Which is better between Soda Syphon vs Sodastream?

I’ve been learning about sodas and the different options to make your own sparkling soda water, fizzy water, or sparkling water, and I wondered whether a Sodastream or a soda syphon is better.

I did some research and here’s what I found.

I’ll explain the steps needed to carbonate water using both soda makers including Sodastream (Soda Maker) and a soda syphon below, and also a cost breakdown of both devices and the CO2 gas canister.

So you can get a better idea of exactly why a Sodastream is better among soda makers. 

Which is easier to use a Soda stream vs soda syphon?

A Sodastream or Soda Maker requires about the same amount of effort to set up initially, but once you’ve installed the gas canister on a Sodastream you can use it to make 15 gallons (60 liters) with any level of carbonation.

Whereas, with a soda syphon or Sparkle Beverage System you need to install the canister and remove it afterward for each liter of fizzy drinks or carbonated drink you make.

Here’s a video showing how installing a canister in a soda siphon works:

And here’s a video showing how to install a Sodastream gas canister:

I the soda syphon cartridge price I found by looking at different options on Amazon, and can range from between $10 and $15.

 You can use any syrup you like to make carbonated beverages on both a Sodastream or a soda syphon, and therefore the syrup doesn’t affect the price.

But, the initial cost to get a Sodastream is more than a soda syphon or fizzier water.

At the time of writing and on the Sodastream website, they list 3 different models for sale that are on average $80.99, $116.99, and $143.99.

The difference in price between the different Sodastream fizzi units is due to additional features, such as preset fizz levels, and the kind of seltzer bottle and plastic bottles that comes with it to make your soft drinks and carbonated drinks.

With the preset fizz levels, you don’t have to guesstimate how fizzy your homemade soda water will be.

And the more expensive glass bottle Sodastream fizzi unit looks nicer due to its sleek design than the plastic seltzer bottle. It looks more amazing than a seltzer bottle because the material of the seltzer bottle is plastic with a basic Stainless Steel design.

You can also pick up second-hand models on Amazon for a bit cheaper.

A soda syphon on the other hand costs in the range of $35 to $80.

Considering you pay an extra $0.75 cost per liter when you use a soda syphon after 10 to 20 liters the difference in price balances out to be the same.

And then after that, you continue to save $0.75 per liter of soda or fizzy water you make.

A Sodastream seltzer maker comes with a CO2 canister which you refill, and you can purchase additional spare canisters for $30 each for the carbonation process.

This is recommended so that you never run out.

Therefore, a Sodastream is better priced and easier to use

(check out my Sodastream fizzi Models ultimate guide here).

When you take into consideration how much a Sodastream soda machine or sparkling water machine costs – around $100, you need to make 25 liters (825 oz) for it to pay for itself.

If you drink one glass of soda every day it would take about 3 months for the Sodastream machine to pay for itself.

If you get a soda syphon or the fizziest water you will still save money compared to buying soda water or Fizzy Drinks in a store or online, but it will take 4 times longer before you begin saving money with it.

This means it would take a year for a soda syphon to pay for itself.

 As you may be aware there are many different names for carbonated water, such as seltzer water, soda water, sparkling water, club soda, and tonic water.

Interestingly, they are all roughly the same.

There are, however, minor differences based on a few additives that are added to a few different kinds of carbonated water such as tonic water bottle, which is traditionally used for making cocktails.

There are also differences in where the water comes from.

For example, there are springs that have naturally carbonated water in areas where there has been volcanic activity in past.

I provided a complete summary of the differences between each of the different kinds of carbonated water in [this, link: Is Perrier Water Naturally Carbonated?] article, and how they’re made.

Definitely give it a read to find out more about what makes each kind of carbonated water and mixed drinks in a seltzer bottle unique.

If you drink more soda, use it for a whole family, or share it with your friends then it will last a month or two.

Because it can take some time to refill your CO2 canister, Sodastream recommends getting a backup canister or two.

To see which stores are close to you that will exchange your Sodastream CO₂ canister for a new one, you can use the search feature on the official Sodastream website by clicking here.

A Sodastream is a more economic, easier, and Excellent Option to use than a soda siphon.

The CO₂ gas cartridges for a soda siphon are typically $1 each and make 1 liter.

Whereas, the gas on a Sodastream 60L canister or COCKTAIL SHAKER  typically costs $14.99, which is $0.25 for 1 liter of soda.

This is because each soda siphon cartridge is a complete canister, so you pay for both the gas and the cartridge which increases the price.

Both devices cost around the same price, which means overall the Sodastream makes soda for a lot less than a soda siphon.

Each time you use a soda siphon cartridge you need to unscrew it and put another one in.

Which is more time-consuming than setting up the 60L canister for a Sodastream.