SodaStream E-Duo Sparkling Water Maker (Black) with CO2 and Carbonating Bottle

I love this machine! I am addicted to bubbles and I finally decided to make them myself instead of spending all of my money on carbonated beverages. I am so glad I did! This little machine is so easy to use and so basic. It does not need to be plugged in and you don't need any display, just press the button for the amount of times that you want your beverage to be carbonated and poof! You're done. As other reviewers have stated, there is no need for the fancy stuff; go basic and that's all you need. I also really like the glass carafes. They are very sturdy and thick and will hold up well over time, I believe better than the plastic. They are definitely much better for the environment, so a better carbon footprint. Overall, the whole process is super quick and easy, and although I have not exchanged my canisters yet, I looked it up on the sodastream website and it looks like that will be super easy and good for the environment as well. It will save me quite a bit of money and help the environment by using far less single-use plastic. I really like being able to control the amount of carbonation I use, and the variety of different drink mixes I can make are great as well. If you drink carbonated beverages frequently, get this! You will not be disappointed.

I bought this "sparkling water machine" to cut down on the plastic in my life. Previously, I'd been drinking Costco brand Italian sparkling water at the rate of about a case a month. I'll recoup the cost of the SodaStream in less than a year, if I can get over the taste issues.The SodaStream is simple and fun to use. I read a lot of reviews on here before I bought, and many suggested that the carbonation would be weak. I haven't found that to be the case at all. Normally one, maybe two, button presses is all I need to get very fizzy water.I love the idea of using glass bottles. Beverages always taste better that way, and glass has the potential to last much longer than any plastic version. These have a pretty small neck, and though I would love to fill them directly from the cold, filtered water from my fridge dispenser, it's impossible to do so without making a pretty big mess. A funnel helps, but I still get some spillage.I am fine with the taste of our local municipal water, and it's even better after being filtered. Something happens in the carbonation process, though, that adds a sharp, metallic flavor. Testing both filtered and unfiltered versions of our water, the tests straight from the tap are actually better once carbonated, which is weird. The flavor isn't so off-putting that I won't drink the water, but given the choice between what's left of my bottled supply and the bottles produced by the SodaStream, I've been picking up the commercial stuff more often than not.I am hoping that the flavor will improve as the machine gets broken in. (Perhaps the flavor is like that new-car-smell and will dissipate with time?) I've also ordered some flavoring drops, though I hate to make getting a drink of water into a chore (or a chemistry experiment.)

We absolutely love this. I don't know why we waited so long to buy one. I got sick of returning cans and finally got this. I love the glass bottles! You can make it your desired carbonation, and it last in the bottle for a week. It is a taller machine than I thought. We like to do 3 pumps and a cartridge last a very long time.

Last summer I purchased the Soda Stream - almost a year ago. The purpose was to save money and to have carbonated water on demand. So far, it's the most expensive water that I've partaken! The one bottle that came with the unit lasted quite some time and the machine had worked fine. I was delighted! Well it's summertime again! The disappointment comes in the hassle and cost to replace the CO2 cylinder. After attempts to exchange the cylinders at several local box stores (there was zero supply locally), once they did have them in stock - the first cartridges (refill exchange) were empty (no seal) so I had to return them; lesson learned. Be advised --no seal = no CO2. The idea of not contributing to our landfill was a bonus, but after a second time (via mail this time) to turn in the used bottles and replace them with refilled bottles - what a waste! The cylinders had the appropriate seal but neither bottle works (got a few bottles filled with the first one and zero out of the second) and there's no true way of finding out if it's actually the unit that is defective or if it's the refills that aren't properly filled. What a waste of time, gas, and money - and now added junk to our landfill! Very sad and frustrating. Now I get to research how to properly dispose of the cylinders (not sure if they're full or empty) and the unit goes in the trash!