If you follow my tweets, you know that I’m a huge Dr. Pepper fan. Soda is one of those things that’s really hard for me to give up….you have the sweetness of it, the taste, the caffeine, etc. I don’t drink coffee, so I really almost have started to crave that caffeine intake, even though I’m not really supposed to have much because of my heart….so I really do try to limit myself. I really try to limit my kids too, but sometimes you just need a treat.

SodaStream is an alternative to regular soda bought in the store. With SodaStream, you can actually make your own soda in a variety of flavors, like the following:

• Cola
• Cherry Cola
• Cream Soda
• Orange
• Dr. Pete
• Peach Iced Tea
• Diet Cranberry Raspberry
• Diet Lemon Lime
• Diet Ginger Ale
• Diet Pink Grapefruit
• Energy Drink
• Flavored Water
• Sparkling Naturals- with all natural ingredients in flavors like Black Currant & Pear, Cola, Green Tea, etc.
• Sparkling Water & Sparkling Teas

….and more. There is basically a flavor for everyone, kids and adults alike. We received several flavors, and my kids pretty much loved everything they tried, except for maybe the Black Currant & Pear. Personally, I like the Cola. I definitely want to try the Dr. Pete some day to see how it measures up. The flavors can be made as sweet as you want them really, dependent on how much flavoring you add. That’s a nice benefit as a mom who’s trying to limit her kids’ sugar intake, though the sugar content is far less than traditional sodas.So now that we know how many flavors SodaStream offers, how easy is it to make? Does it create hassle, or can it be done quickly and efficiently? Honestly, it’s really very easy. The Fountain Jet soda machine comes with its own carbonating bottle, which is not dishwasher safe by the way; we rinse it out after use (without soap). Here are step by step directions. First you have to fill the carbonating bottle with cold water to the fill line (if you want the water to be cold, try filling it up ahead of time and sticking it in the fridge, so it’s ready to go). Then you screw the bottle into the machine. Then you just push the carbonating button down 3 times until you hear a buzz (be sure to do this with dry hands because my husband’s finger was wet, and he actually got it stuck underneath the machine’s top as his finger slipped off the button; ouch!).

Unscrew the bottle, and you’re ready to add your flavoring. Now this is very important….please tilt your bottle as you pour in the flavoring. It usually only requires 1-2 capfuls of flavoring, but tilt your bottle. The first time Dan made soda, I guess he didn’t read directions well, and he didn’t tilt the bottle, adding the flavoring gradually. We had soda spew all.over.our.kitchen. Yeah, fun times. If you tilt and pour slowly, you’ll be fine. That’s truly how easy it is to make soda.

So, how is Sodastream better than traditional soda from the store? Well, there are definitely tons of flavors to choose from, right from the comfort of your own home. Each bottle of flavoring lasts for quite a while, because you only use a little bit at a time. You can purchase the flavorings at costs between $4.99-$9.99. Each bottle can usually make about 12 liters or 33 cans of soda. I’m not sure the value in terms of cost is a huge deal for me….but a big deal for us moms is no high fructose corn syrup in the regular flavors. The diet flavors do use Splenda, but there’s no aspartame either. Another huge deal for me? We have one carbonation bottle (which I’d want extra for when we have company). However, I don’t have empty soda bottles setting around waiting to be recycled. There’s less need for soda bottles, so less transport of the bottles….less trash….less bottles sometimes laying in a landfill somewhere due to people not recycling. With our work to try to become a more green family, this is a big deal, as SodaStream actually is a very environmentally conscious product. Not only that, but I can make it right here, and the kids really enjoy it. The machine is tall and skinny, so it easily fits back under my cabinet without taking up much room from my already limited counterspace. Plus, it’s attractive; it’s not an ugly machine in any way.

Now for one final question. What does a SodaStream machine cost? You can purchase the Fountain Jet soda machine for as low as $79.95. Of course, eventually, you may also need another Carbonator or even want extra Carbonating Bottles, which you can purchase. They even sell Bottle Caps, in case one is lost.

The great news?! We’re giving away a SodaStream machine to one MamaBuzz reader! You can enter to win by doing one or more of the following; just be sure to leave a separate comment for each way that you enter. I’ll draw the winner, via random.org, on Monday, August 15. This giveaway is open to U.S. only, except Hawaii (void where prohibited). Good luck, and have a wonderful day!

1. What type of soda is your absolute favorite….or if you could create your own soda, what magical flavor would you come up with?
2. Follow @SodaStreamUSA on Twitter.
3. Tweet about this giveaway, one time only.
4. Follow MamaBuzz or subscribe to our posts.
5. Follow @mamabzz on Twitter.
6. Stumble this post.

(Disclosure: I received a SodaStream machine with several bottles of flavorings, free of charge, for the purposes of this review. All views/opinions remain solely my own.)