Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Let me preface this by saying I am a big fan of SODASTREAM. I definitely think fresh bubbly water is a must have and it is terrific (both environmentally and otherwise) to lose the endless plastic bottles. That being said I will tell you our story. My brother in law bought the SODASTREAM Jet version with the plastic bottles this summer. We all used it in a beach house and were thrilled. I concur that the syrup is disgusting, but that is no matter. We use it strictly for bubbly water. As a mom with 3 young kids, I decided to spend more money and get the PEnguin because it uses glass bottles. I feel that the less plastic around, the better. However the Penguin is an enormous disappointment. I am sure that it will be modified and improved in the future...but I would tell anyone to purchase the cheaper, easier Jet in lieu of the expensive less functional Penguin. 1. The caps do not seal well. The fizz is gone quickly and when you tighten them they break easily. They are impossible to replace as apparently everyone breaks theirs and they have been backordered. There is absolutely no admonition in the packaging to beware and not over-tighten and the natural impulse is to do that when the fizz disappears so much more rapidly than other models. 2. The internal mechanism is unwieldy and wiggly and hard to manage. It sounds to all out ears as if a lot of gas leaks in there and that the internal seal is not tight. The plastic JET bottles screw on and it is clear they are much more efficient. There is a much higher cannister turnover and that means you are spending more money. It ends up being expensive, honestly. 3. The glass bottle is smaller than the plastic bottle and it is frustrating. On one hand this is actually good since it goes dead within an hour, but on the other hand you feel you have to fill up the bottle 3 times when a few adults have bubbly water to drink. 4. It is hard to tell about proper carbonation level. With the Jet model it was a buzzing sound and it was pretty easy to master. With the penguin it is a weird squeak. Someties it comes, sometimes it doesn't. It is completely impossible to master it and as a result it is easy to over carbonate or under carbonate. Then there is wasted gas and leakage. I TRULY WOULD DISCOURAGE ANYONE FROM PURCHASING THIS MACHINE. It is a wobbly, peculiar disappointment. Get the plastic bottle model and you will be happy. The bubbly tastes FABULOUS! But the glass bottles and crummy seal are the pitts!