Starbucks' New Fizzio Soda Machine Has One Huge Advantage Over SodaStream

Starbucks is rolling out handcrafted sodas across the Southeast on Tuesday.

Baristas will brew the sodas in stores using a Starbucks-branded "Fizzio" machine, which the company bills as a "breakthrough in carbonation technology."

A "tall" Fizzio soda will sell for $2.45. By comparison, a tall coffee costs $1.80. Three decaffeinated flavors will be available starting Tuesday: Spiced Root Beer, Golden Ginger Ale, and Lemon Ale.

With the addition of soft drinks, the company is trying to tap into the SodaStream-inspired demand for healthier carbonated beverages without artificial flavors, preservatives, or high fructose corn syrup.

Unlike the SodaStream, however, the Fizzio is able to carbonate a flavored beverage. This ensures that "every ingredient in the beverage receives the same level of carbonation and maximum flavor," according to Starbucks.

It will also allow Starbucks customers to add "fizz" to Teavana Shaken Iced Teas and Refreshers - a service that will cost extra 50 cents.

The SodaStream, on the other hand, carbonates plain water and flavors can be added later.

"We are changing the game in terms of how to get a carbonated drink," Josh Fine, the brand manager for Fizzio, told USA Today. "Like what Starbucks did to coffee 40 years ago, we think we can do in the carbonation space."

The sodas will be available in 16 states, including Virginia, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Hawaii and parts of California.