Soda from another world

We are the proud owners of a SodaStream Crystal 2.0 and have been using the thing for about 2 months now. I have to say, it is truly fantastic to have access to unlimited carbonated water. We had been talking about getting one for a few years, but somehow never got around actually ordering one. At least every ten days or so, I’d go and buy a new crate of bottled water, which meant driving a car and hauling up the water five flights of stairs from the garage to our flat. Thankfully, those days are gone now.

But here is the thing that astonished me quite a bit. I read about how the company SodaStream runs some aggressive advertising campaigns against companies like Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola. I’ve also read about how SodaStream does a lot for the environment and how they showcase the environmental impact of bottled water. In Germany, however, SodaStream ads are all about saving money and about not having to lug hundreds of bottles around every year. The environment isn’t even mentioned at all, and I think that’s very sad and not very smart.

After all, everyone is currently trying to save the climate one way or another and environmentalism has been a daily topic for a few years now. Not even SARS-CoV-2 was able to wipe environment topics from our news, so why not make use of that fact in ads? I am pretty sure that SodaStream could convince a lot more customers to buy their products by using guilt as a reason to buy rather than an increase in comfort. The company should be waltzing into homes here without any resistance by making everyone feel bad about their bottled beverages. By the way, this goes for any company that offers similar products, SodaStream is just the only one advertising in Germany as far as I know.

Apart from all the environmental and financial benefits and increased comfort, there is another thing that I really love about our SodaStream. After unlocking the enclosure, there is a short hissing sound of excess CO² escaping from the higher pressure environment. The lid will gently slide upwards and once it has reached the top, the holder of the bottle will pop forward and present the freshly carbonated beverage to you. But it does it as if it’s offering you an alien artefact that was stored in a fancy lock-box for a millennium, and you have just managed to open it up. The only thing that’s missing is fog pouring out of the system, a few coloured lights here and there and a soft humming noise. Sometimes I drink a glass of carbonated water just to empty the bottle, so I can carbonate some more.

I’m not saying that you should buy a soda machine. But if you do, it will save you money and time and might make you feel like space faring Indiana Jones.