The Best Soda Makers for Sparkling Water
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The carbonation renaissance is upon us. Whether it’s the obsession with hard seltzers like White Claw and its endless copycats or “better-for-you” sodas like Poppi and Olipop, people are craving that crisp, bubbly feeling in every corner of their palates. I’m one of them—simply addicted to bubbles. I try to keep it as healthy as possible by minimizing sugary sodas. I mainly just like simple seltzers or sparkling water.
But “healthy,” for me at least, is more than just watching sugar in my drinks. Lots of these sparkling beverages contain “forever” chemicals known as PFAS. As seen in a Consumer Reports study from 2020, the amount of carbonated water products with high amounts of PFAS is much greater than still water products. Some of these are very popular brands with an ingredients list displaying nothing but carbonated water—so you’d never know unless you were otherwise aware of PFAS. Making bubbles in your own home is a good way to remedy this.
Is It Cheaper to Make Your Own Soda?
Bubbling up your own water is obviously the more sustainable route than buying countless bottles of the stuff, even if it’s in glass—it still creates avoidable waste. The primary drawback with carbonators is that you need to continue to replenish your CO2 canisters. Generally, they run about $17 to $30 each (depending on brand) for a 60-liter canister, which adds up, so you’re not necessarily saving money. Some brands also have recycling programs where you send in your empty canister and get it replaced with a full one so that you don’t just toss out the metal canisters. These recycling programs were included in my testing.
How We Tested
Carbonators are a relatively simple technology. Generally, the gadgets just need a CO2 source and a means of pumping the gas into some water. I tested these first by using filtered water through a Zero Water filter. I was mainly looking for simplicity and something easy to use that makes a crispy, bubbly product. For the most part, all of these gave me a nice fizzy water. But some of them were a bit more complicated to use than others, mainly in terms of inserting the canister of CO2 as well as inputting the bottle. Others were as simple and smooth as could possibly be.
Check out some of our other beverage-related guides, including Best Nonalcoholic Wines, Best Energy Drinks, Best Juicers, and Best Nut Milk Makers.
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- Photograph: Andrew Watman
Best Overall
SodaStream EnsoWhat I like most about SodaStream’s carbonators is the technology to input the bottle into the machine. It’s definitely the most efficient—I do it with one hand. You slide the bottle into the wand and push it in. That’s it. Inserting the CO2 canister was also easiest on this machine than any of the others I tested. It’s completely self-explanatory and slides in with ease once you lift the lever on the back. You don’t need to screw the canisters in, which makes it easier than you could imagine, thanks to SodaStream’s “Quick Connect” canisters. On the Enso, which is the most upgraded of SodaStream’s several models, you just push down on the top button to carbonate. When you’re done carbonating, you pull the bottle back toward your direction and it slides right out. It’s locked tight into place while it’s carbonating without any fear it’s going to fall out.
I consider this the best carbonator because of its durability and simplicity. Some other carbonators seem to make the machine overly complicated. The SodaStream Enso feels sturdier than the brand’s other models and the stainless steel elevates its counter appeal. I also like the higher-quality hard plastic bottle with a stainless steel base that it comes with, and also the fact that all SodaStream bottles are compatible with any of its models.
Electric: No Bottle included: Yes, hard plastic Flavors included: No, but available CO2 refills available: Yes, $34 for two canisters Warranty: Two years - Photograph: Andrew Watman
Best Budget Choice
SodaStream ArtIf you’re looking to save a buck, the SodaStream Art will do the trick compared to the brand’s pricier models like the Enso. The primary difference is that it’s made of plastic instead of stainless steel. And instead of pushing down to carbonate, you pull a lever on this model. The most important aspect to me is that it has the same carbonation technology as the Enso, in which you just input the bottle and push in to lock it in place. This machine is more lightweight and made of a thinner plastic, but it makes a better soda than many pricier carbonators on the market.
The SodaStream Art comes in a few fun colors like light blue and red. SodaStream also has the cheapest CO2 canister exchange program out of all the exchange programs in this guide. The bottle that comes with this model is a softer plastic—one that you can push in with a little force. If you want to stock up on your seltzer, you can buy more bottles. They typically run $20 for two. You can also upgrade your bottles to glass, but you need to check if they’re compatible with your model. If you want flavors, SodaStream sells separate flavor mixes, like Pepsi or Mountain Dew, that you can add to your sparkling water for $7 each for a bottle that makes about 9 liters.
Electric: No Bottle included: Yes, soft plastic Flavors included: No, but available CO2 refills available: Yes, $34 for two canisters Warranty: Two years
- Photograph: Andrew Watman
Best for Traveling
Aerflo Aer1 SystemThis one’s for the sparkling-obsessed person who can’t leave the house without their bubbly beverage in hand. The Aer1 system from Aerflo is a nifty water bottle that allows you to carbonate on the go—and it works really well. Rather than the large CO2 canisters that most countertop carbonators require, the Aer1 comes with 15 mini capsules, which look almost like a bullet, and screw easily into the compartment that’s attached underneath the bottle cap. You fill the water high enough so that it hits this tube. Once the lid is screwed back on, you lightly push on the top to release the CO2 to your preference. After each push, you’re supposed to shake the bottle. That’s it. It produces a really refreshing carbonation.
The bottle is partially stainless steel, which helps keep it cold longer. It holds up to 500 milliliters of water if you plan to carbonate, but otherwise, it holds a total of 650 milliliters of water (you need to leave room for the bubbles). The company also provides the option to engrave your initials on it. The package comes with a small silicon capsule holder that allows you to carry up to three capsules on the go. It’s almost like carrying your earbuds case. I probably wouldn’t carry these in my pocket, but if i had a bag with me then I’d definitely throw it in there. Twelve refill capsules are also included, as well as a prepaid shipping box to send the empty ones back.
Electric: No Bottle included: Yes, hard plastic Flavors included: No CO2 refills available: Yes, $25 for 12 mini capsules Warranty: One year - Photograph: Andrew Watman
Best for Flavored Soda
Ninja ThirstiThe Ninja Thirsti is definitely the best option if you're looking to make flavored sparkling beverages. It’s a solid machine that gives a handful of options for personalizing your beverage. That includes three levels of carbonation plus an additional option if you want to keep it still. Rather than most other machines that come with a bottle to carbonate, the Ninja Thirsti requires you fill up a 48-ounce water tank that attaches to the side of the machine, which then fills up your individual cup. This tank makes the machine wider, causing it to take up more counter space. The tank has a detector to signal if the water inside of it is still cold. Since this is an electric machine, I’m not sure why it can’t just chill your drink while it dispenses. There are three options for the amount of liquid you want to dispense into your cup in increments of 6 ounces.
The product comes with a box of flavor pods, including flavors like lemonade, dragonfruit, watermelon lime, and strawberry kiwi. Some of these flavors are labeled with functional terms like “hydrate,” “vitamins,” or “energy.” I can’t say I felt any of those functional effects after drinking them. This is certifiably not the outlet I’m going to choose to get my vitamins (these pods say they contain B3 and B12). The energy pods claim to contain some caffeine. The machine holds two flavor pods at once, and you have the option of combining the two flavors at multiple strengths into your drink. For example, I was able to make a sparkling dragonfruit lemonade. For me, it’s a little too sweet, but if you like sweet sodas then you may enjoy these. The price, which is very reasonable, includes the variety box of flavor pods and one CO2 canister. A light appears when the CO2 canister is running low, which is a helpful feature that most machines don’t have.
Electric: Yes Bottle included: No Flavors included: Yes CO2 refills available: Yes, $60 for 2 canisters Warranty: One year
- Photograph: Andrew Watman
Best for Light Carbonation
Aarke Carbonator 3Two things stand out to me about the Aarke Carbonator 3. The first is that it’s undeniably stylish and stands out as a fancy kitchen gadget due to its highly metallic and slim body. It’s sexy. Second is that the bubbles that this machine produces are more faint than from the other machines. Even if you pump a lot of gas into the bottle, the carbonation level seems to be lighter compared to others. This makes sense, because Aarke is a Swedish brand. I’ve noticed that Europeans typically enjoy less carbonation in their sparkling water than Americans. I find that the water comes out more of a sparkling water rather than a club soda. The machine works by screwing the bottle into the machine, then pulling down on a lever. It works well. It’s not ideal that in order to insert the canister, you need to flip the machine upside down to screw it in.
Aarke also offers an upgraded carbonator called the “Pro,” but I wouldn’t recommend it after testing. I truthfully don’t know why anyone would spend more money to buy it. You would think the bigger machine means that you could fill up a bigger bottle of water, but no. The bottle, although glass, is the same size. I would understand the Pro version more if it could carbonate a large bottle of water, but since it doesn’t, I’m not sure why anyone would want a bulkier, pricier version.
Electric: No Bottle included: Yes, hard plastic Flavors included: No CO2 refills available: Yes, $90 for three canisters to start Warranty: Three years 
Photograph: Andrew WatmanOther Soda Makers We Tested
We liked these, but not as muchBreville InFizz Fusion for $250: What’s most unique about the mechanics of the Breville InFizz Fusion is its lever that has a really nice feel and resistance when you push down on it to carbonate, although I don’t think that’s a reason to buy it. The InFizz Fusion also comes in a variety of attractive die-cast metallic colors. But I had some problems using this, mainly stemming from the “Fusion Cap.” Most of the machines just require you to insert the bottle or screw it in. However, this machine has a cap that gets screwed onto the bottle, and then snaps into the machine from the top of it. Popping this into the machine seems unnecessarily tricky. It takes a lot of finagling every time I use it. Sometimes it’s difficult to snap the cap on properly although it seems like it’s on just fine, and I end up getting water everywhere when I begin carbonating. Other times, it seems like it’s on just fine, but the carbonation barely works. When I eventually get it, the machine works well. This part should be much more seamless, and given how simple carbonators generally are, this just adds some frustration.
Carbon8 for $150: I like the soda that the Carbon8 produces, but practically, I don’t think the machine is ideal. Like the Ninja Thirsti, it plugs into the wall, has a water tank, and fills up a cup rather than a bottle. Unlike the Ninja Thirsti, you cannot control the carbonation level—you get what you get! It also doesn’t keep the water cold despite being electric, and it makes a loud noise when it’s dispensing. Also when it dispenses, water splashes all over the machine. The company says the machine has a “re-mineralizing chlorine filter” inside of it, but personally, I’m already inputting filtered water. If you are inputting tap water, then you may choose the Carbon8. Keep in mind that you’ll have to replace these filters about once a month if you use it regularly. Each costs $15 or $12 if you subscribe.
