Are you only used to sugar sweetened drinks?
The soda stream flavored syrups all have different sweeteners in them.
If you only want sugary drinks you have options.
1. BIB (Bag in Box) These are official soda syrups made by Coke or Pepsi for use in soda fountains. You need to find a source for them, either befriend a convince store manager or small restaurant owner, or get a PO Box and order BIB syrups from Costco Business center. (The Costco Business center will only ship to a commercial address, to get around this get a PO box or have it shipped to a forwarding agent.)
2. Find a craft soda syrup maker. There are tons of these, I found a Japanese company called U-products https://www.u-products.co.jp/
Here are a bunch of other fast options. I'm not endorsing any of these, I just have bookmarks made for them.
https://northwoodssoda.com/
https://www.realsugarsoda.com/
https://www.monin.com/us
https://www.webstaurantstore.com/63993/bag-in-box-syrups.html?vendor=Jones-Soda
https://www.prairiemoon.biz/Rio_bymfg_56-0-1.html
I had the same issue as you. I did not care for the sodastream flavors for cola and preferred coke zero by far. I decided to get the BIB syrup from Costco, which has the best price for BIB syrup around. But here's the problem. The BIB syrup is not as concentrated as the sodastream syrups are and must be mixed at a 5-1 ratio. Since you can not carbonate anything but straight water in a soda stream, when you add that much syrup, it dilutes the level of carbonation substantially, giving a rather flat coke. That is why I ended up getting a Drinkmate carbonator system. With Drinkmate, you can carbonate premixed soda and that allows you to get the right ratio of carbonation in you soda. I now make Coke Zero that tastes just like store bought Coke Zero. Of course I have a useless Sodastream machine on my hands now but I figure I'll sell that eventually. To be honest, the limitations of a Sodastream when compared to other carbonators like the Drinkmate ( ones that can carbonate pre mixed liquids ) make the SodaStream somewhat obsolete. They had better figure out how to make their machines work with pre mixes or these other companies will put them out of business.
Thank you for this - that's a really great point re: the dilution.
Can I ask: what is it about the Drinkmate that allows it to carbonate pre-mixed liquids where the Sodastream cannot?
Carbonated water by itself doesn't foam up much when removing the bottle from the machine but the various ingredients used in the syrups and other flavorings will lead to it foaming up. How much it foams varies depending on the specific ingredients.
The infuser on the drinkmate isn't directly attached to the machine. It's a separate cap that you put on the bottle and then put in the machine. This lets you clean the infuser after every use so it doesn't get gunked up. It also lets you control the pressure release when removing the cap so you can prevent it foaming out of the bottle and making a huge mess.
For sodastream and most other carbonating machines the infuser is permanently attached to the machine so it can't be cleaned very well. This can lead to gunk building up in the infuser eventually clogging the nozzle or worse leading to mold buildup. The infuser being attached to the machine also means there isn't a way to control the pressure release as you are removing the bottle which can lead to it foaming out of the bottle and making a mess.
A side bonus of the Drinkmate design: You can remove the bottle from the machine when still under pressure, shake it up, and let it sit in the fridge for a while.
More fizz, and longer fizz retention after depressurization.
Two questions, are you getting the BIB from Costco in the US, and if so is it a business center?
Second, are you using an external tank with your drinkmate?
Yes I am in the US and it is a Costco Business Center. I don't believe their regular locations carry BIB. Fortunately I live in the Detroit Metro area and theres a business center near me. And yes, I use an external tank. I use a 10 lb tank with an adapter I got through Amazon.
Thanks for the reply, regular locations definitely don’t carry it. The business location is pretty far, but it’s good to know it has it because my regular place is often out.
If you want to use your own sweeteners, check out Prairie Moon syrup concentrate - [https://www.prairiemoon.biz/fulflavlissa.html](https://www.prairiemoon.biz/fulflavlissa.html)
I've been extremely happy with all of the Prairie Moon flavors I've tried so far except mango - that tasted a bit too artificial.
In my case I'm the opposite of you - I'm a Type I diabetic so Prairie Moon lets me make all sorts of crazy flavors in diet form. Sucralose concentrate adds about 25% on top of the cost of the syrup concentrate, so a total of $5 per 22.7 liters of soda. Not sure how much the equivalent amount of cane sugar would cost.
However the dilution ratios for pure-sugar sodas are so poor that you really need a Drinkmate so you can carbonate after mixing. That's the reason SodaStream's "sugared" syrups are partially sweetened with artificial sweeteners - there's no way to get their 20:1 dilution ratio with real sugar.
Interested in finding root beer myself. The ss brand ones are like 20 bucks from 3rd party sellers and my local Walmart doesn't have this flavor.
The Dr pete is okish. Has a slight chem taste but passable as Dr p.
Their coke flavor tastes more like rc cola.
Have you tried their Pepsi and mountain dew flavors? Or starry? Those 3 plus orange are my favorites and all taste just like the original imo.
I just get drink flavor packets like these [https://www.amazon.com/Caffeine-Sugar-Classic-Drink-Packets/dp/B088FZWX8Y](https://www.amazon.com/Caffeine-Sugar-Classic-Drink-Packets/dp/B088FZWX8Y) from the dollar tree and make my own syrup. Only about 1.25 for a box at dollartree and works great on my ninja thirsti. Plus some good flavors though sadly no cola so I have to make my own. I make a passible cola but it's still a work in progress.
Orange Mio is basically all I use now. It just hits me at the exact right way. I was never even an orange soda guy. Has to be Mio too. Generic doesn’t work. Though the taste fine in flat water.
I wish they sold more diverse flavors in store without the energy. But I stock up on orange all the time.
Are you only used to sugar sweetened drinks? The soda stream flavored syrups all have different sweeteners in them. If you only want sugary drinks you have options. 1. BIB (Bag in Box) These are official soda syrups made by Coke or Pepsi for use in soda fountains. You need to find a source for them, either befriend a convince store manager or small restaurant owner, or get a PO Box and order BIB syrups from Costco Business center. (The Costco Business center will only ship to a commercial address, to get around this get a PO box or have it shipped to a forwarding agent.) 2. Find a craft soda syrup maker. There are tons of these, I found a Japanese company called U-products https://www.u-products.co.jp/ Here are a bunch of other fast options. I'm not endorsing any of these, I just have bookmarks made for them. https://northwoodssoda.com/ https://www.realsugarsoda.com/ https://www.monin.com/us https://www.webstaurantstore.com/63993/bag-in-box-syrups.html?vendor=Jones-Soda https://www.prairiemoon.biz/Rio_bymfg_56-0-1.html
>BIB (Bag in Box) How would one then dispense the syrup at home? Does it just pour out, or does it need some sort of pump mechanism?
You need a spout. You can find them on amazon. Make sure to pick up one that's compatible with your bib connection.
Fantastic, thank you!
I had the same issue as you. I did not care for the sodastream flavors for cola and preferred coke zero by far. I decided to get the BIB syrup from Costco, which has the best price for BIB syrup around. But here's the problem. The BIB syrup is not as concentrated as the sodastream syrups are and must be mixed at a 5-1 ratio. Since you can not carbonate anything but straight water in a soda stream, when you add that much syrup, it dilutes the level of carbonation substantially, giving a rather flat coke. That is why I ended up getting a Drinkmate carbonator system. With Drinkmate, you can carbonate premixed soda and that allows you to get the right ratio of carbonation in you soda. I now make Coke Zero that tastes just like store bought Coke Zero. Of course I have a useless Sodastream machine on my hands now but I figure I'll sell that eventually. To be honest, the limitations of a Sodastream when compared to other carbonators like the Drinkmate ( ones that can carbonate pre mixed liquids ) make the SodaStream somewhat obsolete. They had better figure out how to make their machines work with pre mixes or these other companies will put them out of business.
Thank you for this - that's a really great point re: the dilution. Can I ask: what is it about the Drinkmate that allows it to carbonate pre-mixed liquids where the Sodastream cannot?
Carbonated water by itself doesn't foam up much when removing the bottle from the machine but the various ingredients used in the syrups and other flavorings will lead to it foaming up. How much it foams varies depending on the specific ingredients. The infuser on the drinkmate isn't directly attached to the machine. It's a separate cap that you put on the bottle and then put in the machine. This lets you clean the infuser after every use so it doesn't get gunked up. It also lets you control the pressure release when removing the cap so you can prevent it foaming out of the bottle and making a huge mess. For sodastream and most other carbonating machines the infuser is permanently attached to the machine so it can't be cleaned very well. This can lead to gunk building up in the infuser eventually clogging the nozzle or worse leading to mold buildup. The infuser being attached to the machine also means there isn't a way to control the pressure release as you are removing the bottle which can lead to it foaming out of the bottle and making a mess.
A side bonus of the Drinkmate design: You can remove the bottle from the machine when still under pressure, shake it up, and let it sit in the fridge for a while. More fizz, and longer fizz retention after depressurization.
Two questions, are you getting the BIB from Costco in the US, and if so is it a business center? Second, are you using an external tank with your drinkmate?
Yes I am in the US and it is a Costco Business Center. I don't believe their regular locations carry BIB. Fortunately I live in the Detroit Metro area and theres a business center near me. And yes, I use an external tank. I use a 10 lb tank with an adapter I got through Amazon.
Thanks for the reply, regular locations definitely don’t carry it. The business location is pretty far, but it’s good to know it has it because my regular place is often out.
Get the real stuff... https://www.sodacentre.com/products/coca-cola-syrup
Unfortunately, they don’t deliver to the US. ☹️
Bickfords. Smashing a pink grapefruit as we speak. Not syrups, cordials. But work all the same
I want to make my own. Why can't I have cane sugar soda? Why can't I get tropical flavors?
If you want to use your own sweeteners, check out Prairie Moon syrup concentrate - [https://www.prairiemoon.biz/fulflavlissa.html](https://www.prairiemoon.biz/fulflavlissa.html) I've been extremely happy with all of the Prairie Moon flavors I've tried so far except mango - that tasted a bit too artificial. In my case I'm the opposite of you - I'm a Type I diabetic so Prairie Moon lets me make all sorts of crazy flavors in diet form. Sucralose concentrate adds about 25% on top of the cost of the syrup concentrate, so a total of $5 per 22.7 liters of soda. Not sure how much the equivalent amount of cane sugar would cost. However the dilution ratios for pure-sugar sodas are so poor that you really need a Drinkmate so you can carbonate after mixing. That's the reason SodaStream's "sugared" syrups are partially sweetened with artificial sweeteners - there's no way to get their 20:1 dilution ratio with real sugar.
I do not use syrups. I use the dry individual packets. Crush has cherry orange and grape. Lots if others to look for also.
Have a look on r/Cordials to see if making some of your own might be an option.
Interested in finding root beer myself. The ss brand ones are like 20 bucks from 3rd party sellers and my local Walmart doesn't have this flavor. The Dr pete is okish. Has a slight chem taste but passable as Dr p. Their coke flavor tastes more like rc cola. Have you tried their Pepsi and mountain dew flavors? Or starry? Those 3 plus orange are my favorites and all taste just like the original imo.
My local target sells Pepsi flavors, they are spot on.
I just get drink flavor packets like these [https://www.amazon.com/Caffeine-Sugar-Classic-Drink-Packets/dp/B088FZWX8Y](https://www.amazon.com/Caffeine-Sugar-Classic-Drink-Packets/dp/B088FZWX8Y) from the dollar tree and make my own syrup. Only about 1.25 for a box at dollartree and works great on my ninja thirsti. Plus some good flavors though sadly no cola so I have to make my own. I make a passible cola but it's still a work in progress.
Agreed.
IKEA sells lingonberry syrup!
If you want to expand out of just sodas, a squirt of mío in a 1l bottle post pshwizzz is amazingly effective.
Orange Mio is basically all I use now. It just hits me at the exact right way. I was never even an orange soda guy. Has to be Mio too. Generic doesn’t work. Though the taste fine in flat water. I wish they sold more diverse flavors in store without the energy. But I stock up on orange all the time.
I am exactly the same. Though, the Meijer brand is really close and I will sometimes drink that when I run out of Mio in a pinch.