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I must admit I have a slight horror of kitchen gadgets. I well remember the smoothie maker that Child One was desperate to have for her birthday. It has wonderful, sleek, art deco lines – and is as big as New York’s Chrysler building. And then there’s the chocolate fountain, not much smaller than the Eiffel tower. And the waffle-maker both little cherubs persuaded me to buy which is, appropriately enough, the rough size and shape of Belgium.
You see, it’s easy for the girls. They don’t have to make whatever the novelty culinary item is. They don’t have to wash up the four hundred separate plastic bits of equipment required to create it. And they don’t have to ram the said item into a cupboard in the already groaning kitchen of Divorce Towers.
So when I was offered a free SodaStream I did hesitate.
But, after about a minute, I relented. I knew the girls would be thrilled beyond belief to have another vast chunk of equipment in the house. And one that makes fizzy drinks too! Their cups would be running over – all too literally, I was sure.
The day dawned and a slightly tired messenger dropped off a very heavy bag – he had been doing the rounds of fellow bloggers who’d also signed up for this treat.
The girls, once they’d clocked what it was, were beside themselves. ‘I never thought you’d get us this. I didn’t even bother asking!’ said Child One in high excitement. ‘But you don’t like us having fizzy drinks,’ said Child Two suspiciously. That’s right, I don’t – I think they rot childrens’ teeth and make them behave badly – but I decided the girls had got past the age, just about, when a glass of something fizzy would turn them into whirling dervishes for an hour. I well remember the time when TL brought home a can of Irn Bru and foolishly split it with Child Two. Shudder.
But that was ages ago and I decided to put it all behind me, as we unpacked the wonders in the bag. First, the very sleek SodaStream itself, all gleaming chrome and matt black. Then the rather sinister-looking fizz canister, a bit like a UXB. Then five different drink flavours, in bottles the shape of mini fabric conditioners. Lastly, some cards and some cut-out words like ‘crisp’ and ‘tropical’, so we could have a taste-off.
Naturally, this was the type of event a teenager could not contemplate without plenty of other teenagers, so we waited until we had got to a lovely kind friend’s house and had a quorum of long-legged shrieking girls in the kitchen before starting.
There was a lot of mixing, matching, bubbling and chatting but, through the melee, I could just about sort out the results. Mango and Apple flavour came out on top, with 5 votes. Two went for Orange (including me) and there was a lone vote for Cranberry. In general, we found all the flavours quite sweet, but some of that might have been because every flavour had to be diluted to a different strength. I admit it does help a bit if you read the instructions first, *ahem*.
All in all, a great addition to a birthday party or for a special occasion. Not that I’m shoving it in a cupboard until such an occasion rears its head, of course. Nope, no sirree.
Here’s the bit from SodaStream itself:
Sodastream’s range of great tasting flavours include something for the whole family to enjoy. From the traditional like Lemonade, Apple and Orange, to the new Clear range – free from artificial flavours, colourings and sweeteners, there’s a flavour for everyone. Sodastream drinksmakers are available from John Lewis, Comet, Argos, Robert Dyas, Lakeland and selected Asda stores. For more information visit www.Sodastream.co.uk or look us up on Twitter @Sodastreamuk