For years as I climbed my way up through interesting projects and jobs, I had developed a terrible habit. The insatiable need for soda. In specific, Diet Coke. It seems like in corporate America the can of Diet Coke is as much of a mainstay in an executive’s office as a smart phone.

Then Coke did an incredible thing and brought us an even better version - Coke Zero.

It started with a can a day. Then two. As an addict does, I started my commute by pulling into 7-11 and picked up a fountain version. Again, started with a reasonable 32 oz. cup. That slowly morphed into the Super Big Gulp - 64 ounces of pure chemical goodness. One day I saw the greatest invention. Called the “Team Gulp” it was essentially an insulated bucket that held a preposterous 128 ounces.

To make matters even worse, we remodeled our offices and installed a soda fountain.

I soon realized this was out of control.

Reading about the ills of soda, I realized it was time to quit. But I loved the bubbles, the fizz and the quench of a cold beverage. My first step to kicking the habit was trying fizzy water. Pellegrino became an immediate and incredible substitute. I cut soda immediately and have never looked back.

But now I had a new addiction - carbonated water.

There were bottles and cans of the stuff all over my home and office. Aside from the cost, I couldn’t help but feel concerned that I was single handedly filling the landfills (or recycling bins) with this waste. I looked high and wide for a solution and found the most incredible solution.

Grohe Blue - a home water dispenser for cold flat water and chilled sparkling water.

Now I have sparkling water on top 24/7. In addition to reducing my waste of cans bottles, it was also a huge economic gain- Pellegrino, Perrier and La Croix are not cheap. Within 15 months of installing the tap, it had already paid for the investment and my doctor is so pleased to see me drinking a gallon of water every day.

I admit that I still do enjoy caffeine in the form of coffee and espresso.

Luckily there are two incredible devices that have brought those drinks home with ease.

First, the Bosch Tassimo machine.

The Tassimo system is a single-serve coffee system that prepares one-cup servings of espresso, tea, hot chocolate, and various other coffee drinks, notably those including milk such as latte or cappuccino. Instead of trudging to my local coffee shop, I pop a disc in the machine and it makes the drink in a minute or two. I could make these espresso drinks at home, exactly in the way I want to enjoy them without the messy clean-up of conventional espresso makers. Throw the disc away, and you’re done. Especially returning from Italy, a doppio espresso is a wonderful afternoon treat.

The sister machine to this fine German engineered espresso machine is our powerhouse Keurig.

Keurig is a beverage system that uses pods, which are single-serve containers. Keurig brews up a great single cup of coffee and can vary the size and strength of the cup. The beverage varieties include hot and cold coffees, teas, cocoas, dairy-based beverages, lemonades, cider, and fruit-based drinks.

We’re huge fans of the Coffee House brand for a hot cup of joe, while summers are spent enjoying the Diet Snapple Lemon Iced Tea. The versatility of the machine, incredible low maintenance and ease of use makes this investment a worthwhile one.

Whatever your liquid cravings are, I can’t speak more highly of these machines and brands. It will add a pep to your step and keep a few extra bucks in your wallet.

Tom's Favorite Things : @GROHE_US + @Keurig + TASSIMO

To make matters even worse, we remodeled our offices and installed a soda fountain.