The Very Best Soda-Makers

Whatwe’relookingfor

Best soda-maker overall

Fizz levels:Three| Fizz mechanism:Lever| Size:16” x 6” x 10”

The Aarke soda-maker is not cheap. And while there are more affordable models out there that work quite well, too (more on many below), the design of this one is particularly great and comes recommended by more people I spoke to than any other. All the experts stressed that when buying an appliance that will likely live on your countertop, it’s worth the investment to ensure it looks good. At the end of the day, sleekness is the real edge the Aarke offers. It’s made from all stainless steel and comes in a range of sophisticated finishes and colors so you can match it to your kitchen.

But the material is not all about looks; it feels solidly engineered. (Some others on this list have plastic parts to the body.) Still, it’s surprisingly lightweight (more so than the stainless-steel Breville option below), and the lever is smooth to operate. The only plastic part is the bottle, which has an attractive stainless-steel ring around the bottom. Recipe developer and cookbook authorJess Damucknotes the bottle is nice enough to bring straight to the dinner table. “It’s definitely a luxury item, and it feels like it,” she says.

As for function, the carbonator is simple to operate — so much so that Alexandra Wight, owner ofCrown Jewelin Portland, Maine, says her 5-year-old uses it with ease. You load the CO2 canister into the body of the machine from the bottom, twist the bottle into the top until it’s tightly secured,, and press down the lever on the side until you hear the release of C02 exhausting, almost like a buzzing (it’s a very audible change in sound). You can do this up to three times, depending on how much fizz you like.

Prop stylistJudy Kimsays the distinctions between levels are clear; she likes tighter, harder “Topo Chico-style” bubbles to sip on, but prefers looser, bigger bubbles for photographing. For their part, Strategist writerErin Schwartzdescribes one press as mild bubbles, two as closer to seltzer (this is my personal preference), and three as even more intense, like soda water (their favorite and also good if you’re adding other liquid mix-ins after that dilute the intensity a bit).

Fizz levels:Five| Fizz mechanism:Lever| Size:11.75” x 7.25” x 17.5”

SodaStream has been making carbonators for many decades, and I’d say it was the first brand to become popular in U.S. households. It has gone through many models over the years, and all have been generally solid and relatively affordable machines. My original pick for this list was the SodaStream Source, recommended by a couple of different experts, but as that iteration is no longer on the market, I tested the SodaStream Art, a newer offering.

I’ll say upfront: This soda-maker feels cheaper in build than the Aarke (above) and the Breville (below), the two other ones I’ve tested. The body is made from hard plastic instead of stainless steel. But for a significant price difference, it works well. The unit is easy to assemble, and I actually find the mechanism for attaching the CO2 canister and the bottle, both of which lock in by pushing, easier than the twist-on movement some other models require. The lever pushes down comfortably and easily. For me, three pushes yielded a nice amount of bubbles, but you can go up to five for an even more intense fizz.

Fizz levels:Three| Fizz mechanism:Button| Size:16” x 5” x 9.6”

The Mysoda Woody Sparkling Water Maker comes recommended bySandy Yu, a Strategist contributor who wrote an ode to this machine a few years ago. When I checked back in with her recently, she told me it’s still sitting on her kitchen counter and she’s still very much a fan. This one is simple to operate, working with all standard 60-liter CO2 cylinders, including SodaStream canisters. You press a single button to carbonate your water. “You can tell when it’s filled with bubbles as it makes a sound as if air is being leaked out, which usually happens after two or three seconds,” Yu says. She calls the resulting seltzer “delicious with the perfect amount of bubbles.” To her, that means “enough to wake your mouth up but without it feeling violent on your throat,” she says. “And if you deem the water too flat after having a taste, you can always add more.” She’s also a big fan of the build and aesthetic. This soda-maker is composed of wood and other renewable biocomposites residual from the forest industry, and it fits in perfectly with the other retro-looking appliances in her kitchen. It’s “minimal and unassuming,” she says, and it comes in a range of nice muted colors.

Fizz levels:No official max, but more than four presses at the max-fill line will typically overflow a bit| Fizz mechanism:Lever| Size:17” x 6” x 10.3”

The InFizz is Breville’s first foray into soda-makers, and I as soon as I heard it was coming out several months ago, I knew I had to get my hands on one: I trust the brand deeply when it comes to kitchen appliances, as they almost always manage to do a stellar job at designing pieces that are long-lasting, well-made, and attractive. (I think it looks just as nice as the Aarke, and it comes in a few color options, too.)

The first feature of note is that it is only one of two soda makers on this list that lets you add flavorbeforeyou carbonate your water — which both means more bubbles with less CO2 use if you’re using a flavoring. I’ve done this with meyer lemon juice and lime juice, and it works beautifully. You can also fully carbonate other drinks, like lemonade or wine. (The other machine that lets you do this is the Spärkel, above, because it works via carbonated packets as opposed to a CO2 tank. With the rest, you can add syrups or juices after-the-fact, but doing so pre-bubbles is not advised, as it can ruin the functionality.)

Even when it comes to plain seltzer, the machine excels. The lever requires a bit of a firmer push than the Aarke, but still feels smooth to operate, and I find two to three presses to be perfect for my taste (while there’s no official maximum number, it starts to overflow a bit if I press a fourth time when the water has been filled to the max line). I find three pushes does the trick for perfectly crisp, small bubbles that don’t feel too harsh on my throat. I also appreciate the nozzle for carbonating (different from the cap you use to seal and store the bottle): It has a small red tab to release built-up gas before you twist it open so that it doesn’t expel a volcano of bubbly water. My only caveat is that it took me several sessions to get the hang of attaching the bottle smoothly, but now it’s as easy as can be.

Fizz levels:Five| Fizz mechanism:Buttons| Size:14.75” x 5.75” x 12”

Each soda-maker on this list carbonates water with pressure from an attached CO2 tank that you replace — except for this one. The Spärkel System works by adding preportioned packets containing a mixture of baking soda and citric acid to a chamber at the top of the machine, then adding pressure (conducted when you press one of the five level buttons) to create bubbles. For Jenny Park, co-founder and recipe developer ofSpoon Fork Bacon, this was the major selling point. “Just in terms of creating waste, I like not having to buy those big carbonator tubes,” she says. “Some people don’t like the idea of using an outlet, but I don’t mind at all. It just lives on the counter.”

There are five levels of fizziness to choose from, taking anywhere from 90 seconds to four minutes to carbonate. (This is a longer fizz time than machines with a CO2 tank.) Park also likes that she can directly fizz flavored liquids like juice, an attribute the Breville InFizz allows too (more on that pick above).

[Editor’s note: The Spärkel is currently sold out, but you can sign up to be notified when it comes back in stock.]

Fizz levels:One| Fizz mechanism:Button| Size:16.5” x 13.6” x 20.5”

Strategist writerLauren Rowas gifted the Kül by the brand to test out — and while she acknowledges that the steep price would be a lot to shell out on her own, she and her family love it. To be fair, this thing is four machines in one. It produces filtered ambient, hot, cold,andsparkling water (like most other carbonators on this list, it works from replaceable C02 canisters). While you can’t choose your level of fizziness, “everyone who’s tried it says it’s the best sparkling water they’ve had,” Ro says. She describes the bubbles as small, tight, sharp, and refreshing, “kind of like Polar,” she says. “And it comes out ice-cold, which is amazing.”

Two notes: Ro says the hot water isn’tquitehot enough for her taste, but her husband thinks it’s totally fine (so just take note if you like yours on the more scalding side). And as you may expect, it takes up a fair amount of counter space. Ro has hers hooked up to the plumbing under the sink, but you can also get one with a well that you manually fill with water.

Fizz levels:One| Fizz mechanism:Button| Size:17-ounce bottle

The Aerflo is a soda-maker that comes in the form of a personal-size 17-ounce water bottle. Before I get into the details, I’ll say this is a particular gadget. I personally don’t have a need to regularly take sparkling water on the go, so I don’t think it would be a worthwhile purchase for my life. But if you are a dedicated sparkling-water drinker — the kind of person who doesn’t like flat, and who is perhaps buying seltzer bottles and cans at the grocery store or bodega with regularity — it might well be a smart investment for you.

My disclaimer aside, this bottle works very well. It’s designed like a regularreusable water bottlewith a carbonating mechanism built into the lid. The body itself is made from sturdy plastic, which is a bit of a bummer for the price (though obviously no worse than disposable ones).

Setup is simple: You unscrew a bottom opening in the lid, pop in a mini C02 capsule (it looks exactly like a tiny version of the ones that fit into the large countertop versions above), and close it. Fill the bottle with cold water, screw the lid back on, and press a button on the top up to four times to create fizz. (The instructions say that if you shake the bottle for a second or two after each press, it helps create even more bubbles, but to be honest, I found this step didn’t make too much of a difference.) What results, even without that shaking, is tight, crisp bubbles.

The package comes with four capsules to get you started, and each one contains enough gas to carbonate around four refills. There’s also a travel case should you want to take some on the go. When done, you return the empties with a pre-labeled return box, and the company sends you a new set of refills. (Once you get going, the refills come with 12.) This takes some dedication, of course — but again, for the right candidate, might be worth it.