Fizzy drink concentrates (like those used for sodastreams)

irishwench69

Hi everyone

I have a sodastream which gets lots of use with making plain fizzy water or just adding some 'normal' cordial.

However, my partner loves proper fizzy flavourings (especially coke!).....so does anyone know where to get fizzy drink flavourings / concentrates cheaply? It doesn't have to be sodastream brand, I just didn't know any other brand for this type of thing!

Oh and before anyone posts it, I have checked the sodastream site (http://www.sodastream.co.uk/gbretail/Home.asp) and there are no stockists for the concentrates / flavourings near me - I've checked online, supermarkets, lakeland and robert dyas! (I get gas refills at tescos).

(I'll buy the ones onlines at sodastream if necessary, they are just blooming expensive - why I want to see if there are any alternatives anyone knows of! )

FWIW, these are the main sites I've seen so far:

http://www.sodastream.co.uk/gbretail/category.asp?catalog_name=Sodastream&category_name=SYRUPS&Page=1

http://www.charliesdirect.co.uk/category/soda-concentrates

As you can see, neither is exactly a bargain!

Thank you!
IW x

Torkijo

Lakeland now sell sodastream flavours as well

peachespeaches

Are soda streams worth having? Ive never used one. I thought they were a 1970s thing.

Do the concentrates all have aspartame in?

jenniewb

We used to have a soda stream when I was younger, they are quite pricey to keep up and running! (though less to carry back from the supermarket if you travel in public transport). We just used to use normal cordials. Far cheaper and you can get much more variety in the way of flavors, plus you can mis them about a bit. Also try mixing in a little normal fruit juice in with the cordials for an additional twist.

The soda stream cordials are too expensive and not worth it unless your after a favorite type that the supermarkets do not sell themsevels or your after your favorite flavor. Maybe do a google search, see what comes up, they may be cheaper online.

And yes Peachespeaches, they do have aspartame in them.

Torkijo

peachespeaches wrote: »

Are soda streams worth having? Ive never used one. I thought they were a 1970s thing.

Do the concentrates all have aspartame in?

We use them primarily for fizzy water but also use Diet Cola and Cola Zero, both are not as good as Coke or Pepsi but in our view better than the rest on offer.

Cordials cost £2.99 and make 12 litres so its 25pence a litre + cost of the Gas - which works out cheaper than supermarkets, it also is more convenient as you make them as you need them.

The other boon is the environment -less waste - you dont have loads big plastic bottles having to be recycled/binned as the bottles you use are 1 litre and last for years.

You can also now order the Gas cyclinders online from lakeland or Sodastream.co.uk and they both send you a self addressed postage paid label for you to send old ones back so walk is to post office as opposed to the shops.


So in summary:
Cheaper than fizzy water or cola/soft drinks.
More Convenient
A Lot less waste
Higher up front costs.

mikey1948

Dear All,
Sorry, but unless you are buying the more exotic flavours, sodastream concentrates are not good value for money at 25p per litre. My shopping habits usually mean a visit to Adsa, Tesco, Sainsburys and Aldi each week. They ALL currently sell their 2L lemonades and colas for much less (Aldi 2L diet Lemonade is 18p).

Torkijo

mikey1948 wrote: »

Dear All,
Sorry, but unless you are buying the more exotic flavours, sodastream concentrates are not good value for money at 25p per litre. My shopping habits usually mean a visit to Adsa, Tesco, Sainsburys and Aldi each week. They ALL currently sell their 2L lemonades and colas for much less (Aldi 2L diet Lemonade is 18p).

But then with a Sodastream you dont have to have loads of 2l bottles so saving on space and waste. Also, you can make them when you want to as opposed to when you remember to buy them from the shop and also we often use Robinson R as a concentrate or just use the thing for fizzy water.

But bottom line its horses for courses.:)

Eric_Pisch

peachespeaches wrote: »

Do the concentrates all have aspartame in?

you can use what you like, we used to make ribenna fizzy and milk oh and tea

Torkijo

Eric_Pisch wrote: »

you can use what you like, we used to make ribenna fizzy and milk oh and tea

Fizzy Tea i can almost understand, but fizzy Milk? :shocked:

Eric_Pisch

Torkijo wrote: »

Fizzy Tea i can almost understand, but fizzy Milk? :shocked:

a long night, a bottle of JD drunk, a bottle of milk and sodastream and hay presto

and fizzy JD lol

rde42

I have trouble getting supplies conveniently - Lakeland is in an area with poor parking and an expensive Park and Ride - so I buy direct from Sodastream. Or I did.

They are obviously struggling for money! They've just jacked up the threshold for free postage to 60 quid - just enough that even three gas refills won't do it without buying something else.

But the really, really stupid thing....

They have changed the gas cylinder exchange arrangements.

It used to be that you ordered full cylinders, and they sent them by courier. Not ideal, but I had them delivered to the front desk at work as they only deliver during the day. You put your empty cylinders back in the packaging, stuck on a prepaid label, and took them to the Post Office - I usually did that on a Saturday.

Now that's all changed. You are expected to give the gas cylinders to the delivery driver, in the packaging just received. So you have to unpack the parcel, open the box inside, extract the cylinders and the label, put the used cylinders in, find something to reseal the box, stick the label on...and all while the driver is sweetly waiting. I think not. Even if I had 'spare' packaging (which I don't - I always sent it back) I would still have to unpack to get the vital label.

They tell me I can call the courier to come back and collect - but because they managed to deliver to someone, they left no card. Also, it's one thing to have the front desk (or a neighbour) take in a parcel, but it's completely different when they have to store a parcel until the courier collects.

I think they're on a suicide course....!