Is Using A SodaStream Really Cheaper Than Just Buying Canned Seltzer

I remember when I discovered my love for seltzer water when it became trendy in the 2010s (Beyond that, the history of sparkling water is way older than you'd think). At first I couldn't understand the hype and wondered why anyone would actually pay for cases of flavored, bubbly water. What was wrong with drinking good ol' filtered or making distilled water at home? And what made this LaCroix brand so special that grocery stores stocked stacks of its colorful cases in every storefront? Then one day, after a grocery shopping trip that left me parched, I noticed a single can of LaCroix for 99 cents, and bought it to see if I was truly missing out on something. That fateful purchase changed my life forever.

I later returned to the store for a case of coconut-flavored LaCroix; The combination of carbonation with fruity essences transformed the act of drinking water from something mundane to something actually enjoyable. Even the sound of opening the tab added to the overall experience. I quickly became a connoisseur of canned seltzer water, trading my Hydro flask filled with flat water for an eight-pack of canned seltzer water, costing around $5, which I drank in two days. As you can imagine, my new seltzer water habit was adding up just as quickly as all the aluminum cans were piling up in the recycling bin. In search of a money-saving and waste-reducing alternative, I stumbled upon the SodaStream — a machine that I thought was wearing an invisible cape. But did it really save me enough cash to make it a worthy purchase compared to cans?

I scored a brand new SodaStream on sale for $80. It came with a reusable plastic bottle for the carbonated water and a CO2 can for carbonation. I also purchased three different flavored seltzer essences, for an additional $15. So far, my investment had cost me approximately $100, including tax. At the rate I was drinking canned seltzer water, I would have spent $100 on cans in about one and a half months.

Unfortunately, there was soon trouble in paradise. I first realized that in order to take my homemade seltzer to work with me without it going flat, I needed to take the clunky, 1-liter air-tight carbonating bottle. This was okay until I started forgetting the bottle at work. Then, after about a month and a half of using the machine, not only did the CO2 need to be replaced, but I also ran out of flavor essences. This meant that 60-liters worth of carbonation produced enough seltzer water to equal 169 cans, which was almost exactly what I was consuming in one and a half months prior to purchasing my SodaStream — while also not saving me any money this time around, either. To replace the CO2 and flavor essences for the next month and a half, I spent $30 altogether, which saved me about $70 compared to the $100 I would have spent on cases of seltzer water within the same period of time. I also drastically reduced the amount of aluminum cans being added to the recycling bin. While it took a little time to adjust to a new seltzer routine, in the end, I'd say that, yes, using a SodaStream really is cheaper than buying canned seltzer.