I admit it. I used to be a Coke junkie. Oh, that’s not true. I was a Diet Coke junkie. 24 bottles minimum- until they came out with 2 liter bottles , and then it was 3, 4, or 5 of them each and every day of the year. (Th is routine was supplemented by 6 cans of Diet Cherry Chocolate pop- for my dinner dessert.)
So much pop that my stepdaughter felt compelled to convince her new home town to start a recycling program. She was convinced that my 5 newspapers a day and the pop bottles would help make the program a big success. (Her campaign was, by the way…)
I did drop my Diet Coke habit. More than 15 years ago. But, given the research and development work I had been doing (and occasionally still do) in the beverage area, I still follow the industry. (Bob Goizueta, a fellow ChemE, headed Coke from 1980 until his untimely death in 1997. He grew that business larger and better than it ever was.)
Yet, Coke is now embarking on a most ambitious project. It always wants its pop to be within an arm’s reach of desire- and now, it really will be. If you buy a specialized version of the Keurig single-serve machines.
In concert with Green Mountain Coffee Roasters [GMCR] , Inc. (I told you, Tony C.- keep these guys as clients!), a new counter-top Coke machine is on the horizon. GMCR is the current manufacturer of the coffee machine.
As opposed to offerings of the Israeli company, SodaStream, there won’t be carbon dioxide canisters. Because Coke (and GMCR) felt those were too big, too bulky, too inconvenient to refill, and just plain in the way.
(By the way, despite the claims of a certain ilk, SodaStream employs plenty of Palestinians- both in Israel and on the West Bank and would never be guilty of the poor pay practices of the McDonald’s, Burger King, or Big Banks (I spoke about these companies in a big series) afforded in the US.)
Those are the very reasons why the device is not already available to you and me. It took some 60 months to determine how to instantly chill the soda. (This process is called “flash-chilling”.) And, it took a variation on the “Keurig” theme, too. There will be 2 chambers in each of these pop devices- one for the flavoring and syrup and another to effect the carbonation. Oh- there will be Coke pods, as well as juice, sports drinks and cold teas. (The others are, of course, non-carbonated. And, Coke already owns Honest Tea, Fuze, MinuteMaid, PowerAde, among many other brands.)
Of course, the new product could fail. BreakMate was a big flop in the early 90s. (Sniff, sniff, sniff!) It needed a fresh water hose (like you need for the ice-maker in your fridge) and a power outlet. It was relatively small- 18 inches by 12 inches and 22 inches tall. Kind of like the BioFiltration Technologies pure water machine (“PWS”) that produced cold, purified, bacteria-free water for a family of 8 (and it was only 12 X 7 X 6 in dimensions). Except the BreakMate also needed a specialized carbon dioxide cylinder.
Which brings up the $1,000,000 question… Will folks make room on their counters for yet another device- the toaster, the microwave, the Keurig, and now the soda pop machine? One that will retail for less than $ 200- or opt for the SodaStream device that costs only $ 80? And, just like the Keurig-version of coffee is more expensive than normal coffee, you can bet this version of Coke will not match the sale prices you find in CVS, Rite-Aid, and the local grocers.
But, it is a big market. There is a 90% market penetration in American homes for pop. (Goodie- I’m finally in the top 10%.☺ Oh, wait, is that the bottom 10%? ). And, like was true with our dialysate business, pop is a big logistics business. Because one is basically purifying water, bottling it, and then transporting around the world.
So, freight is a big component of the delivered cost of pop. Making the business high-cost and low margin. Which is why we- and Coke- used bottling (production) plants dispersed around the country and the world. Because it was more efficient and cheaper to have multiple production sites to minimize the delivery costs.)
(Selling concentrate mix to bottlers and distributors affords Coca Cola a 40% profit margin or so. Bottlers have a profit margin of 20%- some even as low as 10%!)
The new device won’t require water distribution- and that’s 99% of the weight of the pop! But, it does mean some purification will be required. Because less than pristine water means the flavor of the beverage is flat- or worse!
This product introduction will be fun to watch- and probably be more fun for those of you who indulge in pop!
I like http://t.co/3DBwiDSTa5
I am a diet coke drinker. Horror of horror, I know its bad for me. I don’t drink, smoke or do drugs so I think diet coke it pretty tame when it comes to vices. So I am pretty excited about having a diet coke machine in my house! I’m not sure why this is a better alternative then just buying a case of coke from the store and bringing it home but it makes me feel giddy just with the thought.
Shawn recently posted..Gaining the Upper Hand in Business
Well, Shawn, I am sure Coke is dying to sell you one.
The only reason why this machine should be better than buying pop in a bottle is because it will be totally fresh- no loss of carbonation, no change in pH…
Let me know when you try it!
How will the carbonation work, if no canisters?
I have had Sodastreams since September 2008 and will stick with them. No need for all the extra chemicals in flavoured soda.
There are multitudes of ways to carbonate water, Catherine. Knowing Coke, I am not sure it will be subject to patent protection, though…
Wait a minute- are there not extra chemicals in flavored soda that you make with SodaStream????
Yikes, Roy, that’s a lotta pop!! I’m a little afraid of a machine like this that would make it even easier to drink pop! I see how addicting it is, and I really don’t want my family (or me!) to have this easy access!! If it was actually good for you, I’d feel differently about it . . . how about a sparkling juice machine, instead?
Amy recently posted..Langos: an indulgence we quite possibly have earned
Amy-
If I still drank pop, I would be buying this device. Because I know our water in this house is pretty darned good. But, if I lived somewhere else (Charleston, WV?)< I would be scared s.....s to try using my water to make pop. This device will be making juices, too- anything Coke sells, you can bet will be "podified". (You knew I would sneak that in somewhere...)
I guess a taste test would be a determining factor. IF it ends up tasting like “the real thing” and I guess that could depend on the water used….
Carolina HeartStrings recently posted..A SUBURBAN SURPRISE: MARYMEADE FARM
Taste is the key. And, can you imagine what pop would taste like in North Carolina or Charleston right now, with their water problems, Alessa?
I’ve found the taste of Coke is affected by its vessel. It’s better in small glass bottles than larger plastic ones. Cans fall somewhere in-between. I’d be curious to know how it would taste coming out of this machine but enough to pony up $200 for one? I dunno.
Can’t help imagining the old-fashioned vending machines where the syrup and carbonated water were shot haphazardly into a paper cup. Not good. In my humble opinion as a (current) soda junkie, the SodaStream offerings are even worse.
Think I’ll stick with whatever’s on sale this week.
Well, John, you are right- but for reasons you might not recognize. The large plastic bottles let carbon dioxide escape. The glass ones don’t. Some plastics are beter than others.
If you stick with whatever is on sale this week, then you are willing to buy (often) second-rate pop anyway. So, who cares if it is not made properly?
The pod system is supposed to have more QC than the old syrup and carbonated water deals- but you could be right…
Would you like Coke at your finger tips like Keurig right there in your very own home? There might soon be an app for that. What will they think of next? How about a milk machine? No wait. I think that is called a cow and is a little to big to fit on the counter.
Ann Mullen recently posted..Being One of the Great Self-Unemployed and Subcontracting
There already is milk in our fridge. (OK, not mine- but when the kids were little, there was..) And, milk has the same problem as pop- distribution of a liquid long distances…
Thanks for the comments, Ann.
I don’t think that my small kitchen in London could accommodate another machine…I think that this has to be for the American market. Your post made me dream of going to New York again. If only!
Muriel recently posted..Getting Back
I am in the process of going smaller, Muriel. It will be traumatic for me, since I use a plethora of tools, pots, pans, and dishes for my cooking. But, this device is not one for which I would opt. I’ll stick with my purified water fixation.
How about your very own soda machine?..In the US and nowhere else! http://t.co/GL9u6uvvX3
Will this Pop pop? http://t.co/Wb7pzDV0pZ
I think I could match your pop drinking past except for me it was diet pepsi. Now that I no longer drink the stuff, this machine would not interest me but as you say it will be fun to watch the sales around the end of the year holidays once it is on the market. Mexico floats in Coke and if one wants a pepsi they must look long and hard. Same with XOOX stores (their 7-11) you can only buy 3 kinds of beer in them and corona is not one of them. Tecate was smart and holds the franchise. Now there are XOOX’s on just about every other block, all open 24/7 and they don’t have corona…..To bad pepsi couldn’t work out a deal with Tecate.
Chef William recently posted..Chicken Milanesa
My ex-wife was a Pepsi Queen. So much so, that our kids used to give us taste tests (I always passed) to see if we could discern Coke, Pepsi, Diet Coke, Diet Pepsi…
We’re both better off sans the pop, Chef William…
Wow Roy! I can’t believe you survived all that pop! We only allow seltzer in our house, and we haven’t had the best of luck with the Keurig coffee maker. Our water may have been to blame, but I wouldn’t be putting one of these on our counter top.
I don’t use the Keurig, either, Suerae. I stick to the Melitta system- for convenience and taste. And, I have always been a fluiholic..
…diet drinks are bad for everyone, especially anyone with a neurological disease…
Caro Ness recently posted..The Zedonk
Caro- from where did you obtain that information? I am not saying diet drinks or conventional pop are good. But, bad for everyone- and with neurological diseases? I think that needs substantiation.
I like Coke? http://t.co/we67OphAdY
In the 80’s I worked for someone who provided his employees with all the soda we could drink – for free. And, coffee and hot chocolate. I can’t tell you how much regular coke, and TaB, I consumed. I rarely drink soda nowadays. I’ve had Sodastream drinks and they are good, but we have little enough counter space as it is. I think I would pass on this new machine.
Um. Did you work for us, Alana????
We provided free pop, coffee, (purified) water for all of our employees. Those that were paid hourly were provided 3 breaks a day (each 10 minutes) to finish their refreshments.
Now, I wonder, if I were still a drinking man (of pop- not of wine 🙂 ), would I actually purchase such a device….It’s easy to say anything I want, since the cravings have long diminished…