SodaStream vs. Canned Sparkling Water: Payoff in 3.2 Months
Store-bought sparkling water costs about $0.54 per can — or $32/month if you drink two a day. SodaStream brings that to $0.13 per serving. The math pays off in just over 3 months. Every fizzy drink after that is essentially free.
Payoff Time
3.2 mo
SodaStream Fizzi vs Canned Sparkling Water
Product cost
$80
one-time
Annual savings
$300
vs Canned Sparkling Water
Best Payoff
SodaStream
The Setup: The Sparkling Water Habit
Sparkling water went from a specialty item to a refrigerator staple. LaCroix, Spindrift, Bubly, Waterloo — the canned sparkling water market has tripled since 2015 as people moved away from soda. As of 2026, a 12-pack of LaCroix runs about $6.50 at most grocery stores, Spindrift is closer to $8, and Perrier sits around $7. Good trade. But the economics haven't changed: you're still buying something, drinking it, and throwing away the container.
Two cans a day is a modest sparkling water habit. At $6.50 for a 12-pack, that's 60 cans per month, or 5 cases. That comes to $32.50/month, or $390/year, for the privilege of carbonated tap water in a can.
A SodaStream uses a 60-liter CO2 cylinder to carbonate tap water on demand. A cylinder costs about $15 to exchange and covers approximately 120 12-oz servings. At 60 servings per month, that's half a cylinder — $7.50/month for the exact same drinking experience.
The Per-Can Math
This is the cleanest way to see it. Canned sparkling water: $0.54/can. SodaStream: $0.125/can. You're paying 4.3× more for the can. Over two years, that premium adds up to over $600.
| SodaStream (per month) | Canned Sparkling Water | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per serving | $0.13 | $0.54 |
| Upfront cost | $80 | $0 |
| Monthly ongoing | $7.50 | $32.50 |
| Month 1 total | $87.50 | $32.50 |
| Month 2 total | $95.00 | $65.00 |
| ★ Breakeven (~3.2 months) | ~$104 | ~$104 |
| Year 1 total | $170 | $390 |
| Year 2 total | $260 | $780 |
| 5-year total | $530 | $1,950 |
* All figures are estimates. See methodology for assumptions.
Cumulative Cost Over Time
The lines cross at the breakeven point — that's when the savings zone begins.
The Flavor Question
Plain SodaStream water tastes exactly like plain sparkling water — which is to say, it tastes like the tap water you started with, just fizzy. If your tap water is good, you're set. If it's chlorinated or mineral-heavy, add a simple Brita filter upstream (adds ~$2/month, barely affects the math).
If you drink flavored sparkling water (Spindrift, flavored LaCroix), you can add SodaStream syrups (~$6-8 per bottle, covers 9 liters) or use a small splash of juice. The math gets slightly less favorable but still pays off in under 5 months.
Carbonation level: SodaStream goes higher than most canned sparkling water if you push the button twice or three times. You actually have more control than with cans.
The Plastic and Aluminum Case
A 2-can-per-day habit generates 730 aluminum cans per year. Even if you recycle perfectly, recycling aluminum requires 5% of the energy of primary production — it's not free. A SodaStream produces one plastic bottle that lasts 3-4 years. The environmental case is as strong as the financial one.
Sensitivity Analysis: Your Results May Vary
Payoff time changes based on how much you currently spend.
Heavy drinker (3+ cans/day or household)
You or your household goes through 90+ cans/month.
2.1mo
$450/yr
Regular drinker (2 cans/day) (our base case)
Two cans per day — our base case.
3.2mo
$300/yr
Light drinker (1 can/day)
One can equivalent per day — 30 servings/month.
6.3mo
$152/yr
"SodaStream costs $0.13/can to make. Store-bought sparkling water costs $0.54/can. At 2 cans/day, that's $300/year saved."
What We Recommend
The main differences between SodaStream models are whether carbonation is manual (push-button) or one-touch automatic, and bottle capacity. All produce identical sparkling water.
SodaStream Fizzi Sparkling Water Maker
$179
upfront
7.2mo
payoff
$300
/ year
Manual button press — hold to carbonate, release to stop. Comes with a 60L CO2 cylinder and one 1L bottle. Solid no-frills starter kit. Fastest payoff of the three.
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SodaStream Terra Sparkling Water Maker
$56
upfront
2.2mo
payoff
$300
/ year
Manual carbonation with a simplified, sleek design. Slightly wider bottle compatibility than the Fizzi. The $30 premium over the Fizzi pays off in about 5 weeks of savings. Our pick.
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SodaStream Art Sparkling Water Maker
$130
upfront
5.2mo
payoff
$300
/ year
The design showpiece. Glass carafe instead of plastic bottle. Retro lever carbonation with satisfying haptics. Worth it if you want it permanently on the counter and care about aesthetics.
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What we didn't account for
- → CO2 cylinder exchange availability. You need a nearby Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, or specialty kitchen store to exchange cylinders. Check before buying. Mail exchange is also available but adds ~$5/cylinder.
- → The plastic bottle. SodaStream bottles have a 3-4 year lifespan. Replacements are $10-15 each. We didn't include this — it adds about $3-4/year to the ongoing cost.
- → Flavored sparkling water gap. If you mainly drink Spindrift (with real juice) or Liquid Death (sparkling), the taste comparison to plain SodaStream + syrup isn't exact. Adjust the math if you'd use syrups.
See how SodaStream compares to other kitchen products.
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