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High-quality soda makers are easy to use, can quickly carbonate water to the level of fizziness you want, and they don't take up much space in your kitchen.
The Drinkmate Beverage Carbonation Maker is our top pick because it features a pressure release to avoid messes, is backed by a two-year warranty, and, most impressively, it can inject just about any liquid with effervescent bubbles.
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La Croix and Spindrift are all the rage these days. And, it seems like new sparkling water brands are popping up every day to get a piece of this growing market. If you like to sip on seltzer, you know how expensive it can be. Often, it's pricier than the sugar-packed options out there. Fortunately, there are several excellent soda makers on the market that can produce affordable carbonated beverages in a matter of seconds.
Aside from saving some money (we'll get back to that), there are several other reasons why sparkling water makers are a smart investment. Whether you buy cans or bottles of your favorite beverage, there is a significant amount of packaging involved. Even if you are able to recycle all of it, energy is wasted in the recycling process. With soda makers, you can cut down on energy use.
Also, lugging 12-packs, liter bottles, and cases from the store to your home can be a real pain. This problem goes away with a good soda maker. Another benefit is the ability to customize flavors. There are countless recipes for making homemade soda syrups available online, and you can come pretty close to mimicking the flavor of your favorite fizzy beverage.
The most popular soda makers don't use electricity or batteries. You simply load the CO2 cartridge, fill the reusable bottle with cold water, attach it to the unit, and press a button to release the CO2 into the water.
The CO2 and syrup are your main long-term costs when purchasing a soda maker. Some brands have CO2 cartridge exchange programs, where you can bring in your used cartridge and get a filled one. This typically works out to about 25 cents per liter, which is much less than you would expect to spend for generic seltzer.
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While researching the best soda makers, we examined hundreds of buyer and expert ratings and reviews of popular units. Our guide features models that have a track record of performance, durability, and ease of use.
Here are our picks for the best soda makers you can buy:
Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Insider Picks team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.
If you'd like to add fizz to more than just water, consider the Drinkmate Beverage Carbonation Maker, which can carbonate everything from juice to wine.
The Drinkmate Beverage Carbonation Maker distinguishes itself from other soda makers on the market by "sparkling" just about every beverage in your fridge: cocktails, flat beer, lemonade, coffee, and so on. However, iDrink, the Drinkmate's manufacturer, warns against using juices with pulp since it may clog the pressure release valve.
The process for carbonating your beverages has a few more steps than other models, but you also get more control over the release of the CO2. The Drinkmate doesn't require any electricity or batteries to operate. The device is compatible with 3 oz. and 14.5 oz./60L CO2 cartridges, and iDrink operates an eco- and budget-friendly exchange program, where you can send in your empty cartridge to get a full one at a reduced price.
A whole host of expert sites recommend the Drinkmate Beverage Carbonation Maker. It is one of three soda makers The Wirecutter recommends. The reviewers appreciate that this machine is able to carbonate liquids other than water. They tested a "mocktail," wine, and apple juice without any problems. However, as mentioned before, they note that the Drinkmate is trickier to operate than the SodaStream.
Digital Trends suggests buying the Drinkmate if you like adding carbonation to all of your beverages. The reviewer tried turning white wine into a champagne-like alternative but came up short. However, they found it still made low-grade wine more palatable. Wired, Apartment Therapy, and Steamy Kitchen all rated the Drinkmate highly.
Buyer reviews mention running flat soda through the Drinkmate to reinvigorate it. Another popular feature is the ability to control the pressure so the beverage doesn't overflow.
Pros: Can carbonate liquids other than water, two-year warranty, pressure control valve decreases the chance of messes
If you've watched old-timey slapstick comedy, you are likely familiar with the soda siphon, or seltzer bottle. Though the design is similar, today's soda siphons, like the Innovee Soda Siphon Ultimate Soda Maker, are self-pressurized using an 8-gram CO2 cartridge.
You fill the carafe with up to four cups of very cold water, put on the cap, insert the cartridge, and screw the charger holder in place, which releases the gas. The water is carbonated within 10 to 15 minutes.
The Innovee Soda Siphon doesn't come with CO2 canisters, but it does come with extra O-rings and a black fork key for removing the inner tube of the siphon. Innovee Home also offers a cocktail recipe e-book and a money-back guarantee.
Apartment Therapy recommends the Innovee Soda Siphon as a budget-friendly option. The reviewer found that the carbonation process takes longer than other models and disliked that it requires ice cold water. But, she appreciated the unit's small size that allowed it to fit easily in the refrigerator
Judging by online customer reviews, it seems like the Soda Siphon gets your water just as bubbly as the SodaStream, and people seem to like the fact that it works with a variety of different CO2 chargers. However, some buyers note that they would like to be able to see how full the carafe is as they fill it.
Pros: Inexpensive, easily fits in the fridge, user-friendly
Cons: Slow, water must be ice cold, doesn't come with a CO2 cartridge
In the world of soda makers, there is SodaStream, and there's the rest. The company was founded in 1903 in England when W & A Gilbey, Ltd. patented an "apparatus for aerating liquids." In the intervening years, the name has changed and the main production facilities have moved to Israel. Today, the name SodaStream has become synonymous with soda makers.
The SodaStream Fountain Jet Soda Maker has been on the market for more than 15 years and remains a favorite because of its intuitive design. You pop in the CO2 canister, then when you want carbonated water, just press the button a few times until you hear a buzz. The starter kit comes with a 60L carbonator and a reusable liter bottle.
The Gadgeteer recommended the SodaStream Fountain Jet as an affordable alternative to buying cans of pop. The reviewer noted that the soda-making process couldn't have been easier. She liked how closely the SodaStream Diet Cola flavoring mimicked Diet Coke. However, she posted an update six years after her initial post to say she stopped using the Jet because it took up too much counter space and she didn't like the hassle of replacing CO2 cartridges.
At one time, The Wirecutter recommended the Fountain Jet but stopped short of endorsing it in its latest review because the water wasn't as fizzy as the testers would have liked. However, it did well in taste tests.
Pros: Easy to use, carbonation control, many excellent flavors available
Cons: May have trouble reaching your desired fizziness
The SodaStream Source Sparkling Water Maker is probably the most user-friendly option on our list. You simply fill the supplied reusable bottle with cold water, lock it into place, and press the mechanism over the bottle until you reach your desired level of fizziness.
This unit comes with a mail-in rebate for a 60L CO2 carbonator, the 1L reusable bottle, and a mini 9L CO2 carbonator. The 60L CO2 carbonators can be refilled at select Bed Bath & Beyond, Best Buy, and Walmart locations, as well as other stores for about $15, which works out to about 25 cents of CO2 to carbonate a full 1L bottle of water.
The SodaStream Source Sparkling Water Maker is one of Cook's Illustrated's top picks. They recommend this model because of its sleek design and ease of use. Testers were able to choose between gentle carbonation and intense bubbles by applying light pressure.
Chowhound also recommends this unit. The reviewer noted that the SodaMix syrups were solid imitations of the real thing. He was a little bit perturbed by the many additional costs associated with the soda maker, including the CO2, syrups, and additional reusable bottles.
We did come across a few complaints from buyers who received damaged soda makers. Though it comes with a two-year warranty, returning the soda maker can be difficult.
Pros: Incredibly easy to use, easily accessible CO2 refills
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