again using the #1 and #2 setting and retasted. Setting #1 seems most appropriate for the 0.5L water bottle.
Careful while testing Mags! Please...no internal combustion... :lol: