Sodastream Fizzi Review: My Perrier Alternative

A few months ago, my husband gave me (okay, I asked for it- we are so romantic, I know) one of the most useful presents ever in our household: The Sodastream Fizzi.  I took a while to decide which Sodastream to buy and did some research (there are a lot of them, including some that plug into the wall, or have more power).  A lot of the reviews seemed a bit biased, in my opinion, as they all pointed to Amazon affiliate links to the most expensive option.  Perhaps that’s just my paranoia and skeptical lens.  In the end, I decided to get the cheapest option available, the Sodastream Fizzi.  It was under $100, included one cartridge and we got it at Best Buy while we were negotiating for our home appliances.  Here’s my Sodastream Fizzi review.

What is the Sodastream?

Sodastream is an Israel based manufacturing company and was founded in England back in 1903!  They make the Sodastream and have been doing it for years.  In the summer of last year (2018), Pepsi Co. acquired Sodastream fro $3.2 billion.

How much does a fizzy drink cost with Sodastream compared to buying it from the store?  Cost per use is about $0.25 USD per litre (including the soda maker and the CO2 refill) of fizzy water, which is cheaper than buying about 1 litre (in six cans) of Perrier for $3.99, even when Perrier on sale.  It’s more, or about $0.50 per litre for Sodastream that is made into pop (e.g. to taste like root beer or cola).

Here’s my process that I took before taking the plunge and getting a Sodastream.

PrE-Contemplative Phase: Perrier

In my last pregnancy, I had a huge craving for fizzy carbonated water, especially with a bit of lemon in it.  I’m not a huge pop drinker, I only drink it occasionally or when I am in a super hot climate, like Southeast Asia, in which case, I usually end up drinking Fanta like water.

via GIPHY

I ended up drinking a lot of Perrier in the slim 250mL cans because I had a huge craving for it.  It was always refreshing (especially in the summer) and something to offer guests on the rare occasion that anyone stops by at our place.  I didn’t drink that much though, even then.

Despite not drinking that much, the cans collected on our balcony.  This is what resulted in my Perrier consumption (and my husband’s Red Bull consumption)- though to be fair, this is many months of can collection:

The glamorous life of a PF blogger in pursuit of FIRE. I got $4 back! Lol. Trekked halfway across the city.

Do you get a bottle return deposit where you are? pic.twitter.com/CoOPpM9wac

— Genymoney.ca (@genymoneyca) August 24, 2018

The Contemplative Phase:  Having a Sip at a Friend’s Place

I was over at a friend’s place and she offered me some sparkling water from her Sodastream.  I had never heard of one or seen one before and they demonstrated how to use it.  It tasted very good, had a good ‘bite’ and was very refreshing, just like Perrier!  They told me that the cylinder costs about $20 and lasts a few months, and when it is used up, they just exchange the cylinder.  The idea of having to pay more (and having an ongoing cost– I hate lifestyle inflation which is why we haven’t hired a cleaner)  when you already paid for the device/ contraption really turned me off, so although I thought about a Sodastream, I didn’t actually get one.

The Preparation Phase: A Visit to the Aquarium

What actually prompted me to want to get a Sodastream was a visit to the Aquarium.  There was a demo about environmentally friendly options or alternatives to common current household practices, like using a carbonated water maker instead of buying plastic bottles or aluminum cans.

There is less environmental impact with carbonated water makers because there are less shipping costs (you’re not having to encourage shipment of heavy bottles or cans of liquid around the country or continent).  The carbon dioxide canisters/ cylinders with the Sodastream are also reusable and are returned in exchange for a full cylinder.  Here’s some more information on whether soda makers are really greener by Tree Hugger.

The Action Phase: Sodastream Fizzi

We got the Sodastream Fizzi and even though it takes up room on my already cluttered counter space, it is worth it.  I like that the Sodastream Fizzi doesn’t require a plug or electricity.  It also has a slim profile and is pretty sleek looking.

One downside to the Sodastream Fizzi is that there’s no place to put the cap (to the Sodastream bottle) if you want to keep the bottle attached to the Sodastream to reduce clutter.  I don’t find pressing the button onerous (in some previous reviews of the Sodastream, some Sodastream Fizzi reviews felt that pressing a button was just too much to deal with or difficult to press).

The Maintenance Phase:  A Cheap Place for Sodastream Canisters

So far, the carbon dioxide cylinders have lasted about every 2 months.  That means we go through around 60L of home made fizy water every two months.  You can easily tell when the carbon dioxide is about the run out because your drink doesn’t get as fizzy as it usually does when you press the button.

The 60L Sodastream CO2 Carbonator runs around $20 (for example, this Sodastream refill from Canadian Tire is $19.99) but this is the price if you exchange your old canister for this new one– otherwise it is around $35 for a new cylinder.

I get the Bed Bath and Beyond 20% off coupons in the mail regularly and then it hit me one day- I should just use it to buy the CO2 cylinders, this helped reduce the cost to around $16.  The prices at Bed Bath and Beyond are stable (e.g. don’t need to wait for a sale) and with the addition of the coupon, I find it a reasonable deal.

You can also get 2.5% cash back through Great Canadian Rebates on top of the 20% off coupon.

Apparently there’s a way to refill the CO2 canisters yourself to make the cost per glass even cheaper (e.g. DIY refill with a CO2 tank) without having to buy a new canister, but from the videos it looks a bit complicated or frankly, too much work.  Also, the idea of a larger CO2 tank hanging around makes me nervous, I already get nervous installing/inserting the current CO2 cylinder into the Sodastream.

Hope you enjoyed this Sodastream Fizzi review!

Have you tried the using a soda maker before? 

Do you drink fizzy beverages like pop or carbonated water on a regular basis?

Is there another place to buy cheaper Sodastream refills other than the Bed Bath and Beyond with 20% coupon?

genymoney

GYM is a 30 something millennial interested in achieving financial freedom through disciplined saving, dividend and ETF investing, and living a minimalist lifestyle. Before you go, check out my recommendations page of financial tools I use to save and invest money. Don’t forget to subscribe for blog updates, a free dividend yield spreadsheet, and the free Young Money Bootcamp eCourse.