Soda, pop, or soda-pop… Call it what you want, but it’s all the same thing. Soda has been around for a long time and has not been “remodeled”. Introducing SodaStream, a company that brings soda to your home. They have many different models and flavors to choose from. The Genesis Starter Kit was sent out for review and retails for $99.95 (and up; Amazon).

The Genesis Starter Kit comes with the soda machine, a carbon dioxide canister, 2x 1L bottles, a 12-pack sampler (of flavors to try), and the instruction manual. All of the contents included in MY Starter Kit can be seen below. There were some extra materials included for me to try, so keep in mind that the Starter Kit does not include all of the contents shown in the pictures.

The Genesis soda machine is fairly easy to assemble. It comes with a carbon dioxide canister that needs to be installed onto the machine. The machine does not need any batteries or any power. It is average in size and takes up as much room as a coffee maker (size varies).

There are many precautions that need to be taken before and during the use of the machine, so it is important to read the instruction manual. For instance, the 1L bottle should be washed before use, but only in cold water and hand washed. Also, only cold water should be carbonated.

After chilling the water, attach the 1L bottle to the soda machine and add some carbonation (depending on how much carbonation you like in your soda). This process only takes about 15 seconds to complete and then you are set to enjoy your soda.

There are many flavors to choose from, which includes diet and regular flavors. There are also other kinds of flavoring that can be used (visit their website for all the details on the flavorings).

Some of the flavors do use Splenda, so the soda does taste much different than store-bought soda. However, the SodaStream soda is said to be more healthy. Some flavors may also use cane sugar.

The two 1L bottles included in this starter kit allow for various flavors to be tested at the same time. Although root beer, lemon-lime, and cola taste very different from the store-bought ones, it is still enjoyable. Also, it takes a particular person to enjoy the taste of these sodas because of the Splenda aspect.

Overall, the SodaStream machine cost a pretty penny, and may be worth it if you and/or your family drink a lot of soda. Keep in mind that  you need to purchase their soda and their carbon dioxide canisters from their site or from an affiliated company/distributed.

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