Best Sparkling Water Maker for Home (7 Soda Makers Compared)

Most fizzy water is just tap water with carbon dioxide pushed into it. A home machine does the same job for a fraction of the cost per liter, and the cans stop piling up.

The harder part is choosing one. Cylinder types, bottle rules and “carbonates anything” claims all vary from brand to brand.

The short version: Get the SodaStream Terra if you only want fizzy water. It is cheap, cordless, small, and uses the pink Quick Connect cylinders sold in many stores. If you also want to fizz juice or wine, buy a machine made for it, like the SodaStream Mix or Drinkmate OmniFizz. The one rule that matters most: only carbonate in bottles made for your machine.

Quick Picks

• Best overall: SodaStream TerraJump to review ↓
• Best for fizz control by hand: SodaStream ArtJump to review ↓
• Best with glass bottles: SodaStream E-DuoJump to review ↓
• Best stainless steel design: Aarke Carbonator 3Jump to review ↓
• Best for juice, wine and cocktails: SodaStream MixJump to review ↓
• Best value for fizzing any drink: Drinkmate OmniFizzJump to review ↓
• Best for small servings: Breville InFizz AquaJump to review ↓

Sparkling Water Makers Compared

Machine	CO2 cylinder	Power	Bottle	Fizzes other drinks	Fizz control
SodaStream Terra	Quick Connect (pink)	None	1L plastic, dishwasher safe	No	Button presses
SodaStream Art	Quick Connect (pink)	None	1L plastic, dishwasher safe	No	Lever
SodaStream E-Duo	Quick Connect (pink)	Plugs in	1L glass carafe + 1L plastic	No	3 preset levels
Aarke Carbonator 3	Standard 60L screw-in	None	1L plastic, hand wash	No	Lever pumps
SodaStream Mix	Quick Connect (pink)	None	Plastic, dishwasher safe	Yes	Release dial
Drinkmate OmniFizz	Standard screw-in (60L or 10L)	None	Plastic, hand wash	Yes	Button bursts
Breville InFizz Aqua	Screw-in canister	None	1L (0.6L sold separately), hand wash	No	Lever

1. SodaStream Terra: Best Overall

The Terra does one job well and costs less than most machines here. There is no plug, so it can sit anywhere on the counter, not just near an outlet.

What sets it apart from cheaper no-name machines is the cylinder. The Terra uses SodaStream’s pink Quick Connect cylinder, which clicks in from the back without twisting. Those cylinders are the easiest to swap in the US. Many grocery, hardware and big-box stores take an empty one and hand you a full one.

The Terra only carbonates water. You add syrup or fruit after the fizz, never before. If that is all you want, there is little reason to pay more.

Who should buy it: First-time buyers, renters and anyone who just wants cheap, steady sparkling water. It is one of the small kitchen gadgets worth buying when you cook for one, since it replaces a whole shelf of cans.

2. SodaStream Art: Best for Fizz Control by Hand

The Art does the same basic job as the Terra. The difference is the lever. Instead of a button on top, you pull a retro-style lever on the front, and you can feel how much gas goes in.

A button gives you a few fixed steps. A lever lets you stop at a light sparkle for everyday water, or keep pulling for sharp, strong bubbles for a lime soda. If two people in the house like very different fizz levels, the Art handles that better.

It also comes in more colors, including red and green, and looks more like an old soda fountain than a gadget.

Who should buy it: People who care how strong their bubbles are, and anyone who wants the machine to look nice on an open counter. If your counter is busy, these countertop organization ideas for a small kitchen help you find it a spot.

3. SodaStream E-Duo: Best With Glass Bottles

Glass does not hold smells, does not scratch easily and looks good on the dinner table. The E-Duo is the main machine that carbonates straight into a glass carafe.

That only works because the machine is built for it. The glass carafe sits inside a closed chamber while it is under pressure. Never try to fizz a regular glass bottle in a machine that is not designed for glass.

The E-Duo is also electric. You choose one of three fizz levels and press once, and the machine does the rest. You get the same result every time, which is nice if several people use it.

Who should buy it: Anyone who wants to skip plastic at the table, or who serves sparkling water with dinner. Pair it with the best ice maker for home use if you go through a lot of cold drinks.

4. Aarke Carbonator 3: Best Stainless Steel Design

The Aarke is the machine people buy when the soda maker lives on an open counter and has to look good. It is made from 304 stainless steel, the same kind of steel used in good pots and sinks. Our guide to what stainless steel cookware is explains why that steel holds up.

It also works differently from the SodaStreams. Aarke takes standard screw-in 60-liter cylinders, not the pink clip-in ones. The lever lets you pump as many times as you like, and one to three pumps suit most people.

The trade-off is in the bottle. It is plastic, it is hand wash only, and you cannot use glass with this machine.

Who should buy it: Design-minded buyers who want a machine that lasts for years and do not mind hand washing one bottle. It fits well in a studio apartment kitchen where every appliance is on show.

5. SodaStream Mix: Best for Juice, Wine and Cocktails

Every machine above is water only. The Mix is SodaStream’s answer for people who want fizzy lemonade, sparkling apple juice or a homemade spritz.

The trick is the release. Sugary and alcoholic drinks foam hard when you carbonate them. On a water-only machine, that foam shoots back into the works. The Mix has a dial that lets the pressure out bit by bit, so the foam settles instead of spraying.

What makes it different from the Drinkmate below is the cylinder. The Mix uses pink Quick Connect cylinders, so you can swap them at the same stores as every other new SodaStream. If you already own a Terra or Art, your spare cylinders fit.

Who should buy it: Anyone who juices at home or likes making drinks for guests. Fresh juice from one of our top juicers turns into a fizzy drink in a minute. For citrus, our guide on how much juice is in one lemon helps you plan a batch of sparkling lemonade.

6. Drinkmate OmniFizz: Best Value for Fizzing Any Drink

Drinkmate was carbonating juice and wine at home long before SodaStream made the Mix. Its key part is the Fizz Infuser, a cap that sits between the bottle and the machine. It lets you add gas in short bursts, then release the pressure slowly so the foam does not boil over.

What makes it different is flexibility. The OmniFizz takes standard threaded cylinders from other brands in 60-liter and small 10-liter sizes. It does not take 130-liter cylinders or 8-gram chargers. The small 10-liter cylinder is handy if you only want fizz now and then.

Using it on juice takes a bit of practice. Chill the drink well, fill the bottle only halfway if it foams, and press in short bursts with a pause between them. Pulpy juice can clog the Infuser, so strain it first.

One safety note. In 2025, Drinkmate recalled some 1-liter bottles sold between 2023 and 2024 that could burst. The CPSC recall notice lists the expiry dates to check. It applies to older bottles, not new stock, but check any secondhand bottle before you use it.

Who should buy it: Curious home cooks who want to fizz everything from iced tea to cider without spending much. If you brew tea in bulk, our iced tea maker guide covers the brewing side, and this machine adds the bubbles.

7. Breville InFizz Aqua: Best for Small Servings

The InFizz Aqua is Breville’s water-only machine. It sits in the same space as the Aarke, with a steel body and a lever, but it suits a different kind of household.

The big difference is the small bottle. Breville sells 0.6-liter bottles that fit this machine. That is about one large glass. If you live alone, a full liter can go flat in the fridge before you finish it. A small bottle means fresh fizz every time.

It also has a magnetic drip tray that pops off for rinsing. Drips from the bottle neck land there instead of on the counter. A popping sound tells you when the water has reached full fizz, so you do not have to guess.

Who should buy it: Solo households and anyone who likes their water freshly fizzed by the glass. It sits well with our list of small kitchen appliances for cooking for one.

How a Sparkling Water Maker Works

Every machine on this list does the same basic thing. A cylinder holds carbon dioxide under high pressure. When you press the button or pull the lever, a valve opens and gas rushes through a thin tube into the cold water.

Cold water holds gas much better than warm water. That is why every maker tells you to chill the water first. Warm water lets the gas escape, and you get weak bubbles and a lot of hissing.

Once the bottle is sealed, the gas stays dissolved under pressure. Open the cap and it starts to escape, slowly at first. A tight cap and a cold fridge keep the bubbles longest.

Quick Connect vs Screw-In CO2 Cylinders

This is the first thing to check, because each machine takes only one type.

• Quick Connect (pink top): Used by newer SodaStream machines like the Terra, Art, E-Duo and Mix. It clicks in without twisting.
• Screw-in (blue top on SodaStream): Used by older SodaStreams and by most other brands, including Aarke and Drinkmate. You thread it in by hand.

The two do not swap. A pink cylinder will not fit a screw-in machine, and a blue one will not fit a Quick Connect machine.

How Refills and Exchanges Work

You do not refill a cylinder yourself. You trade the empty one for a full one. Many supermarkets and hardware stores run an exchange counter, mostly for SodaStream cylinders. SodaStream, Drinkmate and Aarke also run mail exchanges, where you send empties back in a prepaid box.

Read the terms on mail bundles. Some charge a fee if you do not return your empties within a set time, often 90 days.

Never try to refill a cylinder at home, and never tamper with the valve on top. The valve has a safety feature that stops the cylinder from over-pressurizing.

What Does Homemade Sparkling Water Cost per Liter?

A cylinder exchange is the main running cost. A 60-liter exchange usually costs somewhere around $15 to $25, depending on the brand and the store. That works out to well under 50 cents a liter if you get the full 60 liters.

Real numbers depend on how you like it. Strong fizz uses more gas, so heavy fizz fans may get closer to 40 liters from a cylinder. Bottles add a small cost too, since plastic ones expire and need replacing every few years.

Buyer type	Machine budget	Running cost
Just want fizzy water	About $60 to $100	Lowest, with easy store swaps
Want glass or a premium look	About $150 to $250	Same gas cost, pricier bottles
Want to fizz juice or wine	About $60 to $150	Slightly higher, since sweet drinks need more gas

The machine also saves trips to the store. If you carry home heavy cases of seltzer, our guide to eco-friendly alternatives to common kitchen appliances covers other small swaps that cut waste in the same way.

Bottles: Plastic, Glass and Dishwasher Rules

Plastic carbonating bottles are made from PET, a tough, light plastic. They are built to hold pressure, but they wear out. Every one has an expiry date printed on it. After that date, stop using it for carbonation. You can still use it to store still water.

Glass carafes only work in machines designed for glass, like the E-Duo. They have no expiry date. Use them for as long as they have no cracks or chips.

Dishwasher rules vary by brand:

Bottle	Material	Dishwasher	Expires
SodaStream (Terra, Art, Mix)	Plastic	Yes, lower rack	Yes, date on bottle
SodaStream E-Duo carafe	Glass	Yes	No, unless chipped
Aarke	Plastic	No, hand wash	Yes
Drinkmate	Plastic	No, hand wash	Yes
Breville InFizz	Plastic	No, hand wash	Yes

Hand wash in cool or lukewarm water with a little mild dish soap.

Heat is the enemy of plastic bottles. Hot water and the drying cycle can warp them, and a warped bottle is a weak bottle. The exact temperature limits are on the SodaStream bottle care page.

If a bottle starts to smell, soak it overnight in warm water with a little baking soda or white vinegar, then rinse well. It is the same gentle approach as cleaning an electric kettle. A clean dishwasher matters too, since a dirty filter can leave a film on bottles. Here is how to clean a dishwasher properly.

Can You Carbonate Juice, Wine or Other Drinks?

Only in a machine built for it.

Water-only machines, like the Terra, Art, E-Duo, Aarke and Breville, push gas straight into the bottle. Sweet or alcoholic drinks foam up fast and can push sticky liquid back into the machine. Fizzing anything but water in a water-only SodaStream voids the warranty.

Machines like the Mix and OmniFizz solve this with a special cap that lets the pressure out slowly. Even then, a few habits help:

1. Chill the drink as cold as you can without freezing it.
2. Fill the bottle only halfway with foamy drinks.
3. Add gas in short bursts, with a pause between each one.
4. Let it settle before you release the pressure slowly.
5. Strain out pulp first, since it can clog the cap.

On a water-only machine, flavor goes in after the fizz. Add a splash of juice, a squeeze of citrus, or a syrup to the carbonated water, then tip the bottle gently. A good lemon juicer makes fresh citrus fizz easy. If you want to try apple, our explainer on the difference between apple juice and apple cider helps you pick which one to use.

How Much Fizz Control Do You Need?

Fizz control comes in three styles.

• Button presses (Terra, OmniFizz): Simple and quick. More presses mean more fizz.
• Lever (Art, Aarke, Breville): You feel each burst, so it is easy to stop at the exact level you like.
• Electric presets (E-Duo): Pick a level and press once. Every bottle comes out the same.

If one person uses the machine, any style works. If a whole family shares it, electric presets avoid the “who made this so flat” argument.

Will It Fit on Your Counter?

Most sparkling water makers are about 16 to 17 inches tall and narrow, around 5 to 7 inches wide. The height is the problem. Many of them will not fit under upper cabinets with the bottle attached, so measure the gap first.

A cordless machine is easier to place, since it does not need to sit by an outlet. If counter space is tight, keep it on a shelf and bring it out when needed. These guides on making more counter space in a small kitchen and storing small appliances in a small kitchen have practical ideas. Spare cylinders take up room too. A narrow shelf from our vertical storage ideas for small kitchens works well for them.

Think about the fridge as well. Sparkling water tastes best cold, and one-liter bottles are tall. Our tips on how to organize a small fridge help you make space on the door. If your main fridge is full, a mini fridge for drinks can hold bottles near where you use them.

Safety Rules Worth Following

Most problems come from the wrong bottle or badly stored gas.

• Only carbonate in bottles approved for your machine. Never use a soda bottle, a water bottle or a glass bottle the machine was not made for.
• Replace plastic bottles at their expiry date, or sooner if they are scratched, bent or have been near heat.
• Store cylinders away from heat. Keep them below 120°F, away from stoves, ovens, radiators, dishwashers and hot cars.
• Do not store spare cylinders under the sink next to cleaning chemicals. A cool pantry or cupboard is better. Our guide to organizing under the kitchen sink shows what belongs there instead.
• Let a cold cylinder warm up first. If one has been in a cold car, leave it at room temperature before use.
• Never put ice or milk in the carbonating bottle.

Is There a Sparkling Water Maker Without CO2?

A few tank-free machines have tried pods that release gas inside the machine. They have come and gone, and none are easy to buy now. CO2 cylinders remain the practical choice: cheap per liter and easy to exchange.

Which Sparkling Water Maker Should You Buy?

• You want fizzy water and nothing else: SodaStream Terra.
• You are fussy about how strong the bubbles are: SodaStream Art.
• You want glass at the table: SodaStream E-Duo.
• You want steel that lasts and looks good: Aarke Carbonator 3.
• You want fizzy juice and cocktails with easy cylinder swaps: SodaStream Mix.
• You want to fizz anything for less: Drinkmate OmniFizz.
• You drink one glass at a time: Breville InFizz Aqua.

A sparkling water maker sits in the same family as your kettle and blender, so plan where it goes before it arrives. Hot drinks are a different job. If you are also choosing a kettle, our electric kettle guide covers that side. For blended drinks, see the best blenders for smoothies. Small appliances add up on the power bill too, and these tips on reducing kitchen energy use in a small apartment help. A cordless soda maker uses no power at all.

Related Guides

• Best Iced Tea Maker
• Best Commercial Masticating Juicer
• How Do Electric Kettles Work?
• Coolest Kitchen Appliances to Buy
• Renter-Friendly Kitchen Upgrades
• How to Stock a Small Kitchen for Solo Cooking
• Small Kitchen Hacks

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a sparkling water maker worth it?

It is if you drink sparkling water most days. A 60-liter CO2 cylinder exchange usually costs well under 50 cents per liter of fizzy water, and you stop carrying cans and bottles home. If you only drink a few cans a week, the machine takes longer to pay for itself, and the counter space may matter more than the savings.

Can you carbonate juice or wine in a sparkling water maker?

Only in a machine built for it. The SodaStream Mix and the Drinkmate OmniFizz use a special cap that lets foam escape slowly, so they can fizz juice, tea, wine and cocktails. Water-only machines like the SodaStream Terra, Art and E-Duo should carbonate plain water only. Add flavor after the fizz.

What is the difference between Quick Connect and screw-in CO2 cylinders?

Quick Connect cylinders have a pink top and clip into newer SodaStream machines without twisting. Screw-in cylinders, usually with a blue top on SodaStream, thread into older SodaStreams and most other brands, such as Aarke and Drinkmate. Each machine takes only one type. Check the type before you buy spares or swap at a store.

How long does a CO2 cylinder last?

A standard cylinder is rated for up to 60 liters of sparkling water. In real use you get fewer liters if you like strong fizz, because every extra press uses more gas. Someone drinking one liter a day at medium fizz can expect roughly six weeks to two months from one cylinder.

Can sparkling water maker bottles go in the dishwasher?

Some can. SodaStream bottles marked dishwasher safe go on the lower rack, away from the heating element, and SodaStream glass carafes are dishwasher safe. Aarke and Drinkmate plastic bottles, and the Breville InFizz bottle, are hand wash only. Plastic carbonating bottles also carry an expiry date, so replace them when it passes.