Which sodastream is best

From the smart, ribboned packaging which read "Welcome to your sparkling new lifestyle" to the stainless steel appearance, we were already obsessed when the Aarke Carbonator arrived before we'd even started carbonating. It comes with a matching sleek bottle, but unfortunately as it doesn't come with CO2 cylinders you have to make sure you order one to come with it — we didn't and had to wait another few days to actually use it.

Once the CO2 cylinder arrived - its compatible with most 60mm cylinders from well-known brands - we followed the instructions in the User Guide to get going. Our favourite feature of Aarke's carbonator was definitely the posh lever that allows you to control the pressure of the CO2 for a super smooth experience, and there's no splashes when you remove it. Sparkling water tasted great, as did Aarke's sugar-free essence drops of Elderflower and Lime, Wild Strawberry and Citrus which you add after carbonating, but they're not very sweet, for those of you who like sugary drinks.

In general, this one's definitely for those of you who waste a lot of plastic buying sparkling water as it's much more sustainable, plus it looks amazing in your kitchen as a flashy tool to treat yourself, and your guests.

Read our review of the Aarke here. This article and any featured products have been independently chosen by The Sun journalists. All recommendations within the article are informed by expert editorial opinion.

If you click a link and buy a product we may earn revenue: this helps to support The Sun, and in no way affects our recommendations. But that's not the best bit. Drinkmate prides itself on being able to add fizz to any drink you want, whether that's orange squash, wine or cider.

Literally anything you can get your hands on that doesn't have pulp. We took it for a test run to see if it lived up to its solid reputation: firstly, it was really simple to put together with straightforward instructions, which was a relief as we hadn't used a carbonator before. After filling it with water to the max line, pressing the magic carbonator button and tasting our fizzy creation, we immediately went into mad scientist-mode and grabbed as many drinks as possible to try out.

The reason you can try anything is because there's an amazing valve that lets you release the bubbles slowly to ensure you don't create an explosion. Whenever the foam starts to rise, you close it, then repeat until all the CO2 has been released and your beverage is ready.

Directly above the slot where your water bottle will go is a series of three water droplet icons. These LED lights run on small un-replaceable batteries that will last for years to come without any maintenance on your part. The LED light s are helpful because it can be difficult to tell how much carbonation you confused into your water bottle with the other models that use the same button system. Say that you forgot how long you held the button down; now you have to sip the water bottle yourself to determine how bubbly it is before you can continue or cease carbonation.

The LED lights take the guesswork out of the equation. Other than that, the machine is standard in all other aspects. It comes in both black and white colors, as well, so you can match it with most kitchen aesthetics with ease.

Be sure to pick up a few if you decide to go with this model instead of the others. SodaStream offers several varieties of water bottles , all of which are sized for either most of their soda maker models or for the Aqua Fizz , specifically. The major difference between these two water bottle types is their material.

As previously mentioned, the Aqua Fizz only accepts glass carafe water bottles that hold mL of fluid. These glass carafes are dishwasher safe, making them much easier to clean than their plastic counterparts.

There are a few different varieties of the basic glass carafe, changing its color or aesthetic, and they are purchasable from the main SodaStream website. The other water bottle variety is plastic , and it comes in two sizes: 1 L or 0. The plastic bottles are not dishwasher safe as the plastic material might warp when subjected to the high heat and turbulence of a typical commercial dishwasher.

However, these bottles can be used by more soda maker models than the carafes, which only fit with the Aqua Fizz. The plastic bottles come in much more variety in terms of color or design, as well. Several plastic bottles come with decorative designs or slightly different aesthetics; as an example, you can get a few plastic bottles with stainless steel bottoms and caps, which both look sleek and are more hygienic than plastic bottoms and caps.

Check out my post here on what bottles are interchangeable across the models. Most people use the proprietary SodaStream flavored syrups to create their custom carbonated beverages. These syrups are concentrated formulas that provide common or relatively unique flavorings for your carbonated water bottles.

Most people will probably want to stick to the basics; in this case, the Fizzi is a great choice due to its affordability and ease-of-use. But the One Touch and Aqua Fizz are also extremely popular, the latter for those who enjoy carbonated water more as a treat or luxury than an everyday beverage.

And be sure to check out the Sodastream Store on Amazon for the latest offers. Coke, Pepsi, OR…. Powered by electricity, it makes sparkling water and other carbonated drinks with the push of a button. It also offers three different, preset levels of fizziness. It's available in either black or white, and Amazon shoppers give it a 4.

This unit is compatible with all SodaStream flavors and carbonation bottles. I use the third button for max carbonation. Highly recommend this!!! This budget-friendly sparkling water kit by SodaStream doesn't require electricity or batteries to function, and it offers multiple carbonation levels — simply press the button in short bursts to customize your fizz.

This pick comes with the Fizzi sparkling water maker, one liter CO2 cylinder, and one one-liter BPA-free reusable bottle. Compared with all of the SodaStream machines we tried, however, the Drinkmate was more difficult to use. Then, you must remove the bottle, shake it gently, and release the pressure using a silver tab before removing the cap.

Alternatively, you can press a quick-release valve to relieve the pressure, but the bottle did fizz over a bit when we tried this after carbonating apple juice. In our tests, the Drinkmate produced merely adequate fizz in water—the SodaStream models we tested produced much more. But the Drinkmate stands out for its ability to directly carbonate drinks such as juice and wine.

We carbonated apple juice in this soda maker and compared the results side by side with bottled sparkling apple juice from the same brand. The Drinkmate produced a lush, bubbly carbonated juice with large bubbles and a zippy mouthfeel that our testers unanimously loved.

Several years ago the only widely available way to exchange your cylinders was to visit a participating store, which could be a pain depending on where you lived. But recently, it has become easier to exchange cylinders by mail as well.

Return shipping for your empty cylinders is free SodaStream provides a label. Soda Sense also recently recalled some of its cylinders, after receiving reports of at least 18 incidents of the top valve flying off of the cylinder. If you use this exchange program, you can contact Soda Sense to replace your recalled cylinder.

Many have since been discontinued, such as the Penguin, Crystal, Genesis, and Power. You have to screw the bottle in, which takes more time and effort than it does to lock the bottle in place on the SodaStream Fizzi OneTouch or Fizzi. It ranked the lowest overall among our taste testers in taste, bubble size, and overall fizziness of the water. We would not try something like this again. The first four times we tried to use it, the water was not carbonated and had a salty, sulphuric taste.

Martin Riese, water sommelier , phone interview, May 19, Home Seltzer Makers subscription required , Cook's Illustrated. Anna Perling is a staff writer covering kitchen gear at Wirecutter.

During her time here, she has reported on various topics including sports bras, board games, and light bulbs. Previously she wrote food and lifestyle pieces for Saveur and Kinfolk magazines.

She has worked as a copy editor, fact checker, and sandwich maker, but this is probably her favorite gig. Our pick. SodaStream Fizzi OneTouch The best soda maker This automated soda maker offers a wide range of bubbles from lightly carbonated to super fizzy and makes great-tasting seltzer.

Also great. Everything we recommend.