How to make Sparkling Water at Home

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How to make sparkling water from home and save on your grocery budget. Does it taste the same and how do you buy more?

Sparkling water is something we stumbled upon. We had ditched soda a few years back but the craving for something carbonated was strong! With all the information about sugary drinks, we left the bubbly beverage to occasional days out.

After a family visit in 2019, our parents left behind one bottle of carbonated water as they were heading to the airport. That’s when our full on obsession began. That’s when the grocery budget took a hit.

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We were completely hooked on bottled sparkling water! The sports drinks disappeared from the house along with probably the most dramatic, the energy drinks.

SPARKLING WATER AT HOME

The energy drinks were gone, and my husband was happy about it! But we were drinking 4-5 bottles (16oz) of sparkling water (between the two of us) a day! We could have easily gone for more, but buying 5 packages of sparkling water per grocery trip is ridiculous.

We justified it with we don’t drink sports drinks, we cut energy drinks, but no matter how you looked at it, it was getting expensive.

Where to buy:

SodaStream on Amazon
Directly from the SodaStream website
Walmart + other locations

SODA MACHINE VS CARBONATED WATER AT STORE

We had a ton of questions and hesitation before making our purchase.

How long will it take before we break even?
Will it taste as good?
What if we don’t like it?
Is it easy?
How long does it last?
How do you get more/mail it?
Is it safe?

The amount of one time use bottles we were going through, were far too many. Even though we had a ton of questions and were still a bit hesitant, we decided to buy a Sodastream and try it out for ourselves.

I’VE TRIED OTHER CARBONATED WATERS AND DIDN’T LIKE THEM

Not all carbonated beverages are the same and you may have tried something similar but weren’t a fan. The ones we really loved from the store were Perrier and Pellegrino. With Perrier having a slight leg up on flavor and Pellegrino having a better price.

Club Soda- Carbonated with added minerals and salts.
Seltzer- Carbonated with no added minerals- many add citrus flavors
Tonic water- Carbonated with added sugar and quinine (gives it a bitter taste) Great for mixing
Sparkling Mineral water- Naturally carbonated from a spring or well with natural minerals. Different brands have slightly different tastes.

I would compare the taste of making it from your own home to sparkling mineral water or seltzer.

HOW LONG DID IT TAKE BEFORE YOU STARTED SAVING MONEY

Now we are using this Sodastream for sparkling water only. We are not making soda. Regular soda at the store is fairly cheap, sparkling water on the other hand is kind of pricy.

Before getting a Sodastream we were buying sparkling water a few different ways. Either the one Liter bottles for a little over $1 each, 16oz-6 packs or 10-can case at 8oz each. Our prices and choices depended on what brand and size was on sale that week.

Cart full of sparkling water from a good sale

Doing this the easiest, let’s pretend I can get 1 liter for 1$. We each drink one a day. So for two weeks that’s 28 bottles between the two of us. For one month we are looking at $56, AT BEST!

Now that we have a Sodastream we each drink 2 liters a day. That’s 56 liters in two weeks! For the entire month it costs us roughly $40, AND we doubled our water intake!

It took us about two months to break even on buying a Sodastream vs buying at the store.

I say two roughly two months because the real savings comes from buying carbonation refills. The first cylinder you buy is full price. But for us the first three cylinders were full price because we send back two at a time while continuing to make sparkling water with the third carbonation cylinder.

This means we buy 2 refills at a time, roughly spending $40 a month on sparkling water made at home.

HOW LONG DOES 60 L (ONE CYLINDER) LAST

It all depends on how fizzy you like to make your drinks. We like them pretty fizzy (push the button 3-4 times) and we make four 1-liter bottles a day. A refill will last us almost 2 weeks. So we order 2 refills once a month and send the used empty cylinders back.

HOW DO YOU EXCHANGE THEM/SEND THEM BACK?

You can order refills right on Sodastream’s website.

After you get your new cylinders in the mail you use the same box to ship back the used ones. They have the shipping label all printed out for you, so you just need to place it over the old label. USPS now ships them so it’s as easy as dropping it off at the post office.

It’s prepaid, so no need to worry about paying for shipping. It’s already taken can of. You have 30 days to get it back to them. We send them back within the first couple of days and always make sure to get a receipt.

IS IT SAFE TO SEND THOUGH THE MAIL?

Sodastream has proven that it’s safe to mail 60L CO2 cylinders and have been granted a special permit. If you’re interested in knowing more, check out storage, handling and shipping information here.

HOW LONG DOES YOUR WATER STAY CARBONATED?

When you buy your Sodastream it includes special bottles designed to keep the carbonation in. Not only do we drink them right away, we also make them the night before and store them in the fridge. That way they are ready to go as we walk out of the house in the morning.

IS IT EASY TO PUT THE NEW CYLINDERS IN THE SOAD MACHINE?

Yes! It’s as easy as opening the back of the Sodastream and screwing the cylinder into place.

We love making sparkling water at home. It’s convenient, refreshing and as a bonus we have given up less healthy alternatives. We are reusing our water bottles and staying hydrated during these hot summer months.

Our sparkling water habit could not have lasted much longer without having a Sodastream on hand. And just so you all know, this post is not sponsored by them. I just love my sparkling water that much! I hope you guys do too.