Sodastream Jet Starter Kit

by SodaStream

• Enjoy freshly made, great tasting sparkling water/seltzer in less than 30 seconds with no mess
• Starter kit includes SodaStream Jet soda maker in black/silver, one carbonator (good for making up to 60L of soda), and one BPA-free plastic bottle
• Requires no electricity or batteries--great for using in RVs and boats
• Reusable carbonating bottles last for three years with hermetically sealed caps to keep drinks fresh and fizzy
• This item is not for sale in Catalina Island

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 17 inches ; 2.4 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B001KYT6CS
• Item model number: 1012111017
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (766 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #155 in Kitchen & Dining (See Top 100 in Kitchen & Dining)
  • #2 in Kitchen & Dining > Bar Tools & Glasses > Seltzer Bottles & Chargers
  • #3 in Kitchen & Dining > Kitchen Utensils & Gadgets > Bar & Wine Tools
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Color: Black/Silver

With the SodaStream Jet Starter Kit, you've got everything you need to turn tap water into sparkling water in 30 seconds--saves your money. This black/silver SodaStream Jet soda maker comes with one CO2 cylinder that will make up to 60 liters of sparkling water. With no batteries or electricity, you can use your soda maker in your kitchen, outdoors on your patio or deck, or on your boat or R.V.

In addition to making fizzy water, SodaStream also offers more than 25 regular, diet, energy and caffeine-free flavors of syrup (sold separately). Each 500ml soda mix bottle makes the equivalent of 12 liters of soda (about 33 cans). And with over 25 flavors, the possibilities for creative beverages are limited only by your imagination. How about a Creamsicle (Orange and Cream Soda), or a Japanese Beetle (Ginger Ale and Lemon-Lime)? The regular soda mixes contain no high fructose corn syrup, while the diet soda mixes contain no aspartame.

The benefits of the SodaStream drinks maker, compared to ready made bottled drinks:

• Provides an endless supply of sparkling water, freshly made from tap water in just a few seconds.
• No more need to buy, carry or store large quantities of heavy and bulky bottles.
• A wide variety of flavors are produced by SodaStream.
• The ability to make sparkling water as strong or as weak as one likes, makes the machine an ideal solution for the family's entire sparkling beverage needs.

The SodaStream Jet Starter Kit bundles the soda maker with one 60L carbonator and a carbonating bottle.

The Jet soda maker carbonates water in a BPA-free, reusable one-liter bottle in less than 30 seconds, without electricity or batteries, and with no clean-up. After loading the carbonator into the soda-maker, fill the bottle with regular tap or filtered water and place it in the soda maker. Just pump the button a few times to add the fizz and in seconds you will have a liter of fresh, tasty soda or sparkling water in a resealable bottle that stores compactly in your fridge.

When the CO2 carbonator is empty, you can visit the SodaStream web site to purchase a new CO2 cylinder as well as set up a cylinder exchange, which helps to eliminate waste. SodaStream collects your empty cylinder and returns it to our filling facility where it's cleaned, inspected and refilled.

The SodaStream Jet measures 16.7 by 5.3 by 7.9 inches (HxWxD) and weighs 2.58 pounds.

How Does SodaStream Help the Environment?
SodaStream is an "Active Green" company, meaning that consumers actively minimize their CO2 footprint when using the SodaStream system. The more the system is used on a daily basis, the more CO2 footprint the user actively saves. This differs from "Passive Green" brands, which use green-friendly production processes, but their products are not inherently helping you save on your daily footprint.

Because SodaStream uses water straight from the tap, the system makes traditional store-bought beverage bottles obsolete. That means, less plastic manufactured, less plastic waste and less transport of bottled beverages. Globally, 206 billion liters of bottled water were consumed in 2008 (Zenith International Global Bottled Water Report, 2008), and the energy required to make water bottles just in the US is equivalent to 17 million barrels of oil (Container Recycling Institute, 2002).

A family of four could slash their home soft-drink-related packaging usage by over 90 percent simply by using a SodaStream soda maker, and SodaStream's plastic carbonating bottle are reusable for up to three years. A typical American will toss away over 1500 aluminum cans (and/or hundreds of plastic 2-liter bottles) over three years, while a SodaStream owner will use just one carbonating bottle or carafe that come with the home soda maker.

Operating without batteries or electricity, SodaStream home soda makers are highly energy-efficient small appliances. Appliances that work without electricity improve the environment by cutting down on the emissions generated by electrical plants, giving us cleaner air and ground water.

By operating completely on power supplied by the compressed air in the carbonator--an easily renewable fuel source--SodaStream does not contribute to environmental pollution made by batteries. Empty carbonators are returned to SodaStream to be cleaned, inspected and refilled with CO2 drawn naturally from the air. Carbonators are reusable as long as they remain in good condition.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I carbonate drinks other than water?
No. Only water should be carbonated in the SodaStream home soda maker. You risk damaging your soda maker, not to mention making a big fizzy mess. The money-back guarantee and the warranty are both invalidated if you carbonate any liquid other than water in your soda maker.

Why does the carbonating bottle have an expiration date?
Since the bottle has to withstand recurring pressure from carbonation, it cannot be used forever. The expiration date on the bottle must be checked and new bottles purchased as soon as the former expires. The bottles must also be replaced if put in the dishwasher, exposed to a heat source, or if they have become scratched. All components of carbonating bottles are recyclable. Check with your local recycling authority for more information.

How do I clean my carbonating bottles?
Carbonating bottles may be cleaned in warm water with a bottle brush and regular dish-washing liquid if necessary. Please do not place carbonating bottles in the dishwasher, as exposure to extreme heat can weaken the integrity of the bottles. Bottles stay cleanest when rinsed and then immediately filled with fresh water and returned to your refrigerator. Plus, you'll always have cold water on hand when you're ready for your next bottle of soda.

How long does the soda last before going flat?
The hermetic seal on the cap keeps your soda from going flat as quickly as ordinary store-bought beverages. If you make sure to close the cap tightly, and keep the bottle in the refrigerator, your SodaStream soda should remain fizzy and fresh for over a week.

How often will I have to replace my carbonator?
On average, the carbonator will make 60 liters of soda, and this number could be more or less depending on the amount of carbonation used when making your drink. A household of four soda drinkers might need to replace a 60-liter carbonator every 6-8 weeks, depending on usage.

Are SodaStream products kosher?
SodaStream products are kosher (OU) certified (OU kosher certificate). SodaStream seltzer is kosher for Passover (OUP). Also, please note that your home drink smaker can be used on the Sabbath.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2,369 of 2,454 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Why You Should and Should Not Buy This Product November 16, 2011

By doogie_esq

Color Name:Black/Silver

So obviously you're reading this hoping to understand why you should buy this product and why you shouldn't. And you've read a bunch of reviews and there doesn't seem to be a middle ground. Seem's either people hate it and tell you to beware, or love it and highly recommend it.... so you're confused....correct?

Well, read this review from someone who understand technological things and simply isn't some person looking to get soda for 10 cents per liter bottle. If this is what you're looking for, it isn't going to happen. At least not unless you own a carbon dioxide supply company.

So why should you buy this?

1. First off, it does work as advertised. Once you connect the CO2 cartridge, there's not much more to set up, other than put some water (preferably spring or filtered COLD water) in the liter bottles (or 14 oz bottles sold separately), inject the "proper" amount of carbonation into the bottle and then add whatever amount of flavoring you wish. I say "proper" amount of carbonation because the soda maker (at least the ones bought recently - I have the "Dynamo" model and this review was written in Nov 2011) will add carbonation to the point where the pressure will force the unit to make a sort of "buzzing" sound which indicates that the maximum carbonation has been added into the water, and the excess is being forced out to create that "buzzing" sound.

2. The ability to add carbonation up to the point where the SodaStream "buzzes" or "burps" brings up another plus. You can add less carbonation than the SodaStream maxes out at, in which case you won't hear the warning sound. But when you do this, you create carbonated drinks which have varying amounts of carbonation in them. If you desire less, you can make carbonated drinks with less....

3. Flavors. A third plus. Yes, some people don't like the flavors that SodaStream provides. But these are the same people SodaStream were probably never going to satisfy anyway. SodaStream provide a bunch of flavors....cola's (diet/reg), Dr. Pepper-like flavors (diet/reg), Sprite and Sierra Mist-like flavors (diet/reg), Orange, Energy, Grapefruit, lightly flavored unsweetened "MyWater" flavors, etc., etc. The point is, as a 3rd plus, you can use their flavors or you can experiment and try anything you like that will flavor your soda. I use Mio water flavorings which provide excellent, low calorie alternatives. If you don't like their flavors, then don't complain and knock the technology. Be creative and leverage what the SodaStream gives you....which is convenience and flexibility/options.

4. Green. A fourth plus is that you refill plastic bottles espcially designed for use with SodaStream soda makers. Because of this, you don't buy cans or 2 liter bottles from the store, in some states paying a redemption free for the right to lug this stuff home, then drinking your soda and then accumulating all these cans and bottles to take back to a redemption center, or worse, throwing them away and filling a ton of landfills.

5. Health. A fifth plus...or at least it can be. People really shouldn't drink too much soda. At least soda with sugar in it. It leads to obesity, diabetes, etc. Yes... you can flavor water with stuff like Mio or add some juice from an orange or lemon. But not only does it not taste as good as a soda, you just know that flat water based drinks are missing something. And what's missing is that carbonation and the SodaStream will add that for you, and allow low calorie flavored drinks to taste better and be better for you!

6. Space. A sixth plus is space. That's obvious. You don't have all the bottles and cans sitting around, and the SodaStream unit only takes up a small amount of counter space.

7. Convenience. Yes you do save time and hastle from going to go to the store to lugging around bottles and cans of soda, this one is sort of a wash. See the reasons why you don't buy the SodaStream. But at the same time, those who claim that it's hard to find replacement CO2 cartridges, don't get out of the house much. In California at least, you can get replacements at any Staples, Macy's, Bed Bath and Beyond, Sears, Costco, and Target (to name a few). What may be issue is returning the unused cartridges, since not all stores that carry the cartridges, support sales and exchanges of the old cartridge. But what i do is simply collect the unused ones, and then periodically go to a store that does accept them.

So now lets address why you shouldn't buy the SodaStream. Or better yet, lets address why you don't buy the SodaStream.

1. To save money. While i know you will save money per liter, my feeling is that if that's the primary reason you're looking to buy the SodaStream, i don't recommend it. It's not signifant enough in my humble opinion, to warrant spending around $100 to $130 for a SodaStream unit, another $30 (minimum, less tax and shipping if you purchase the cartridges online).

2. Convenience. Despite the convenience "pluses" i mentioned earlier, as i stated, this is sort of a wash because you still have to go and return cartridges, and purchase syrup/flavoring, albeit less frequently than buying soda depending on how much you used to buying at one time.

Hope this information helps. One last note. In California where we have to pay a 5 cent redemption fee per can, this tilts the money saving and convenience to the "plus" side. A 24 pack adds another $1.20 at the cash register, and then you have to store the sticky cans and bottles until you can accumulate enough to make it worthwhile, to drive to the local redemtion center to get your cash back. That's incentive enough alone to purchase a SodaStream!!! Read more ›

627 of 661 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Love this product - no more hauling 2-liter soda bottles around March 11, 2010

By V. Lapato

We love the Sodastream machine and all the soda flavorings.

We live in a small condo with a long walk to our unit, and we got the Sodastream mainly to cut down on the number of plastic bottles we were hauling in and out of the place. Also, my husband drinks a lot of diet soda, and the sodium isn't good for his high blood pressure. The Sodastream diet syrups are low sodium or sodium-free, and they're sweetened with sucralose instead of aspertame (which some people think is healthier). For those who don't drink diet drinks, the non-diet syrups are sweetened with a cane sugar-and-sucralose mix, instead of high fructose corn syrup, so they're much lower in calories than name brand sodas.

The Sodastream has been great for our purposes. I have a lot fewer grocery bags to haul up the stairs every week, and a lot less recycling to carry out to the bins. We make soda as we need it, in whatever flavor we're in the mood for, so we can have a lot of flavor choices without having a lot of extra bottles sitting around. The water comes out perfectly fizzy if you follow the directions, and we've been very happy with the flavors. My favorites are the lemon lime, grapefruit, and cranberry. My husband likes the diet cola and ginger ale. Best of all, we never "run out" of soda. If we open the fridge and there's none in there, we simply make more.

Before we bought this product, I read a few consumer reviews that made me worry a little about the availability of CO2 refills and flavor syrups. For most people, this won't be a problem. You can simply order the CO2 canisters and flavors online, leave the empty CO2 canisters on your doorstep, and a messenger will drop by to pick up the empties and deliver your supplies....

Unfortunately, the messenger system can be a bit of a problem for those of us who live in security buildings, or in areas where it's not safe to leave things on the doorstep. Sodastream doesn't give you an estimated delivery date or a way to track your package. The messenger tends to show up at unpredictable times, day or night. The guy who delivers in our area is not too bright and speaks very little English. Twice he's been unable to follow the directions posted on the security system in our lobby so that we could buzz him in.

Fortunately, you can just exchange your CO2 canisters at Williams & Sonoma and Sur La Table stores. (And they last a long time, so you don't have to do it very often.) Unfortunately, the same is not true of the flavor syrups. Brick-and-mortar stores carry a very limited variety of flavors, so unless you only want a couple of basic flavors, you still have to order refills from Sodastream (and deal with their messenger service). But again, for the vast majority of people, this won't be as much of a hassle as it is for us.

A number of people have complained that the cost savings of the Sodastream are greatly exaggerated by the company. That might be true. If you're really pinching pennies, you can certainly make carbonated water on the cheap with some supplies from a home brewing store. But if you don't have the space for a DIY setup and don't want your kitchen to look like a science lab, the Sodastream is a simple, easy alternative.

One more tip, for those of you who are deciding which model to buy - we originally liked the more expensive "Penguin" model, because it looks more stylish on the countertop, and it uses fancy glass carafes. But then we realized that if we wanted to make soda and take it somewhere (to work, in the car, on picnics, camping, etc.), the plastic 1-liter bottles were much more practical. It's something to consider, especially if you want to break the habit of spending money on soda at the vending machines at work. Read more ›

2,142 of 2,343 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Beware gas refill costs and restrictions June 26, 2009

By Dr. J. A. Walls

Color Name:White

Beware the real total cost of ownership when buying this product.

These are great in the UK, where you can buy the gas refills (actually exchanges) in many supermarkets for not much money. However, in the US there are pitifully few outlets for the refills (Williams Sonoma and Camping World) and as such they are always out of stock. Because these gas cylinders have a proprietary fitting and anti-refill valve on them, they cannot be refilled at paintball, welding, or homebrew stores, so your only option is to mail them to Sodastream and obtain refills from the manufacturer directly. This adds up very quickly, and there is simply no way you can achieve the 20c per liter carbonation they claim here. The cheapest refills available from the manufacturer today are 3x14.5oz cylinders for $39 + $10 shipping = 41c/l. But since you have to have 3 cylinders first, you have to buy 3 more first (another $75 + $10 shipping), and these are their SALE prices.

It's an interesting novelty and the kids love it, but when the first gas cylinder runs out, the soda cans on the supermarket shelves are going to look really tempting again. It's a shame, here's another great idea marred by poor execution. I can't see that there is anything 'green' about burning up so much in shipping heavy cylinders back and forth across the country.

322 of 357 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars No more guilt over plastic bottles! June 6, 2009

By Victoria Compton

Color Name:Black/Silver

I love this thing! I bought it originally in order to stop throwing away so many plastic bottles (we're seltzer maniacs here).
Features:
* You can control the water source and filter it.
* You can control the fizziness (we're getting up to a level that boils in our blood for at least an hour after drinking it, but you can have a light Euro-water-style fizz as well).
* It's entertaining to use.
* It's better for the environment.
* The sound makes the dog get all wiggy, which is fun to watch. It sounds like a big raspberry when you fizz up a bottle of water.
* You'll probably be the only one on your block with a seltzer maker - it definitely spanks a bread machine.

I still haven't had to return the CO2 bottle, so I don't know how easy that's going to be. Delivery was slow but entertaining: about 3 weeks after we ordered, an actual Soda-Club delivery woman showed up at our door toting our new Soda-Club.

One caveat: the syrups are pretty revolting...at least the ones we tried. Plus, they all contain artificial sweeteners, even the non-diet ones. But we just add some lemon or orange essence (available in the spice section at your store) to pep it up a bit.

Also, if you go through fizzy water pretty fast, be sure to order two extra bottles. You have to chill the water before you fizz it up, so it's good to have a few in rotation.