Best for making more than just sparkling water
Ninja Thirsti Drinking System
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What is the best sparkling water maker?
These days, we're all looking to save money at the grocery store, whether that means switching to a grocery delivery service, meal kits, or private label products. If you're a fan of sparkling water—or sparkling water, seltzer, or whatever else you might call it—a home soda machine can save you money and be fun, too. After extensive testing (and a persistent case of hiccups), we scored the SodaStream Terra as the best sparkling water maker for 2024.
Our bodies need a lot of water to stay healthy and hydrated, but sometimes plain water can feel a little boring. A great way to add some pizzazz to your water is to grab a soda machine. There are already countless options for the drink known as sparkling water, soda water, sparkling water and soda water, but if you drink a lot, the habit can be costly.
Seriously, these carbonated drinks are everywhere and they are so popular like always. But if you want to cut your monthly flavored sparkling water expenses in half without giving up this addictive elixir, we suggest purchasing a home soda machine. You can create some delicious sparkling drinks on the cheap and keep your budget happy while doing so.
While there are more elegant options, the SodaStream Terra is probably the best sparkling water maker for most people.
To find the best, I took a total of eight sparkling water makers to the task, including three Refrigerant flow models, the new Ninja costume at home Thirst machine and Aarke's stunning stainless steel carbonator.
Here are the four best sparkling water makers to buy in 2024.
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The Terra is SodaStream's entry-level model, but it works well and tops our list as the best sparkling water maker for most people. Terra consistently produced sparkling water with simple hand pumps. It is very easy to operate and does not take up much space on the counter.
The Terra model has a recent improvement over previous SodaStream models: you can fit the CO2 canister to the back instead of carrying it from below. This saves you a step each time you change the box. Speaking of canisters, SodaStream has one easy exchange program where you can exchange empty cartridges for full cartridges at half price ($17).
If I had one complaint about this and some other SodaStreams, it's that the plastic construction is a little flimsy. That said, the Terra has the lowest price of all the models on this list. The basic package costs $70 and includes a CO2 cartridge and plastic carafe. A heavy-duty package includes five plastic bottles (two small and three full-sized), a CO2 cartridge, and a bottle of lemon concentrate to flavor your water for $90. Read my full SodaStream Terra review.
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If you want more than just sparkling water, Ninja's enhanced Thirsti beverage system is the right choice. At its base price of $180, it's more expensive than a standard SodaStream, but that's because it does so much more. And now, it's on sale for $150.
Thirsti is the only e-drink maker on this list. It adds CO2 to your water with the best of them, but also has the option to transmit flavors, caffeine, vitamins, and other enhancements electronically in 6-, 12-, 18-, or 24-ounce servings.
Choose from over 20 water drops to plug into the front of the drink machine – up to two at a time – and the Thirsti will spit out fruit drinks, lemonade, and flavored sparkling water in about 3 seconds. The drinks have zero calories and some are sweetened with sucralose. If you don't like the taste of this sugar substitute, opt for the “Splash” pods, which contain only essence.
Thirsti's basic package comes with the machine, a CO2 container, and eight drops of water to add a special touch to your hydration routine. Read our Ninja Thirsti review.
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If design and aesthetics are important to you, the Aarke is clearly the best-looking sparkling water maker on the market. It is constructed from metal, while most others are constructed from cheaper plastic. It also has a vintage malt shop appeal and is slim, so you can place it on the counter without wasting too much space. The Aarke III works well, although it releases CO2 a little less consistently than a SodaStream.
This is also the most expensive soda maker on our list, costing around $200, and that price doesn't include a can of CO2. The good news is that you can use SodaStream and Soda Sensei cans with Aarke and take advantage of their robust can exchange programs. Read my full Aarke review here.
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If you want to transport yourself to an Italian square, a bottle of sparkling water served in a shapely glass bottle can help. SodaStream's Aqua Fizz has all the functions of the other models, but an elevated design. The jar that comes with the $160 starter pack is made of glass, and the base that holds it during use is made of metal. It is also quieter than other models as the bottles are completely closed while being pumped with gas.
I don't like the look of this model as much as the Aarke, but it's a more affordable premium model and the glass jars, although smaller than the plastic versions, are great for putting on the table for dinner parties.
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In testing to find the best sparkling water makers, it mostly came down to overall performance, ease of use, and overall value. I made at least 10 full bottles of sparkling water using each one, watching as a machine efficiently and consistently performed its most vital task of imparting CO2 to the water. I've also carbonated other liquids, including fruit juice and wine, but found there really was no difference in performance based on the type of liquid being carbonated. If a machine carbonated water well, it would do so in all liquids.
Some of the machines required more force and lever movements to emit CO2 into the bottles. Of the manual machines, the SodaStream models were the most consistent. But with five unique settings, electric seltzer maker Spärkel has produced the most precise sparkling water.
The elegant Aarke III carbonator comes in five finishes and has a vintage malt shop look.
I also looked at the sturdiness and construction of each sparkling water maker. O Ark III is by far the most elegant sparkling water maker and is solidly constructed from stainless steel, with five finishes to choose from. While the aesthetics are good, it's also by far the most expensive model, with a price tag of almost $200, which stops it from being the best model for most people.
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DrinkMate OmniFizz: This $120 sparkling water maker did a great job carbonating water, wine, and juice. I don't have much negative to say about the machine except that the hinge on the top that connects the bottle to the machine feels like it could come loose or break over time.
SodaStream Fizzi One Touch: This is SodaStream's electronic sparkling water maker and it costs $124. It works well and has three presets to get the level of carbonation you're looking for. This is another model that I don't have any major issues with, but I just don't think it's worth the extra $54 over its manual counterpart, the Terra.
Soda Sensei [Out of Stock]: This model looks good, but it had a little more trouble than the SodaStream Terra to consistently produce bubble water.
Spatula: This unique carbonation system uses powder packets instead of CO2 canisters to add fizz to water. It works well, but the base of the machine is bulkier than most and isn't worth the $140 price tag.
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Let's use the rough estimate SodaStream gives of getting 60 liters from each $17 cartridge if you use the trade-in program. This breaks down to about 25 cents per liter. In comparison, the average cost of a 1-liter bottle of sparkling water is about 80 cents in a store.
If you used six cartridges over the course of a year ($102), plus the cost of SodaStream Terra ($70), that would be a total of $172 and about 48 cents per liter and a significant savings over store-bought seltzer.
These calculations are based on consuming 360 liters per year, which is equivalent to about 33 ounces of sparkling water per day, or a little less than three cans. The more carbonated water you drink and the longer you use SodaStream, the more you'll save instead of paying for cans.
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Definitely. A sparkling water maker like the SodaStream or Aarke Carbonator has almost no negative environmental impact. If used instead of store-bought sparkling water, these machines will remove hundreds of plastic cans and bottles from the waste management and recycling system every year. Standard CO2 containers are also reusable, which is why SodaStream will sell you a half-price refill if you return the empty container.
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In addition to making sparkling water, you can add sparkling water to just about any liquid with a sparkling water maker. Fruit juices, sparkling wine, and still beer are just a few popular drinks to consider in addition to water. But damn, if you want sparkling milk, you can make that too.
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