Is sodastream cheaper than buying sparkling water

SodaStream would have you believe that you’re saving a bundle of cash each time you use one of their do-it-yourself carbonation machines to make a soda. But how economical is it really? How much soda do you need to drink before you actually break even and begin to recoup the cost of the machine? Business Insider’s Sara Silverstein did some quick math to find the answer, and the results aren’t what you’d expect.

Her methods are fairly simple to follow. She starts with a mid-level SodaStream machine that costs $130, and comes with one free CO2 cartridge that would otherwise cost $15. Of note: Silverstein subtracts this “free” $15 from the initial overall cost, which I contend is a mistake, since it’s a sunk cost and should be included regardless of its presumed value. This makes my calculations slightly different than hers.

There’s a lot of number crunching going on here, so if you’d rather skip the mathematical details, the good stuff is in bold.

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Sparkling Water

So, how much sparkling water would you need to drink before you recoup the $130? First, you need to figure out the cost per liter of a drink made with SodaStream, and compare it to the cost per liter of a bottle of carbonated water.

When used as directed, one cartridge ($15) makes 60 liters of plain carbonated water. Therefore, sparkling water costs roughly $0.25 per liter when you make it with SodaStream ($15/60L=$0.25 per liter). Comparatively, Silverstein found that one liter of bottled sparkling water costs $0.79, so you save about $0.54 per liter when you use SodaStream ($0.79-$0.25=$0.54).

Using that number, you’d have to drink somewhere around 240 liters of sparkling water in order to break even and start saving money ($130/$0.54 per liter=240.7 liters). That’s roughly 22 fluid ounces of soda every day for one year.

Flavored Soda

Because flavored soda requires the addition of SodaStream’s Sodamix flavor syrup, you save far less per liter than you do with plain ol’ sparkling water, and therefore need to drink more before you recoup the cost of the machine.

Each one of the $5 Sodamix bottles makes 12 liters of flavored soda. So in order to make 60 liters, you’d need 5 of them, which would cost $25 dollars. Add that to the cost of one CO2 cartridge ($15), and you need to spend $40 to make 60 liters. Divide those, and the cost per liter of flavored SodaStream drinks comes out to roughly 0.67 cents per liter.

Comparatively, Silverstein found that the average liter of bottled generic cola costs about $0.89, so you only save about $0.22 per liter when you make flavored drinks with SodaStream ($0.89-$0.67=$0.22).

So since you only save less than a quarter each time, you’d need to drink about 591 liters of SodaStream cola before you break even and start saving money ($130/$0.22 per liter=590.9 liters). To put that in perspective, that’s 1.62 liters per day (about 4.5 cans) every day for an entire year.

Summary

So in a nutshell, you’ve got to be a serious soda drinker in order to make SodaStream an economical purchase. We’re talking regular daily intake of a relatively high volume. If you only drink soda occasionally (once or twice a week), it’ll take you years, or potentially even a decade to recoup the cost of the SodaStream machine.

However, the ball game may be completely different if you’re part of a family of soda-lovers with two kids or so. In that situation, the savings could come fast, especially if aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews are popping by often.

That being said, we recognize that this analysis is purely economical. Part of the appeal of SodaStream machines is that they help to reduce waste created by plastic bottles, so if you’re in it for the environmental benefits more than the financial savings, by all means, get your fizz on.

SodaStream offers consumers the opportunity to make their own sparkling sodas with their line of sparkling water machines and flavoring. Since 1903, the company has been bringing at-home carbonation techniques to life all while eliminating the need for single-use plastic bottles as a part of their environmental initiative. According to its website, the company strives “to help people drink more water and live healthier lives, all while protecting the environment from the harmful effects of single-use plastic.”

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While this company strives to rethink the beverage industry with more environmentally-friendly initiatives, the cost of their products may make customers wary about switching to crafting their sodas at home. To gain some more insight into how their products work and their cost value versus generic soda, let’s take a deep dive into SodaStream to determine whether this beverage maker will actually save you money.

Here’s What Investing in a SodaStream Is Going To Cost You

If you’re like most people, you probably enjoy having a nice glass of soda or sparkling water on an occasion. Today there is a growing buzz for at-home machines like SodaStream that allow you to become the mixologist and curate your own fizzy drinks from your kitchen. This convenience comes at a cost, though.

The SodaStream sparkling water makers start at $99.99 for the Terra machine and up to $159.99 for the Aqua Fizz. In order to keep these machines producing sparkling water, users must also purchase CO2 gas cylinders regularly to continue creating custom sodas. Each sparkling water maker is compatible with one of the two cylinders the website offers, either the quick connect system ($29.99) or the classic screw-in system ($29.99), and each cylinder makes up to 15 gallons of sparkling water.

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After purchasing your first cylinder, you can then continue exchanging that cylinder for a full one for $14.99 each time, saving on the container cost. You can make exchanges in-store to avoid a shipping fee; however, if there is not a store near you, shipping will cost you an additional $14.99.

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If you like your sparkling water plain, you will be all set with just those two purchases. However, if you are looking for flavored soda water, you can purchase popular soda flavorings such as Sierra Mist, Cherry Coke, Pepsi and other fruity extracts for your SodaStream for $5 to $7 per bottle. Each 40 milliliter bottle makes approximately 12 liters of bubbly sparkling water.

Will SodaStream Save You Money in the Long Run?

When comparing the price of store-bought soda to SodaStream, you can save up to 26 cents per liter using the at-home machine.

“It costs about $1.05 to buy a liter of generic soda at the store, and more than that for name brands if you’re particular,” said Melanie Hanson, editor in chief at EDI Refinance. “A liter of SodaStream soda, including the flavoring, costs around 79 cents. SodaStream machines, including bottles, go for about $135. Do all of this math, and you get a break-even point of 522 liters of soda. That’s a lot of soda — probably more than one person can drink in a year unless they have a very strong habit. That being said, it can make a lot of sense for those heavy soda drinkers or for multi-person households.”

While 26 cents might not seem like a big difference, if you are an avid soda drinker, that can really add up and lead to major savings in the long run. However, If you only see yourself using the SodaStream at parties or on a rare occasion, you might be better off just purchasing soda from the store whenever your carbonated beverage craving hits.

Does SodaStream Taste Better?

With the high price point of the soda machines, one can only hope the SodaStream beverages taste just as good — if not better — than the generic store soda options. However, depending on your taste buds, you might have other opinions.

“Many people argue that store-bought carbonated drinks simply taste better than those made at home with a SodaStream machine,” said Oberon Copeland, CEO of Very Informed. “And while it’s true that you can use SodaStream to carbonate fruit juices and other flavored drinks, the results are often unpredictable and not always satisfying. But if you’re simply looking for a convenient way to make your own sparkling water at home, then SodaStream might be worth the investment.”

Is a SodaStream worth it for sparkling water?

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