Technology

4 Best Soda Makers for Making Seltzer at Home, Tested by CNET

Global NewsXAugust 24, 2023Last Updated: August 24, 2023

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4 Best Soda Makers for Making Seltzer at Home, Tested by CNET

$80 at Amazon

SodaStream Terra

Best overall soda maker for most people

$160 at SodaStream

SodaStream Aqua Fizz

Best soda water maker with glass carafes (Currently Out of Stock)

One thing is certain: Whether you’re a hardcore La Croix fan or more of a Liquid Death drinker, sparkling water has never been more popular than it is right now. According to Grand View Research, it’s estimated that the soda water market was worth around $30 billion in 2020, and it’s only continuing to grow. But all those cans and bottles can add up and put a dent in your budget. If you’re looking to save some cash but don’t want to give up your seltzer addiction, a great option is to look at soda machines to make your favorite drinks at home. We’ve tested the best sparkling water makers from popular brands to bring you the top available options.

SodaStream is the best-known brand in the category, but there are several other great sparkling water makers to choose from. To find the best sparkling water maker for 2023, I hauled in a few popular models, including three of SodaStream’s key offerings. While most are fairly simple machines that pump carbon dioxide into water, there are some distinctions between various models that might make one better for you than another.

sodastream terra on kitchen counter — While there are more elegant options, the SodaStream Terra is probably the best soda water maker for most people.

SodaStream

Despite its many competitors, SodaStream’s $90 Terra is still the overall best soda water maker for most people. But there are others worthy of consideration including a sparkling beverage system that makes extremely precise and consistent bubbles without a CO2 canister. Another model I like, the fancied-up Aarke III Carbonator, is big on design but will cost you a pretty penny.

Here are the four best soda water makers in 2023.

SodaStream

The Terra is SodaStream’s entry-level model, but it works well and lands at the top of our list as the best soda water maker for most people. The Terra made consistently fizzy water with simple manual pumps. It’s very easy to operate and doesn’t take up much space on the counter.

Spärkel

Spärkel is a lesser-known sparkling water system that bypasses the CO2 canisters and uses granulated sodium bicarbonate and citric acid instead. The process of making a single bottle of soda water is slightly more involved and takes about three minutes, but this machine is also more precise than any other I’ve tried.

Aarke

If design and aesthetics are important to you, the Aarke is pretty clearly the best-looking soda water maker on the market. It’s built from metal, while most others are constructed from cheaper plastics. It also has something of a vintage malt shop appeal, and it’s slim, so you can slide it onto the counter without forfeiting much real estate.

SodaStream

If you’re looking to transport yourself to an Italian piazza, a bottle of sparkling water poured from a shapely glass bottle could help. SodaStream’s Aqua Fizz has all the functions of the other models but an elevated design. The carafe that accompanies the $160 starter package is glass, and the base that holds them while in use is metal. It’s also quieter than other models since the bottles are encased completely while they’re being pumped with gas.

How I tested soda water makers

In testing to find the best soda water makers, it mostly came down to general performance, ease of use and overall value. I made at least 10 full bottles of sparkling water using each, noting how proficiently and consistently a machine executed its most vital duty of imparting CO2 into water. I also carbonated other liquids including fruit juice and wine, but found that there was really no difference in performance based on the type of liquid being carbonated. If a machine carbonated water well, it did so across all liquids.

Some of the machines took more muscling and pumps of the lever to get CO2 emitted into the bottles. Of the manual machines, the SodaStream models were the most consistent. But with five unique settings, the Spärkel electric seltzer maker made the most precise soda water.

Aarke water carbonation machines — The stylish Aarke III carbonator comes in five finishes and has a vintage malt shop look.

Aarke

I also took note of the sturdiness and build of each soda water maker. The Aarke III is by far the most stylish soda water maker and is built solidly out of stainless steel with five finishes to choose from. While aesthetics are nice, it’s also by far the priciest model with a $230 list price, which keeps it from being the best model for most people.

Other soda water makers to consider

DrinkMate OmniFizz: This $120 sparkling water maker did a fine job carbonating water, wine and juice. I don’t have much bad to say about the machine other than that the hinge at the top that connects the bottle connects to the machine seems like it could loosen or break over time.

SodaStream Fizzi One Touch: This is SodaStream’s electronic sparkling water maker and lists for $130. It also performed well and has three presets to get whatever level of carbonation you seek. This is another model I don’t have any major issues with, but I just don’t think it’s worth the extra $30 over its manual counterpart, the Terra.

Soda Sensei: This $100 model looks nice, but it struggled a bit more than the SodaStream Terra to make consistently bubbly water.

How much will a SodaStream soda water maker save you?

Let’s use the rough estimate SodaStream gives of getting 60 liters out of each $15 cartridge if you use the exchange program. That breaks down to about 25 cents per liter. By comparison, the average cost for a 1-liter bottle of soda water is about 80 cents in a store.

Are SodaStreams and soda water makers better for the environment?

Yes. A soda water maker such as SodaStream or the Aarke Carbonator has almost no negative environmental impact. If used instead of store-bought seltzer, these machines will take hundreds of cans and plastic bottles out of the waste management and recycling system every year. Standard CO2 canisters are reusable, too, which is why SodaStream will sell you a refill for half price if you return the empty canister.

Can you carbonate other beverages with a soda water maker?

Beyond making bubbly water, you can add fizz to just about any liquid with a soda water maker. Fruit juices, sparkling wine and beer that have gone flat are just a few popular beverages to consider other than water. But, heck, if you want fizzy milk, you can make that, too.