SodaStream Crystal Drinks Maker Review

The SodaStream Crystal has a very modern look, using silvers and matte reds or blacks over its exterior plastic body. It will fit into a modern kitchen just fine and any other kitchen shouldn't be a problem but your kitchen utensils will feel a tad jealous of its looks.

The rear part of the SodaStream Crystal has a detachable back which is very simple to get off, with just one flick of a switch. Once the back detachable part is off the unit you can screw in a carbonator bottle. This is what creates the fizz. To apply new bottles will take no less than twenty seconds, it's very well designed and has a solid construction making it easy to do. Carbonators will last for making around 60-110 litres which is equivalent to 170-310 aluminium cans depending on your carbonator bottle size. But once it's ran out you can send it back to SodaStream and receive a discount on your next bottle. Saving your money and the environment.

The front of the SodaStream has a latch which you slide along to the right. The latch and top half of the front will rise into the air and your chamber to put the glass bottle into will tilt towards you. This is very elegant and cool! The glass bottle included is also a nice touch, considering other models use plastic, glass seems like a better option.

Once you have filled your glass bottle with water up to the designated line it's ready to put into the SodaStream. To close the font chamber which is in the air you simple push down on it and the tilted bottom will come into place for you to slide the latch across and lock it up. I am assuming an air lock is created by doing this. The whole mechanism on the front makes everything so straightforward to do. You are now ready for the final part which is carbonating the water, to do this a large button is placed on top of the unit. You hold down upon it until a pop sound emerges. I repeat this process for maximum carbonation. One thing to notice about all this is the fact that no electricity is needed meaning you could technically take it anywhere with you. You can now remove the bottle and add a SodaStream flavour. Each flavour bottle has a cap on it which you pour it into and then add to the glass bottle of carbonated water. To get the favour well spread throughout the liquid I'd suggest putting the top on the bottle and rolling all liquid around *NOT SHAKING. Cordial also can be used and works fine but I wouldn't recommend pouring them into the bottle, I'd say to pour the amount of cordial you want into each glass before hand and then add the carbonated water to it.

The SodaStream flavours are growing all the time. With Cola to Dandelion and Burdock. All the primary soda flavours are available in various countries, it appears the USA has the most choice with one particular flavour i'd quite like which is called 'Fountain Mist' a Mountain Dew equivalent. Here in the UK we have thirty flavours on the SodaStream website to choose from and each retails for around 3-4 pounds a bottle and dramatic saving can be made when buying multiple flavours at once. A bottle of syrup can make around 12 litres of drink. But the UK sells one range called 'Clear' this range is quite fruity and contains natural ingredients, missing out artificial sweeteners like aspartame which can be found in every other syrup flavour. This is great and in the USA has a range called 'Sparkling Naturals' with lots of different flavours is basically the same as the clear with it being made naturally and skipping artificial sweeteners. But this range includes drinks like Cola and Root Beer, flavours which would be more popular than the fruity ones available in the UK. It looks to me like SodaStream are going to move away from using artificial sweeteners etc and turn all drinks into 'Sparkling Naturals' and 'Clears'. A move which would definitely benefit them.

So at present a solid line up of flavours and hopefully more will be added. So how does it all taste you ask? The Energy Drink flavour AKA Red Bull tastes like Red Bull except for its artificial sweetener after taste. Other flavours which I have tried like Dandelion and Burdock also taste realistic and true to the real thing. The 'Clear' range is also very tasty and less comparable to anything else. The drinks are very very fizzy and keep their fizz for a long time, possibly not as long as a shop bought soda though despite what SodaStream claim. You don't have to drink your litres worth of soda in the bottle all at once. A top is supplied which can be put on to keep the fizz locked in and it does hold very well, I kept some in the fridge for a whole day and the fizz was still there but a little flatter than before.

Overall the SodaStream Crystal is a very solid product, the design and construction is superb, it's very quick and easy to use, a wide number of flavours are available, nice on the environment, it's very cheap to run and it tastes good.

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