The Home Carbonation System from SodaStream
In 1903 the first SodaStream carbonation maker was invented.
When different concentrated syrups became available in the 1970s and 1980s, drink machines were made that could add concentrates to create carbonated drinks in popular flavors. This company then merged with Soda-Club and was relaunched as a way to make healthy drinks for kids.
SodaStream’s drink maker is a small device that forces carbon dioxide into water, making it have a taste like soda pop. The system consists of: a) a machine; b) a canister of carbon dioxide; and c) reusable beverage bottles suitable for pressurizing. The bottle, when filled with water, is screwed on to the machine, and with a push of the button ejects compressed CO2 from a canister into the bottle, making sparkling water (also called seltzer). There are a number of flavors which can be used to create regular soft drinks by adding a tiny amount to the carbonated bottle of water. When the canister is out of CO2, you return it to the market and purchase a carbon dioxide (CO2) refill.
With so many types of concentrate, unique and different flavors of soft drinks can be made. During the years that the systems were at the height of their popularity, many well-known brands were available for SodaStream in the concentrates – such as Fanta, and Sunkist.
MilkStream, is a variation of the SodaStream, and was invented for creating milkshakes. Ice cream, milk and Crusha syrup can be combined in a glass, and utilizing an extended wand into the glass, a frothy, delicious milkshake is made.
The first machines made were rather large, and were sold to the upper classes of London, including, notably, the royal household. There were flavors with odd names, one being the famous sarsaparilla introduced in the 1920s, as well as commercial carbonation machines. In 1955 the first home carbonation machine was produced.
In the UK SodaStream enjoyed great popularity during the 1970s and 1980s; presently it’s associated with nostalgia for those periods of time. The advertising jingle in 1970s was, “Get busy with the fizzy”; the slogan was so popular that the company added it to its logo. In 1996 it was retired after 17 years of use.
Although commercially successful, the soft drinks made by these machines were perceived by some to be an inferior version of their commercial counterparts. One of the differences noticed was that in addition to slightly different flavors of the produced drink, the bubbles made by SodaStream machines are larger and shorter-lived. Today this has changed, partly because of Aromhuset flavors for carbonated water, and Sodastream now is the leader in sparkling water.
Today, SodaStream is part of Soda-Club and there are several websites where they can be purchased and all the supplies can be ordered and reordered when needed.
