SodaStream Goes After Keurig With Offer of Free Soda Machine

Keurig's loss is SodaStream's gain — it hopes

The carbonating-beverage-machine world just got a little feisty. Earlier this week, Keurig announced it would discontinue KOLD — the company's proprietary appliance that made single servings of seltzer water, iced tea, and sodas such as Coca-Cola, Sprite, and Dr. Pepper. The brand said everyone who purchased a KOLD will be eligible for a full refund. Today, Keurig competitor SodaStream announced it was offering "disappointed" KOLD customers free Fountain Jet soda machines in exchange for a selfie with the discontinued product. Shots fired, Keurig.

To qualify for a free SodaStream, owners of the discontinued KOLD machines must email a photo of themselves with the machine along with their name, address, phone number and their machine's serial number to info@sodastreamsupport.com. SodaStream will then send them a promotional code which can be redeemed for a free SodaStream Fountain Jet machine. (Shipping and handling fees will apply.)

In a press release, SodaStream's North American president Doug Pritchard offered up a few digs at Keurig, saying his company was inviting "disappointed Kold users to enjoy fresh sparkling water at home every day." Pritchard snuck in another dig at Keurig by saying that SodaStream "offers an environmentally friendly and economical solution that we're certain these people will enjoy for many years to come."

The KOLD product caught some flack for its cost — it retailed for between $299 and $369.99, and drink pods cost between $1.12 and $1.25 — as well as the amount of waste its pods produce. While the company says its pods are "fully recyclable," users would be required to break each individual small pod down to its paper, plastic, and metal components — not the easiest task when compared to dropping it in the trash.

SodaStream's Fountain Jet retails for $79.99 and utilizes a carbonator and a reusable bottle, in lieu of pods. The Fountain Jet, however, won't make a Coke-branded product. Instead, it churns out bottles of admittedly less sexy — but certainly less sugary — sparkling water.

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