The 4 Best Soda Makers to Buy in 2024, Tested and Reviewed

If it's more than just sparkling water you covet, Ninja's souped-up Thirsti beverage system is the right pick. At its base price of $180, it's more expensive than a standard SodaStream, but that's because it does a whole lot more. And right now, it's on sale for $150.

The Thirsti is the only electronic drink maker on this list. It adds CO2 to your water with the best of them, but also has the option to impart flavors, caffeine, vitamins and other enhancements electronically in 6-,12-, 18- or 24-ounce servings. 

Choose from more than 20 water drops to plug into the front of the drink maker -- as many as two at a time -- and the Thirsti will spit out fruity beverages, lemonade and flavored sparkling water in about 3 seconds. The beverages are all zero-calorie and some are sweetened with sucralose. If you don't like the taste of that sugar substitute, you'll want to stick to the "Splash" pods, which contain only essence. 

The basic Thirsti package comes with the machine, a CO2 canister and eight water drops to add some panache to your hydration routine. Read our Ninja Thirsti review.

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. The Aarke III works well, although it releases CO2 a bit less consistently than a SodaStream.

This is also the most expensive soda maker on our list at $200 and that price doesn't include a CO2 canister. The good news is you can use SodaStream and Soda Sensei canisters with the Aarke and take advantage of their robust canister exchange programs. Read my full review of the Aarke here.

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. 

I don't like the look of this model quite as much as the Aarke, but it's a more affordable premium model and the glass carafes, although smaller than the plastic versions, are nice to set on the table for dinner parties.

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. 

If you were to go through six cartridges over the course of a year ($90), plus the cost of the SodaStream Terra ($100) that would be $190 total and about 52 cents per liter and significant savings over store-bought seltzer. 

These calculations are based on drinking 360 liters per year which is about 33 ounces of soda water per day, or a little less than three cans. The more carbonated water you drink and the longer you use your SodaStream, the more you'll save versus paying for the canned stuff. 

Definitely. 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. 

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.