I make my own seltzer with a SodaStream, and it saves me a lot of time and money

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Instagram / SodastreamusaSome gadgets save you time, others save you money or are environmentally conscious, but few are all three. That's what makes the SodaStream such a win for me, it's one of the rare exceptions to the rule.

Instead of lugging around cans or bottles (that I would recycle, mind you) I can make seltzer in my kitchen.

Although it's called the SodaStream, I don't like soda and have never made any. I've heard from some friends that using the flavor packages you can buy separately do make ok results, but your mileage may vary. I'm only in it for carbonated water, and the SodaStream has helped me make it reliably for a couple years now.

The one thing that surprised me about the SodaStream was how low-tech it was. There's nothing to plug in or configure, just screw in the included CO2 cartridge (more on that later) into the back, fill up the included bottle with water, and push down on the top of the SodaStream to release some of the CO2 into the water. The model I use has been discontinued, but the models below seem to follow that same technique.

Now, back to the CO2 canisters. Each large container can create around 60L of seltzer depending on how bubbly you like it. The problem is that shipping large CO2 containers is a safety risk, so the bundles below include smaller ones. You can buy a larger CO2 container from a store if you'd like, and while the initial cost is pretty high, you can swap empties out with new ones at a few different retailers for a fraction of the price.

Given the low price of seltzer and soda, it's possible the SodaStream won't pay for itself in your case, but it has in mine. I drink seltzer constantly. And over a couple years, it's saved me from having to stock up my fridge every couple days. I'm also conscious of the environmental impact that plastic is having, and it feels better to use something renewable instead of contributing to that cycle.

If you're always running to the store to stock up on carbonated beverages, I recommend giving the SodaStream a shot.

It's not hard to use, and the new models are apparently not as loud when dispensing CO2, which is my biggest complaint with the one I have. The most highly rated, currently available models are listed below, with the main differences being the materials used and slightly different designs.

As I said earlier, it's easy to find something that saves you time, money, or is environmentally friendly, but the longer you use your SodaStream, the more it does all three.