I'm quite disappointed this forum hasn't noted recent new offerings that are competition to sodastream home carbonation. Here is what little I gathered here and elsewhere. Oh, somehow I missed sodastream offering alternative "natural" syrups with real sweetener rather than with that vile, ghastly stevia they put in even non-diet flavors. I let my BBY coupons expire, so wonder if anyone thinks their cola or other flavors are worth the retail cost?
I lost a chance to get a primo flavorstation which seemed to be a very shortlived clone of sodastream with some convenience features but a disasterous lack of automatic blow-off valve. If you removed the bottle without remembering to manually release the pressure, it became a rocket. Pluses wwere that it used an econo paintgun bottle to charge, and the quick release top sounded nice. They saved paying sodastream for their auto blowoff patent, and ended up dumping the systems for about 90% discount.
I discovered the Cuisinart system, or at least their flavors by my monthly troll of Amazon looking for a cola syrup at non-extortionate cost. Yeah, I know you have options where you live, but everything has to be airmailed here which doubles the cost or rules out shipment by non-amazon companies. Anyway I got cola, ginger ale, and energy syrup with sugar "natural" base. The cola is really good! Not as mediciney as coke or oversweet like pepsi, but smooth and wholesome like I remember some competitor to RC Cola. Unfortunately it is pricier than the other flavors, so I pour in equal amounts of their ginger ale syrup for a delicious ginger coke. This helps mask their slightly "off" ginger flavor.
Equally cheap as ginger is their energy drink syrup which is closer to ginger and even like the beloved guanara soda flavors from Brazil. They don't breakdown their "natural" ingredients on the label. I don't know what their machine is like or if it is one of those with a stupid expensive tiny cartridge, but worth a look to sourcing their syrups cheaply by the case or whatever.
I lost a chance to get a primo flavorstation which seemed to be a very shortlived clone of sodastream with some convenience features but a disasterous lack of automatic blow-off valve. If you removed the bottle without remembering to manually release the pressure, it became a rocket. Pluses wwere that it used an econo paintgun bottle to charge, and the quick release top sounded nice. They saved paying sodastream for their auto blowoff patent, and ended up dumping the systems for about 90% discount.
I discovered the Cuisinart system, or at least their flavors by my monthly troll of Amazon looking for a cola syrup at non-extortionate cost. Yeah, I know you have options where you live, but everything has to be airmailed here which doubles the cost or rules out shipment by non-amazon companies. Anyway I got cola, ginger ale, and energy syrup with sugar "natural" base. The cola is really good! Not as mediciney as coke or oversweet like pepsi, but smooth and wholesome like I remember some competitor to RC Cola. Unfortunately it is pricier than the other flavors, so I pour in equal amounts of their ginger ale syrup for a delicious ginger coke. This helps mask their slightly "off" ginger flavor.
Equally cheap as ginger is their energy drink syrup which is closer to ginger and even like the beloved guanara soda flavors from Brazil. They don't breakdown their "natural" ingredients on the label. I don't know what their machine is like or if it is one of those with a stupid expensive tiny cartridge, but worth a look to sourcing their syrups cheaply by the case or whatever.