Sodastream: Review | Waterproof iPod!
Dec. 12th, 2013 04:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thistlechaserIt's been quite a trial, but finally I have the Sodastream machine, flavors, and a working CO2 cartridge. (I'm not convinced that the sample one that came with the machine wasn't working, see below.)
I stopped by Best Buy on the way home. Exchanging the empty(?) mini-cartridge for a new full sized one was effortless (and about $17). Supposedly you'll get 60 uses out of it, but from my experience thus far and word on the net, one should expect to actually get 40-50 uses out of it.
As soon as I got home, before changing or anything else, I installed it and tried the machine. Nothing. I tried it again and again, but it was dead. Finally out of frustration I pounded the button, and it actually worked. Checking online, I'm not unique in that: You need to "press" the button to the point that it feels like the flimsy plastic housing will break. (Seriously, I had to push it down with all my strength. I wonder if I just didn't press hard enough last night? You need to press to the point that it feels like something will snap.)
(Machine, 1 liter bottle, in the front is the 6 pack of flavors it comes with, to the side is the 12 pack sample flavors I bought. Too much overlap between the two!)
As my first flavor, I tried Diet Cola. I knew it wouldn't taste exactly like Diet Coke, but I thought it might be close enough. (Though even Diet Pepsi makes me unhappy, so I perhaps should have guessed it wouldn't be.) The Diet Cola was bad to the point I couldn't drink it. Really harshly bitter. I drank about half a glass, I kept thinking it couldn't be that bad, then gave up and threw the whole bottle out.
I don't usually drink non-diet sodas, but half the samples were regular, so I tried orange soda next. (I LOVE brand name orange soda.) It's really just not very good at all. It's non-diet, but it doesn't taste sweet at all. I mean zero sweet, just chemical and bitter. (It tastes like really old diet soda, when all the sweetness is gone and you're left with just that chemical bitter taste.)
I wondered if maybe my flavor syrups had expired, but they're good until mid-2014.
Even the non-diet sodas have artificial sweeteners in it, so maybe that's the issue? But I drink lots of Diet Coke and foods with it, and I never experienced this bitterness.
There is a "natural" line of flavors with only real sugar and such in it, I might try those. I have a dozen or so sample flavors that I haven't tried yet, too.
I'm not going to give up on the machine, it'd be silly to after only two flavors, but I am worried. It's somewhat fun to use -- if the flavors were better I'd recommend it.
The replacement machine arrived today. Right on time!
---
I now have an iPad, iPhone, and iPod. Does that make me an Apple person? Nah. When I bought my iPad, it was the first and only tablet. I did buy the iPhone because I figured it would be easiest since I have iTunes already set up. The iPod was the most recommended waterproof one on Amazon (plus I figured it would be easiest since I have iTunes already set up...). So I'm more a lazy person than an Apple person!
I cannot believe how small it is. I've never had an iPod before. I suppose I never saw one before. This thing is little bigger than a postage stamp! (Part of me still goes "How in the hell do 2 gigs fit on something so small?!" which is the silliest reaction ever, 2 gigs is tiny nowadays!) I kind of thought iPods were the size of a small TV remote.
I kind of didn't want to buy another toy, since I just got the Sodastream, but this is more of an investment for exercise. I get so bored swimming, I always want to cut my time short. If I'm entertained, it will be easier to stick with it the whole hour. At this point swimming isn't just a fad for me, I've been doing it almost for a year and I have no desire to quit (well, I mean, if I have to exercise, which I do), so I think this is a reasonable purchase.
I have an audio book to listen to (Knife of Never Letting Go, yay!). I'm going to look into podfics once I run out of books.
I stopped by Best Buy on the way home. Exchanging the empty(?) mini-cartridge for a new full sized one was effortless (and about $17). Supposedly you'll get 60 uses out of it, but from my experience thus far and word on the net, one should expect to actually get 40-50 uses out of it.
As soon as I got home, before changing or anything else, I installed it and tried the machine. Nothing. I tried it again and again, but it was dead. Finally out of frustration I pounded the button, and it actually worked. Checking online, I'm not unique in that: You need to "press" the button to the point that it feels like the flimsy plastic housing will break. (Seriously, I had to push it down with all my strength. I wonder if I just didn't press hard enough last night? You need to press to the point that it feels like something will snap.)
(Machine, 1 liter bottle, in the front is the 6 pack of flavors it comes with, to the side is the 12 pack sample flavors I bought. Too much overlap between the two!)
As my first flavor, I tried Diet Cola. I knew it wouldn't taste exactly like Diet Coke, but I thought it might be close enough. (Though even Diet Pepsi makes me unhappy, so I perhaps should have guessed it wouldn't be.) The Diet Cola was bad to the point I couldn't drink it. Really harshly bitter. I drank about half a glass, I kept thinking it couldn't be that bad, then gave up and threw the whole bottle out.
I don't usually drink non-diet sodas, but half the samples were regular, so I tried orange soda next. (I LOVE brand name orange soda.) It's really just not very good at all. It's non-diet, but it doesn't taste sweet at all. I mean zero sweet, just chemical and bitter. (It tastes like really old diet soda, when all the sweetness is gone and you're left with just that chemical bitter taste.)
I wondered if maybe my flavor syrups had expired, but they're good until mid-2014.
Even the non-diet sodas have artificial sweeteners in it, so maybe that's the issue? But I drink lots of Diet Coke and foods with it, and I never experienced this bitterness.
There is a "natural" line of flavors with only real sugar and such in it, I might try those. I have a dozen or so sample flavors that I haven't tried yet, too.
I'm not going to give up on the machine, it'd be silly to after only two flavors, but I am worried. It's somewhat fun to use -- if the flavors were better I'd recommend it.
The replacement machine arrived today. Right on time!
---
I now have an iPad, iPhone, and iPod. Does that make me an Apple person? Nah. When I bought my iPad, it was the first and only tablet. I did buy the iPhone because I figured it would be easiest since I have iTunes already set up. The iPod was the most recommended waterproof one on Amazon (plus I figured it would be easiest since I have iTunes already set up...). So I'm more a lazy person than an Apple person!
I cannot believe how small it is. I've never had an iPod before. I suppose I never saw one before. This thing is little bigger than a postage stamp! (Part of me still goes "How in the hell do 2 gigs fit on something so small?!" which is the silliest reaction ever, 2 gigs is tiny nowadays!) I kind of thought iPods were the size of a small TV remote.
I kind of didn't want to buy another toy, since I just got the Sodastream, but this is more of an investment for exercise. I get so bored swimming, I always want to cut my time short. If I'm entertained, it will be easier to stick with it the whole hour. At this point swimming isn't just a fad for me, I've been doing it almost for a year and I have no desire to quit (well, I mean, if I have to exercise, which I do), so I think this is a reasonable purchase.
I have an audio book to listen to (Knife of Never Letting Go, yay!). I'm going to look into podfics once I run out of books.
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no subject
Date: 2013-12-13 12:15 am (UTC)My wife and I have been thinking about one of those machines. So, your review of it helps.
no subject
Date: 2013-12-13 12:30 am (UTC)If you do buy one, I'll be looking forward to hearing what you think of it.
no subject
Date: 2013-12-13 12:43 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-12-13 02:07 am (UTC)Ha! I hope it works out well for her! I can't wait to try mine.
no subject
Date: 2013-12-13 03:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-12-13 01:04 am (UTC)Instead, make your own recipes, which are much tastier and aren't full of chemicals. If you want something that's not too sweet, just add a little lemon juice to a glass of soda, or maybe a shot of Angostura bitters. You can find many other recipes on the Internet, and you can just experiment, as well.
My favorite recipe is for an egg cream. Start by making a bottle of really extra-fizzy water, and then get a tall glass and pour an inch or two of milk into the glass . Slowly pour the soda water into the milk -- it will really fizz. Then drizzle in some chocolate syrup, and stir. Really good!
no subject
Date: 2013-12-13 02:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-12-13 02:52 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-12-13 03:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-12-13 03:16 am (UTC)You should get the best chocolate syrup for the most authentic egg cream though: http://www.amazon.com/Foxs-u-bet-22-Oz-Original-Chocolate/dp/B00032FS02/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386904552&sr=8-1&keywords=u+bet+chocolate+syrup
They seem to have sugar free but I've never had it: http://www.amazon.com/U-Bet-Sugar-Chocolate-Squeeze-Bottle/dp/B003STAO8S/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1386904552&sr=8-4&keywords=u+bet+chocolate+syrup
no subject
Date: 2013-12-13 03:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-12-13 03:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-12-13 01:52 am (UTC)Bummer about the tastes of the sodas.. they all have artificial sweeteners? Bleh. That means it's not worth it for me to get one. I would worry their natural line would hide crap, particularly since searching around I couldn't find a decent ingredients list on their website. So now you have two sodastreams? xD Present for someone?
no subject
Date: 2013-12-13 02:32 am (UTC)Yeah, I'm going to gift (regift?) it to someone.
And very true, any big company will!
no subject
Date: 2013-12-13 02:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-12-13 03:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-12-13 01:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-12-13 02:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-12-13 05:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-12-13 06:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-12-14 12:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-12-14 04:30 pm (UTC)