Once upon a time, this dailySpark blogger was a naïve 19-year-old college sophomore, studying in France and enjoying her first overseas experience. My two best friends at the time were Maria, who is from Russia, and Jen, a German. They were sophisticated, well-traveled and tri-lingual. Sticking close to them, I learned much about the European lifestyle.

Our first day in France, we stopped at a small café for lunch. They ordered first, asking for a baguette sandwich avec un Perrier, s'il vous plaît. They had raved about this special European drink that wasn't readily available at our university in southeast Ohio. I had only heard it mentioned on TV and in movies.

We sat down with our lunches and started eating. Thirsty after a long flight and a busy morning of sightseeing, I took a big swig of my clear, bubbly beverage and nearly spat it out. It tasted like what happened when the soda machine ran out.

Sour, too fizzy and just plain bad.

At 19, I wasn't so great at standing out from the crowd, so during my entire three-month stay, I kept ordering Perrier or other kinds of l'eau gazeuse. It seemed to be a "cool" yet calorie-free beverage.

People change, tastes change and nine years later, I wish all my water had bubbles. Club soda, seltzer, Perrier, San Pellegrino… I love it all. While most of my eight cups a day are plain old flat tap water, I do indulge in bubbly water whenever I can. It's just such a treat for my tongue.

I was thinking about buying an old-fashioned seltzer canister, but then I saw the Soda Stream on another blog. Bubbly water and better-for-you seltzers and sodas at home? I would be able to make bubbly water without feeling guilty for importing it from halfway around the world in a plastic bottle. I couldn't wait to check it out!

They say:
"Making carbonated water and soft drinks is so simple. Turn tap water into sparkling water in 3 seconds! Enjoy the convenience of home soda and protect the environment. No heavy bottles to carry, store at home or throw away. Fizz to your taste with our delicious syrups. Add the flavor of your choice and make your favorite drink. Simple to clean and reuse. With the latest designs it will also look great in your kitchen. So… do you still do bottles?"



We say:
Soda Stream is an at-home soda system that allows you to make homemade seltzers, sodas and flavored waters. It looked easy enough to use, so I emailed the company and asked them to send us a machine. (Note: Soda Stream did send us a free machine and several syrups to test.)

We sometimes have "play time" for an hour or so on Fridays; we play Wii, ping pong, or have taste tests. I thought that testing this would be a fun Friday afternoon activity.

Once we figured out how to work the machine (reading the directions first would have helped), it was easy to use. With supervision, even kids could learn how.

I opted for straight-up bubbly, but many of my co-workers tried some of the soda syrups. The non-diet syrups are lower in calories than regular soda because in addition to sucrose, dextrose, and fructose, sucralose is used. Soda Stream also offers some flavorings to add fruity tastes to your water. (Though we think just adding a lime, lemon or orange slice is better and easier.)



We didn't ask to test the Soda Stream because we suddenly think you should drink more soda. We wanted to try it because the average family of four spends $500 a year on soda! The Soda Stream machine kits start at $89.95. The bottles are reusable and if you do opt for one of the syrups, they make about 12 liters or 33 cans and cost $4.99-$6.99.

Flavored seltzer is a great option if you're having trouble getting eight cups of water a day. If you're feeling particularly inspired, you could add fresh fruit juice or other flavors to your bubbly water. You could even create your own soda flavors (just be sure you're still drinking your eight cups of water a day).

Paul, whose love of energy drinks is well-known, was really excited to try the "Energy" drink syrup. He quickly went through the first bottle included in the kit and bought himself two more bottles. Instead of paying $2-$4 a day for his energy drink, he spent $5.99 on a bottle that will make almost a month's worth of servings!

Most people in the office have long forgotten that the Soda Stream is still here. To them, it was a novelty that was fun for an afternoon. Paul and I are the only two who use it regularly. But, if you're often spending $1 a bottle for flavored carbonated water, a Soda Stream seems more affordable.

Even when carbonated, Cincinnati's tap water doesn't have the minerals and unique taste of my once-loathed, now-beloved Perrier, nor does it come in that familiar green bottle. But it's still pretty good.

Would you try the Soda Stream? How do you make sure you're getting eight cups a day? Do you add flavorings?