Sodastream Source Machine - now you can make your own sparkling water & sodas!

After the PR launch event last week (read recap here), we were each given our very own Sodastream machines to try out at home! We got the Source Starter Kit, which came with:

1x White Source Machine

1x CO2 Cylinder
1x 1L Bottle

9x Sample Soda Flavours 

Decided to try the first flavour in the soda mix sample flavours, which was cherry cola.

1. The first thing you need to do is open up the back cover of the machine and insert the CO2 cylinder into its slot. It will click and hold in place. 

2. Fill up the soda bottle with tap water (the drinks will taste much better if you are using chilled water). Only fill up the bottle to the line at the top and tip it diagonally to fit it into the holder. Like the CO2 cylinder, it will also click and hold into place.

3. Now that the technical steps are over, you can really begin to see what the machine is all about! With the soda bottle in place, press down on the top compartment until the liquid begins to fizz and LED lights start to light up. You can choose how much fizz you want ranging from low to high. Since I'm using the cherry cola flavouring, I thought high fizz would be the most appropriate.

Note: If you only want to use the machine to make your own sparkling water, you can finish with step 3.  Otherwise, keep reading to find out how to turn that sparking water into your own flavoured carbonated beverage!

4. Open the flavouring and pour it into the bottle. The liquid will dissolve immediately so you don't even have to shake the bottle to get it to mix! The soda bottle is 1L so you will need to use the entire flavouring pack.

You've officially just made your own cherry cola from tap water!

Product Pros:

• Very easy to use and maintain (not much cleaning required, ALWAYS a bonus)
• Extremely versatile, you can choose to make sparkling water or flavoured drinks
• Environmentally friendly, no more bottles to throw out!
• Great for entertaining

Product Cons:

• Need to refill the CO2 cylinder because it will eventually run out. (Still environmentally friendly though because you can use the same bottle)

Overall, the Soda Stream carbonated drink system is a great investment if your family likes to drink carbonated drinks. Don't be overwhelmed by the look of the machine, it's actually very simple to use! as a bonus, Kraft just launched new flavours so that means more variety to try!