Beat the heat – enjoy the bubbles without the bottles with SodaStream (giveaway)

SodaStream Source pomegranate fizz with blueberries on eatlivetravelwrite.com

Though it didn’t feel like it for weeks and weeks in Toronto, summer had definitely arrived the week before I left for Paris. So what great timing that my SodaStream Source machine arrived a couple of days before I left, when the temperatures were soaring well into the high 30s˚C.

I don’t drink a lot of soda/ pop but I do drink a lot of fizzy water in the summer so I was looking forward to trying this out for myself – I’ve heard so many good things about SodaStream lately and, of course, the possibilities for what you can make with it (according to what you like to drink) are endless. When I was little, we used to have an old-fashioned soda syphon – a little like this one – and I always felt so sophisticated making my own bubbly water 🙂

The SodaStream machines these days are sleek-looking (though I do kind of like those old-fashioned mesh bottle ones, still!) and super efficient – one  CO2 cylinder delivers between 60 and 130 litres of carbonated drinks. When you’ve used up the cylinder, you can exchange it for a full one either at a local retailer or online.  The SodaStream bottles for use with the machines are re-useable, BPA-free, environmentally friendly and can be used for up to 2 years.  That’s a whole lot less bottles in your recycle bin, right?

SodaStream Surce on eatlivetravelwrite.com

I found the bubble-making process fairly straightforward though I thought the instruction “Add as much carbonation as you wish” was a little confusing. Whilst I understood that there are 3 different levels of carbonation (smaller bubbles to larger ones), there’s no way of knowing just how carbonated it actually is until you taste it. The first time I made it, I WAY over-carbonated and it it overflowed when I removed the bottle from the machine. After a couple of rounds, I worked out what amount of carbonation I liked – so it just required a little bit of trial and error. The bubbles stayed “alive” in my bottle for up to a day – I was impressed with this as sometimes bubbly drinks can go a little flat in the fridge.  When I get back, I’ll be buying a spare bottle so that I can always keep a bottle of cold water in the fridge ready to fizz up.

I tried out the pomegranate flavouring that came with the kit and it was not bad.  A little sweet for my liking and next time I might not add the whole sachet.

SodaStream Source with pomegranate on eatlivetravelwrite.com

This was a nice refreshing drink on a very hot day and with a splash of vodka, became an easy apéritif drink.  To be honest, while I will probably try the other flavours when I get home, I will most likely just use the machine for fizzing water and/or add my own choice of juices, syrups. But the machine itself is worth having just for the ability to fizz water without all that bottle wastage.

SodaStream Source with pomegranate and blueberries on eatlivetravelwrite.com

Win a SodaStream Jet (Canada only)

SodaStream Jet Machine on eatlivetravelwrite.com

 

That’s right, thanks to SodaStream Canada I have a SodaStream Jet Machine to give away to one lucky Canadian resident reader.

To enter, simply leave a comment on this post telling me what bubbly beverage you’d make first with your SodaStream.

For a bonus entry, tweet the following message:

Enter to win a SodaStream Jet from @SodaStream_ca and @eatlivtravwrite ! Details here http://bit.ly/15f7y4X

then come back to leave me a comment on this post telling me you did.

 

Eligibility and contest rules

  • Open to to Canadian residents only.
  • No purchase of any product necessary for entry.
  • Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all qualified entries on Wednesday, July 10th 2013 after 6pm EST.
  • Winner will be contacted via email on Thursday July 11th 2013.

Disclosure: I received a SodaStream Source machine for the purposes of testing/ reviewing. I was not asked to write this post and have not received monetary compensation for doing do. All opinions are 100% my own.

__________________________________

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* Canadian residents – enter to win a $50 Kraft Canada gift basket – closes Thursday, July 4th 2013 after 6pm EST – enter here!

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72 thoughts on “Beat the heat – enjoy the bubbles without the bottles with SodaStream (giveaway)”

  1. I love lemon/lime fizzy water, so I think that’s what I’d experiment with first. Although, knowing me I’d probably just make whatever came with the package first. 😉

    Reply
  2. I would most likely drink a lot more bubbly water because I love it. But since I juice, it would be also fun to add carbonation to some of the juices I drink and make them feel a little cocktail-esque.

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  3. I’d love to make some fizzy water and flavour it with ginger! That and lemon, of course! Yummy and digestif!

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  4. Key limes are in the stores now so I’d make a fizzy key lime-onade, maybe tossing in a few Ontario fresh raspberries to make it pretty.

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  5. I’m way into fizzy cloudy lemonade right now (which I first got hooked on in Paris), so I think that would be my first experiment. But we’re totally obsessed with Vermontucky Lemonades around here, so it would definitely be sweetened with maple syrup and spiked with bourbon.

    Reply
  6. I love oranges, so I’d make fizzy water then add freshly squeezed orange juice to give it some tang. I’d also chop up some pineapple and place it on the glass. It would almost be like I’m on an island!

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  7. I would make a soda and lime first! Really exciting because I would get the bubbles without all the salt in soda water!!

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  8. I am a big fan of sparkling water and was always curious about that product. I like your idea of adding a splash of vodka. It’s supposed to be another hot and humid weekend in Ontario and a fizzy cocktail, even just vodka, fizzy water, and lime would make a very refreshing patio drink.

    Reply
  9. I will make a spicy ginger ale with our house ginger syrup made with a kick of chile, then I’ll likely sneak in a little black rum since it is dark and stormy season.

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  10. I’d love to see if it can make a good cola. I remember trying a make your own soda at a friends house in the late 80’s and it was, well…terrible.

    I too, have heard good reviews on this system, and would be interested in trying it out myself!

    Reply
  11. I’d make some fizzy water for Italian sodas – I have some Torani syrups at home that would work beautifully. After that, who knows? Experimenting is half the fun.

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  12. There are endless possibilities with this machine, but my first creation would be a bottle of sparkling ginger peach juice!

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  13. My dude has been searching for Ting for years (it’s not available anywhere in Canada, that we can find) so I’d be making him a grapefruit soda for sure!

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  14. one drink I won’t be making with my new soda stream is gin and appleade!! tried this when I was 16 when the first soda steam machines came out. the only mixer we had was the “sodastream appleade”. Not a pleasant combination…… still can’t drink gin to this day!! So my idea for a hot sunny day is something with grapefruit, bubbles and lots of ice (maybe some vodka thrown in for those over 19!)

    Reply
  15. I’ve been looking at these soda Streams for ages now, but trying to figure out if they’re worth having or if they’re just another “thing” that would take up space on my counter. This post is swaying me though! I think I’d make a lemon blueberry fizz since I’m really craving a slice of lemon blueberry cake right now.

    By the way, I’m a Canadian living in London, but if I won I’d like to give the soda stream to my parents because they’re always buying loads of unhealthy diet sodas and I’d hope they’d use this instead!

    Reply
  16. The first bubbly bevie I’d make is a fizzy apple/pineapple/banana drink. I “discovered” that juice combo a few months ago and have been obsessed with it ever since. It would be great to add some bubbles to it!

    Reply
  17. I would love to make a fizzy pink lemonade! I have been wanting to get a SodaStream. Thanks for the great giveaway!

    Reply
  18. Okay, as the contest closes, a bubble update:

    Mardi made a bottle of water, and left it in the fridge, the day she left for Paris. I left it there, just opening today. That’s right, a full fortnight.

    Well I can report the carbonation is alive and well!

    For me, I find this a bit coarse. If you like big soda-can bubbles, great. If you prefer something more refined…well Mardi says the machine does it, but I’m not so sure just yet.

    The concept is excellent, though: one of our major environmental scourges is all the people buying “regular” bottled water. Apart from the luxury brands, all the major offering are public utility tap water, maybe with an extra filter, and just bottled into plastic. So if you like your bubbles, this is a nifty way to do that and not feel guilty.

    Reply

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