So, okay, I actually got it exactly one month early, since my birthday isn't until July 24th, and I received it June 24th.

Not much to say really. I like the thing, and I do find it fun to try carbonating things...with varying degrees of not recommended...
(Apple Juice in particular is pretty good carbonated, though.)

I have one of the non-electric units. with a push-button on the top. (They call this one the "Fountain")
I can't imagine why one of these would really need electricity. If I had one of those, I would likely find out how to trip the system manually.

Currently, I've only tried 3 of the flavors available.
Cola, Dr. Pete, and Pina Colada Mocktail.
Cola isn't bad, reminds me of the Walmart store brand. Closer to pepsi. I think some lime might offset the sweetness a bit.
Dr. Pete, from the perspective of someone who doesn't usually drink dr. pepper, is decent. closer to root beer.
and Pina Colada is TERRIBLE!
This is from the perspective of someone who actually likes Pina Coladas.

Other flavors are available, but due to a shortage, and an unwillingness to try the 0 calorie and diet verities, those are all I've tried.
(Seriously, I might have even tried the Extreme Energy flavor if it wasn't sugar free)
All the sweetened ones are advertised to have 1/2 the sugar of regular soda...not sure I believe it.



Other experiments, such as juice, tea, etc, go directly against the warning in the manual stating that this is a very bad idea....
...But when has that ever stopped me, MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!


So far I've tried:

Tampico fruit punch, which ended up more sour. Not bad.
Cold Coffee....which I would rather not describe the results of...
Iced Green Tea (Arizona), which made it less sweet... I would say this is so-so.
Apple Juice, as noted above. Less sweet, but smooth. the carbonation really compliments this stuff. This would be good for holidays.
And a recipe I heard from Dr. Stone (Anime)... THIS is interesting on so many levels, and leads me to wonder how accurate the things I don't understand from the anime are. The recipe is Cilantro, lime zest, lime juice, and caramelized honey. I need to figure out the actual amounts, but, I can't believe that this worked so well. My result tasted like watered down Pepsi.

I've also invested in two additional carbonating bottles, as well as two additional CO2 tanks.
While services exist to exchange, or refill an empty tank, research suggests I can do so using dry ice.
While again, THIS GOES DIRECTLY AGAINST THE WARNING LABEL, AND THE WARANTEE, I should be able to refill a canister by matching the weight ratio printed on the bottle.
It's also good to know that those services exist, since I cannot get dry ice in the winter time.
I may find myself investing in a full-sized CO2 welding tank at some point. those can also be used.


As a side experiment: I'm also researching the possibility of using the canisters as a computer duster. CO2 is the exact opposite of flammable, I just think it would work well... no results as of yet.

That sounds like a lot of fun. Carbonated apple juice might make for a really cool Christmas gift.

I'm definitely looking forward to watching the next episode of Nite SodaStream Alchemy!

Okay, Two additional CO2 tanks arrived today. How I have not used all of the first is beyond me, especially with how I've been abusing the poor thing.

The tanks are advertised for 60 liters of carbonated water (With varying results by unit, and amount of CO2 injected into water...also I haven't been keeping count.)


We'll find out soon enough how long one tank lasts me I'm sure.


Also: Nite SodaStream Alchemy... I like this!

Update: finally used all of my first tank of carbon dioxide. Lasted roughly 2-1/2 weeks of near constant usage.

Major snag with trying to refill with dry ice... They put the valve on this thing really super tight. I seem to lack the capability to remove it, at least as of current. The pressure release bolt on the side is a different story entirely.


Edit:

Fun thing about Carbon Dioxide... it expands when exposed to heat, even as low as room temperature. Even when the tank is empty, you will still be able to shoot CO2 into your water, however at this point the pressure will be insufficient to carbonate your water. THIS is actually how you tell your tank is empty.



My sister is looking at getting 5-gallons of coke syrup next time KFC re-stocks their supply.
I know the ratio is far higher than the concentrates that Soda Club sells, but the concept here sounds promising. Research suggests it's a 5-1 ratio for brand-name syrup. We'll just need to see how long this stuff lasts.

No problem - feel free to steal my title!

Sounds like you've hit a few bumps in the road, but I'm sure you'll find a workaround! Just be careful.

So, after getting the valve off of the canister, my first attempt at refilling with dry ice ended in failure.
Unfortunately, I managed to lose the rupture disc. This is an important part of the unit, not only to prevent a catastrophic failure, but because without it in place filling is impossible.

Near as I can tell, this part is the same as what is on paintball guns. Due to hazard potential, I will not list off the planned alternatives here.

I've decided to play it safe, for this particular part, and ordered a 3rd party replacement.

Side note: There is a severe lack of data regarding this part, at least when it comes to SodaStream units. It took me SEVERAL HOURS just to find out what it was actually called.

This is relatively new territory for me. Expect some trial and error, to end in error... it's all part of the process.

So, it would seem that the window for getting dry ice is much much shorter than expected, and is often in short supply.
I was able to refill one co2 tank via this method. Which lasted about as long as the other tanks.
My next plan is to acquire a large co2 welding tank.looking up kits for making beer have turned up results, as a 20lb welding tank is often used for kegerators. Adapters exist to hook a 20lb tank straight in to the sodastream as well. No modding would be needed from there. (Also 20lb would be roughly 20X of what one of the standard tanks is.. That would last me a long time)

As a bit of an update on the syrups:
Lemon Lime tastes like sprite. As would be expected. I like this one.

And root beer tastes awesome! This one os tricky to mix, because as it turns out, root beer has about the same consistency as dish soap, and can react violently when mixed with carbonated water. I had to get creative with this one. What I ended up doing is putting the syrup in an empty bottle, and carbonating the water in a separate bottle, then I added the carbonated water to the root beer syrup by trickling it down slowly along the sides. Patience is definitely a must for this one. But it's worth it.


Edit:

aaaaaaaand the larger tank wouldn't work out either...Apart from the fact that they ship empty, seems nobody within range actually fills welding tanks...the dry ice idea would work all the same, but I'm still stuck with the issue of availability.... my hands are tied on this... I'm going to have to pay the $15.00 to get the canisters exchanged.

Interesting stuff. I never knew that root beer syrup had such a volatile personality!

I think the issue with root beer syrup in particular is just how thick it is, compared to things like cola, or fruit flavors.
Mixing it is doable easy enough, it's just tricky if you don't want to make a mess.
As a side, mixing root beer at 2x strength makes a really d*** good ice cream float.

I finally secured enough dry ice to fill two CO2 canisters today. they are currently frozen solid, but the concept seems to have worked as planned so far. I'll know more once they thaw.

Note: I don't expect to get quite as much out of this due to the fact I favored the weight ratio toward the lighter end of the scale, for safety reasons. (Although the worst case scenario would have just been the rupture disc...well..rupturing... )


Update: Awesome! The dry ice idea worked like a dream! roughly $5.00 per canister to refill this way, as oppose to the $15.00 for the canister exchange.

So, now that I know I have a means of filling a canister with CO2, I think I can start preparing for the next step.
Albeit out of reach due to overall cost as of current, the same theory should apply, and I know exactly what I need.

https://beveragelements.com/beverage_elements_shop/gas-cylinders-regulators/co2-cylinders/20-lb-co2-cylinder-aluminum-new/ 20lb CO2 tank (No gas)
(These can go up to 50lb, but that's very unlikely to happen)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Soda-Maker-External-CO2-CGA320-Tank-Adapter-Hose-Compatible-with-SodaStream/402257353725?hash=item5da8681bfd:g:7asAAOSwPM5euLjs
CGA320 to Sodastream direct connection hose adapter.

And about 20lb of dry ice.

A 20lb tank would be over 20x more than the small tanks sodastream sells, and overall would be much, much cheaper.