Soda Stream fizzy drinks maker - Half price at Argos

StumpyPumpy

This brings back memories. In my youth I used to buy up all the (old style) soda streams I could get my hands on from any boot fairs I went to. I must have bought dozens of the things. I loved them. Why? Well partly because no one else wanted them so they were very cheap (a pound or two at most) and most of them had a reasonable amount of gas still in them, so I could use them until they ran out. But mostly because (unknown to the sellers and most everyone else it appeared) the gas bottles had a deposit on them which could be recovered from the supermarkets selling refills. It would return considerably more than the initial outlay and I was picking up 3 or 4 at each boot fair:cool:

Before anyone tries it today, I've no idea if this would apply to the new style, and the customer services desk did start to get suspicious of me continually bringing empty gas bottles to them when I did it all those years ago, but they always paid up in the end

SP

p.s. Does anyone know if the old pop bottles fit the new style machine? I still have hundreds of them :rotfl:

annie-c

richto wrote: »

There is no cost saving whatsovever to be made. THESE ALWAYS COST FAR MORE THAN JUST BUYING FIZZY DRINKS FROM THE SUPERMARKET!

And it is worse for the environment. Think about all the effort, materials and energy that go into maufacturing and shipping around the SodaStream machines, bottles, and concentrates - compared to that being done much more efficiently in a large factory.

1 It's rude to shout.

2 I said myself that there is no real cost saving to be made. However, for an occasional fizzy drinks consumer like myself, it would often cost more to travel to a shop to buy a bottle of fizzy water when the urge for it arises, or a crate of bottles for a party, since I tend not to bring bottles of pop home on a routine basis.

3 I'm not convinced that the energy of producing one soda stream machine plus one carbonation bottle every 3 years is greater than the cost of producing the many dozens of pop bottles that would otherwise be bought and recycled. Facts and figures, please?

4 It's fun. I am of an age where my family and friends well remember the soda stream of the 70s and 80s, and my own machine makes everyone smile.

5 It is convenient and there is no waste, especially now the 500ml carbonation bottles have been re-introduced.

6 No one has to buy one if they don't want to. It's still a free world. :rotfl:

blue_monkey_2

StumpyPumpy wrote: »

This brings back memories. In my youth I used to buy up all the (old style) soda streams I could get my hands on from any boot fairs I went to. I must have bought dozens of the things. I loved them. Why? Well partly because no one else wanted them so they were very cheap (a pound or two at most) and most of them had a reasonable amount of gas still in them, so I could use them until they ran out. But mostly because (unknown to the sellers and most everyone else it appeared) the gas bottles had a deposit on them which could be recovered from the supermarkets selling refills. It would return considerably more than the initial outlay and I was picking up 3 or 4 at each boot fair:cool:

Before anyone tries it today, I've no idea if this would apply to the new style, and the customer services desk did start to get suspicious of me continually bringing empty gas bottles to them when I did it all those years ago, but they always paid up in the end

SP

p.s. Does anyone know if the old pop bottles fit the new style machine? I still have hundreds of them :rotfl:

:rotfl: No, there is no longer a deposit, you pay £10 now when you buy a new bottle to have the 'licence' to use the gas. Or something random like that. The money you pay after then is for the refill of it.

And no, they have changed the style of bottle now, they have a 5 screw fitting so none of the old bottles fit the new machines.

blue_monkey_2

richto wrote: »

There is no cost saving whatsovever to be made. THESE ALWAYS COST FAR MORE THAN JUST BUYING FIZZY DRINKS FROM THE SUPERMARKET!

And it is worse for the environment. Think about all the effort, materials and energy that go into maufacturing and shipping around the SodaStream machines, bottles, and concentrates - compared to that being done much more efficiently in a large factory.

I have bought one machine and it came with 2 bottles. I have only ever bought (in 5 years) one bottle of concentrate, using the usual squash instead of concentrate. If we did not have it fizzy, we would have it still.

All of the bottles of cheap fizzy water still have to be made pumping god knows what into the air from the factory day in day out, driven around the country to varius supermarkets, chuck the plastic bottle into the bin and then the recycling lorry has to come and get them and drive them to the recycling plant. Every week.

Compared to my one Sodasteam machine and bottle being made 5 years ago and having one refill of gas every 2-3 months.

Plus, the fizzy water stops being fizzy after a day of opening and usually ends up being tipped away which is a waste. We fizz this as we need it and there is very little, or no, waste at all.

Your argument does not stack up at all for me I am afraid, I'd say that using plastic bottles each week would cost you more, especially as you also have to drive to the supermarket to get them while alll I do is turn on my tap!!

mavisangelica

I am thinking about buying one of these. Those of you that uses this to make fizzy water, does it taste ok? Hubby drinks the cheap supermarket 2 litre bottles and I was thinking this would replace lugging big bottles home (also the fact that you can make smaller quantities appeals as a 2 litre bottle goes flat quickly.)

Doc_N

mavisangelica wrote: »

I am thinking about buying one of these. Those of you that uses this to make fizzy water, does it taste ok? Hubby drinks the cheap supermarket 2 litre bottles and I was thinking this would replace lugging big bottles home (also the fact that you can make smaller quantities appeals as a 2 litre bottle goes flat quickly.)

Depends very much on your own water supply. Carbonated water varies only according to the water used to make it, and how much C02 is added to it.

The only difference you'll notice, though, probably is the price - it will cost a lot more to make than the cheap large supermarket bottles.

Snakeeyes21

MrsBartolozzi wrote: »

What a blast from the past!!
I remember making fizzy milk once :whistle:

... well my brother liked it.

I tried that once, parents were not pleased, lost a whole afternoon
of my summer mopping up the mess :rotfl:

rhubarbcottage

Thank you, Looby Tuesday.


I got ours today. There were none left in any of the stores around Newcastle/Northumberland so travelled to Durham to get one.

They still had one left this afternoon if anyone's still trying to find one.


Over the moon to get one half price and will be fizzing homemade rhubarb wine tonight! (why haven't we thought of trying that before?)


Thanks again,

Rhu.

fazeypie

Many thanks looby Tuesday, I got mine today and had it up and running in no time. It's perfect timing for the summer hols, my teenager will quite literally have healthier fizzies on tap!

TeegansNan

If you need extra bottles Lakeland have them at two for £4.99 - the cheapest I've found them - unless anyone can tell me otherwise????

:j