I've Tried All the Cool Soda Makers—and This Is the One I Have Two of in My Home

If you visit any grocery store, you’ll notice the sparkling water, club soda and seltzer aisle has exploded with new brands and flavors coming out seemingly every day. But before La Croix, Spindrift, or Waterloo, my husband and I became obsessed with sparkling water during a trip to Argentina two decades ago. Restaurants offered the option of still or sparkling water, and our friend who we visited there, always opted for sparkling. All of sudden, still water seemed, well, flat, while sparkling seemed vibrant, like the Argentine culture around us. Once we got home, we began buying flats of sparkling water at Costco. Then SodaStream came into our lives and we never looked back.

We’ve been through numerous SodaStreams, and have tried different brands, but the one we go back to is the SodaStream Terra. It’s a no-frills carbonator that is intuitive and easy to use, doesn’t require you to plug it in, and allows you to customize the carbonation to whatever level you like. It is also one of the cheapest carbonating machines available!

We love the ability to put the Terra anywhere, without having to plug it in. That means my husband can keep a second one in his work office, and move it around as he needs, and we even have another one in our bedroom, nowhere near a wall outlet. 

Carbonation customization is another important factor. We prefer our water to be somewhere between super bubbly and burning. The kid of one of our best friends actually nicknamed the sparkling water “burn water,” which gives you a sense of our carbonation preference! We also have friends who prefer their water lightly carbonated, significantly less than canned or bottled water. The Terra easily accommodates everyone.

SodaStream’s Terra machine is also one of the easiest carbonator models to use. Because it uses Soda Stream’s proprietary “Q” style tank (the Q stands for “Quick Connect”), setup is super easy. Just pop the back of the machine off, lift the pink lever, and push the Q tank into the machine. The water bottle also only needs to be pushed in, then you press the top button—the more pushes, the more carbonation—and enjoy. All told, you’ll have sparkling water, at the level of carbonation that you want, in less than a minute!

Of course, we love that the Terra saves us money in the long run with one $15 CO2 tank carbonating about 15 gallons of water or roughly 160 12-ounce cans. Plus, I don’t have to carry big cases of heavy canned or bottled water up and down our flights of stairs in the apartment complex.

While my husband prefers his sparkling water with no flavoring, I prefer making my own soda or sparkling beverage. SodaStream does not recommend sparkling anything other than water. But once the water is sparkling, I’ll occasionally add simple syrups, shrubs, juices, and other flavorings to my sparkling water, even if it’s just a simple squeeze of lemon or lime. And though I’ve made my own fruit syrups before, SodaStream has a line of flavored syrups (including Mountain Dew and Pepsi cola) as well as the “Bubly Drops” flavorings, which add natural flavors and no sugar (like your own custom La Croix). 

We love our SodaStream Terra so much that it comes on road trips with us! This allows us to have our custom carbonated water wherever we’re staying. We’ve even gifted a SodaStreamTerra to friends that we often stay with. It’s a present to them, but also to ourselves when we visit!

Other Soda Makers to Consider

Best Budget: Philips Soda Maker

The Philips Soda Maker is a no-frills carbonator similar to the SodaStream Terra, but without the proprietary “quick connect” tank. Instead, the screw-on CO2 tank, the industry-standard tank, is added and water is carbonated with just a few presses of the top button. This is a great option for those who want a good soda maker, but don’t want to spend a lot. Remember, the price does not include the first initial tank of gas, something many other machines do include.

Best Splurge: Aarke Carbonator III

If you’re looking for a handsome carbonator that will fit into your upscale bar, loft, or sleek modern kitchen, the Aarke Carbonator III is a great option. The sturdy machine is made of real metal and comes in a wide range of neutral metallic colors.

The stainless-steel nozzle and lever feel much more robust and durable than plastic ones, with the lever being a better option than a push-down button for anyone with mobility and strength issues. The included plastic water bottle is made of a heavier and thicker material than the SodaStream counterpart. The Aarke Carbonator III costs more than other carbonator machines, but it comes with a 3-year warranty and is built to last, making it a worthy investment.

Best for Carbonated Beverages: Drinkmate OmniFizz

SodaStream doesn’t recommend carbonating anything other than water in their bottles for a reason. Doing so can void the warranty, clog the SodaStream, and potentially introduce sticky liquid that can grow mold. But the Drinkmate OmniFizz is designed to carbonate any beverage including juice, wine, and cocktails, and can even revive flat soda and beer! 

It can handle more than plain water since the bottle has a specific fizz infuser cap. Once screwed on, the cap has a 2-stage pressure valve, allowing a slower release of gas when carbonating heavily foaming drinks. Since the cap is removable and easily cleaned, the OmniFizz never comes in contact with the liquid, making it safe to carbonate anything you want.

Best for Limited Mobility: SodaStream Art

Much like the Aarke Carbonator III, the SodaStream Art side handle makes it easier to use since you pull down and carbonate the water rather than pressing a button. This machine also allows you to easily carbonate the water to the sparkling strength of your choice, without having to plug in the machine. Attaching the tank of gas is simple since it’s a SodaStream Quick Connect model, where the tank snaps in without twist or unscrewing. The Art does take up more space than the Terra or the Aarke Carbonator III, so keep that in mind.

Best for Convenience: Sparkel Beverage System

Unlike other carbonating machines, the Sparkel beverage system does not use a CO2 tank. Instead, a mix of baking soda and citric acid creates CO2, which is then pressurized into the water. I like that the packages of powder are much easier to ship and store than heavy tanks of gas and don’t require shipping or bringing back tanks of gas to a store. 

Like the Drinkmate OmniFizz, Sparkel also allows you to add juice or other ingredients (like fresh fruit) along with water to make sparkling drinks in your bottle. The top four buttons carbonate the water at different levels, including a fifth one for extra carbonation for denser juices. The innovative bottles have a lid and a removable bottom, allowing you to easily clean the entire inside of the bottle thoroughly once you’re done. All that said, the Sparkel machine does require you to plug it in and even on the highest setting, water isn’t quite as carbonated as sparkling water made with a CO2 tank, and it loses carbonation fairly quickly in the bottle.

Why Take Our Word For It?

Irvin Lin is a cookbook author, recipe developer, food writer, photographer, and ceramicist. He wrote the cookbook “Marbled, Swirled, and Layered,” which was picked by the New York Times as one of the best baking cookbooks of 2016. Irvin also runs a blog called Eat the Love, where he’s developed, photographed, and written recipes since 2010. He’s product tested and reviewed hundreds of kitchen items. He has written for Food & Wine, Serious Eats, Simply Recipes, The Spruce Eats and many more.