Sodastream’s New Sodamaker Is a Dream to Use

The last time I wrote something for Lifehacker Australia, I proudly declared that I’m a Sodastream evangelist – the entry-level model is brilliant if you’re a soft drink fanatic like me, or if you’re just after some sparkling water. So, what about the high-end electric model, the Sodastream E-Terra? Sodastream was kind enough to send me a review unit of the all-new E-Terra, which I have been happily using for some time now.

Unlike the entry-level ‘Spirit’, which I previously used, the E-Terra is one of Sodastream’s few electric models, so operation and use is slightly different. There are also some design changes which I very much like.

So, here’s what I thought of Sodastream’s new flagship sodamaker.

All the sparkles

There’s only so much you can write about a sodamaker; really, these are products designed to house CO2 canisters, with a button on the top that simply opens the CO2 canisters up when pressed. The CO2 then flows through the device and into the attached bottle, carbonating the water inside.

That’s a very basic description, and is true of the Sodastream Gaia (Sodastream’s entry-level product) and the Sodastream Spirit (the previous entry-level product) – but the E-Terra makes some important changes.

The Sodastream E-Terra is electric, and on the top, you’ll find three different carbonation options. These indicate different levels of intensity, depending on how sparkly you like your water to be. I, personally, click ‘two’, as I can’t see too dramatic a difference between two and three, but find that ‘one’ isn’t sparkly enough for me.

With the button pressed, it’ll illuminate blue, and lights housed within the bottle holder will turn the bottle blue. It’s quite space-age if not entirely necessary.

I like having the process be automatic because I have no self-control. With my previous device, I would hold the button down for quite some time, and I found that I would go through CO2 canisters quicker than with the automatic machine. With the buttons activating the CO2 canister for a set duration, it feels a bit easier to manage just how much you’re using up.

And that brings us to the second major change, the switch to Sodastream’s new CO2 canister standard, known as ‘Quick Connect’. Canisters that conform to this new standard are pink and have the ‘QC’ logo written on them. Machines compatible with Quick Connect canisters aren’t compatible with the old blue canister standard, and similarly, older machines that weren’t made for Quick Connect can’t use them.

Machines fitted for Quick Connect have a neat trick – the canisters are, in fact, quick to connect (shocking!). All you have to do is align the machine with the top of the canister and use a lever system to wedge the canister in. It’s so easy and I’d say it turns an awkward minute-long process, where you have to lift the machine up and unscrew/screw in the canister, into a ~10-second job, where you basically only have to latch and unlatch the canister. This system isn’t exclusive to electric Sodastreams, as it’s compatible with Sodastream’s new range of devices (including the standard Terra, Art, and Duo).

That brings us to the electric process. It’s nothing of note, really – it plugs into a wall with a small wall plug, which then connects to the bottom of the device, running out of the back uniformly and without ruining the aesthetic. It’s faultless.

If you’re like me though, and only have wall plug outlets for so many things at a time, do make sure you have it plugged in before use, otherwise, it won’t work.

Should you buy the Sodastream E-Terra?

Sodastream’s new entry-level device, the Gaia, starts at $87, and functionally, you get the exact same end results; bubbles in your water. That’s all a Sodastream is. The Sodastream E-Terra, however, is a much more aesthetically pleasing device, and the electric mode of operation is satisfying, especially if you’re juggling multiple tasks at once, but at $164 in Australia, it’s hardly the economical choice.

I recommend it if you’re someone who really values the bubbles in your water (like me, who drinks their own body weight in Sodastream-brewed Pepsi regularly), but if you’re looking to save cash, you should probably consider the rest of the range.

The Sodastream E-Terra, like the Sodastream Spirit before it, is my most-used kitchen appliance, and I love it.

You can buy the Soda E-Terra from Sodastream online.

Image credit: Zachariah Kelly/Lifehacker Australia