SodaStream E-TERRA Sparkling Water Maker Bundle (Black), with CO2, Carbonating Bottles, and bubly Drops Flavors

Got this as a Christmas gift for one of my boys who was buying flavored sparkling water like it was free! Just finally got the feedback that he absolutely loves it. He said it was super easy to install the CO2 and use with the included bottle. He loves that there are extra bottles and an extra CO2 so he can have a good supply of waters. He likes the cherry and lime flavors but said putting them together is the best! He really likes the 3 levels of carbonation so you can choose depending on what you’re going for and says that on all of the levels the carbonation lasts a long time when stored in the bottles! I definitely made the right choice getting this for him! He’s anxious to try the different flavors…so many though, what to code next!!

My son and I both love sparkling water and we always have a half dozen 12-packs of Bubly or other brand laying around in the garage. I dislike all the waste we're generating so ever since he suggested getting a SodaStream, I've been keeping my eye out for a good price. Amazon emailed me a great deal just before Christmas and I jumped on it and bought one for my son. It came with (2) CO2 cartridges, (3) bottles (perfect for our family) and (2) packs of Bubly flavoring. My son had it opened and set up on Christmas Day before I was done opening presents! We immediately rinsed out the bottles, which are very solid, and tried our first batch. We filled our bottles with cold tap water to the max fill line. He chose the lowest setting of carbonation while I tried the highest. There is a noticeable difference between the two with his being more like Perrier and mine like a full on bubble fest. Both only take about 10 seconds, and I found the medium setting to be just about right. The carbonated water is just like we get from the store and with the flavoring, is spot on. It's only been a couple of days, but I love this thing!! The machine is very tall and just barely fits under my cabinets but I plan to relocate to a spot with no overhead cabinets. I can't speak to any of the other models that are out there, but I can tell you that SodaStream has it figured out. It's a bit pricey, but my son and I did some quick calculations and figured it will pay for itself fairly quickly. Plus it's less waste in the landfill. 5 stars!!

There are a lot good things I can say about this. The best thing is that I can’t stop using it. The ease and functionality to get carbonation and to replace the bottle is very easy.

We first came across the SodaStream soda makes in Europe and bought one over 9 months ago. It's an excellent product, and we've not had a single issue with it in over 9 months of pretty much daily use. As the level of carbonation is adjustable you get the amount of bubbles you want. The whole carbonation process is quick and easy with pretty much no mess. Just don't fill the bottles above the recommended fill line. . . . Also, you won't be generating a lot of plastic bottles that are just going to end up in the environment creating more microplastic waste. I suppose the only downside is that we're no longer spending a lot of money to buy Pellegrino sparkling water. Sorry Amazon.

I'm not sure what the hype is for about this product or that there ever even was hype. I remember it being advertised like it was so cool and seeing it in stores. It's not a bad product. But I have some major criticisms. A. The power cord design is bad. Throw it in the bin. I understand they were trying to be clever and minimalistic by having the AC plug nested in the bottom of the device with "clips" that guide the cord along the bottom and out the back, but, they should have just put the power port on the back or somewhere else you can't see. It comes loose way too easily which shouldn't even be possible. B. This specific package gives you 3 bottles instead of the standard 1. There's no point. The bottles do not seal the carbonation in. I filled up two of them, sealed them and put them in the fridge. In less than 2 days all the carbonation was gone. So, the point must be to fill them up, get the water cold, then carbonate it, then use it immediately. I can get cold water without keeping it in the fridge. C. Sometimes even if you fill the water below the fill line, when you carbonate it will spew water everywhere if you don't screw the bottle in exactly the right amount. Therein lies the problem because the nozzle isn't actually designed to screw in very well. Not a dealbreaker though. At this price point (~$120) it's still valuable as a carbonator. I'm not sure what differentiates it from the cheaper, non-electronic version though. Truth be told, I also have a Ninja Thirsti and I feel like the carbonation is better but it it's also definitely more of a hassle than this product.