in the UK, 600,000 tons of plastic waste per year are thrown into the sea. To alleviate this global plague, limit the purchase of plastic bottles by concocting your own soft drinks with a soda machine. Simple soda water or flavored beverage? This device will work wonders in your kitchen. Moreover, there is nothing more reassuring than knowing what you are consuming, especially when you can adjust the amount of gas in your drinks. However, which soda machine should you choose? Find your happiness among the 4 best soda machines carefully selected by our team.
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Our selection
"If you're looking for an ultra-practical and stylish soda maker, the Crystal is for you. Its big advantage? Dishwasher-safe glass bottles that can be reused…"
"The SpiritNature is an excellent soda maker that is easy to use, efficient and well designed. If you are looking for a cheap machine that…"
"With the Carbonator II, the Swedish brand Aarke offers you the luxury of enjoying a richly flavored fizzy experience through a machine that is refined…"
"Let yourself be tempted by the Sodastream Source and find the taste of sparkling water sold in supermarkets without leaving your home!"
If you're looking for an ultra-practical and stylish soda maker, the Crystal is for you. Its big advantage? Dishwasher-safe glass bottles that can be reused over and over again.
See the priceThe Sodastream Crystal takes the top spot on our list with its futuristic, elegant design in ultra-strong brushed aluminum and its sober color. In addition, this machine is the only one on the market to use glass bottles.
For the greatest happiness of sparkling water and bubbles lovers, the Sodastream Crystal offers a robust machine with its titanium base and two 600 ml glass bottles that can be used over and over again, making it more cost-effective. Easy to maintain, its glass bottles are dishwasher safe.
The carbonation is efficient and the glass carafe keeps the bubbles a few days longer than the plastic bottles. The price is right for the complete kit, with a glass carafe and a C0₂ cartridge to make up to 60 liters of drinks.
The SpiritNature is an excellent soda maker that is easy to use, efficient and well designed. If you are looking for a cheap machine that does its job very well, this model is an excellent choice.
See priceFor a first equipment, our team highly recommends the Sodastream SpiritNature which is easy to use and maintain.
To carbonate, you just have to press a certain number of times on a button and thus obtain the desired gas flow in your preparation. Upon purchase, the device comes with 2 1-liter PET bottles and BPA-free and a C0₂ cylinder.
For even more gourmet preparations, add the sodastream concentrate of your choice to obtain a beverage with half the calories of a traditional drink. Be careful not to inject too much gas, however, as the bottle's seal leaves something to be desired.
With the Carbonator II, the Swedish brand Aarke offers you the luxury of enjoying a richly flavored fizzy experience through a machine that is refined in design, easy to use and equally effective.
See priceWe especially liked the Carbonator's sleek, sturdy stainless steel design that won't go unnoticed on your kitchen counter and its practicality via its compatibility with 60-liter CO₂ gas cartridges from other major manufacturers like Sodastream, AGA or even Linde.
An ultra-resistant PET bottle that is fixed by screwing accompanies it upon purchase and its startup is done by simply operating a lever that you have to hold until you hear a buzzing sound. Operating without batteries or electricity, this device can be used outdoors without any problem.
Given the rather substantial price of the device, on the one hand, a glass bottle could have given it more elegance and on the other hand, a C0₂ cylinder included with the purchase would have been more appreciated. Despite this, the Carbonator is still a great investment that we recommend without reservation!
Let yourself be tempted by the Sodastream Source and find the taste of sparkling water sold in supermarkets without leaving your home!
See the priceThe Sodastream Source has everything to please with its 3 levels of carbonation: low, normal and high, which will allow you to adjust the fizz of your beverages to your liking. Very easy to handle, it even allows your child to concoct their own sparkling water.
To add the bubbles with the Source, simply press hard on the top of the machine for one second. Two successive presses for a low level of bubbles, four for a medium level and six for a high level.
On the accessories side, the brand delivers its product with a C0₂ cylinder to carbonate nearly 60 L of soft drinks, 2 x 500 ml PET bottles as well as concentrated lemonade in a 500 ml bottle.
Any specific needs?
The best entry-level soda maker
Your guide :
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TOP OF THE TOP | NOT EXPENSIVE | Very good | EXCELLENT | |
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OUR SELECTION |
Sodastream Crystal
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Sodastream SpiritNature
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Aarke Carbonator II
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Sodastream Source Power
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If you're looking for an ultra-practical and stylish soda maker, the Crystal is for you. Its big advantage? Dishwasher-safe glass bottles that can be reused over and over again.
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The SpiritNature is an excellent soda maker that is easy to use, efficient and well designed. If you are looking for a cheap machine that does its job very well, this model is an excellent choice.
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With the Carbonator II, the Swedish brand Aarke offers you the luxury of enjoying a richly flavored fizzy experience through a machine that is refined in design, easy to use and equally effective.
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Let yourself be tempted by the Sodastream Source and find the taste of sparkling water sold in supermarkets without leaving your home!
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Works without batteries and without electricity
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Works without batteries or electricity
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Works without batteries or electricity
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Works without batteries or electricity
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Material : brushed aluminium
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Clip-on bottle
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Screw-on bottle
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Clip-on bottle
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Bottle to screw on
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Material: plastic
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Material: stainless steel
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Material: plastic
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Dishwasher safe
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Refillable CO2 cartridge
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Compatible with 60L CO2 bottles from all major manufacturers
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Dimensions: 19.5 x 19.5 x 43.5 cm (L x W x H)
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Weight : 5 kg
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2 1-liter PET bottles
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1 1 liter PET bottle
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1 lemonade concentrate 500 ml
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For ease of use, choose a soda machine without a power supply, which proves to be more economical and starts at the touch of a button. An appliance with an additional filter also proves to be very practical and above all more hygienic because it allows your soda machine to filter tap water before the gassing process.
Before buying your soda machine, carefully review your needs because they will influence the volume of the appliance's gas cylinder. This is because the gas cylinder serves as a container for the CO2 refill that carbonates the water. If you live as a couple or solo, a device with small individual cartridges will do the trick. You should also know that one cylinder allows you to make about 60 liters of carbonated water, depending on the brand.
This criterion mainly concerns the CO2 refills because each model of soda machine only works with its own reusable water bottle. In this sense, it's best to opt for a machine that can accommodate CO2 refills from other brands. This will allow you to get a good deal when there are promotions. Models that can accommodate glass bottles as well are particularly interesting.
Invest
in a soda machine with a metal structure that is sturdier than a plastic unit
.
This last criterion will be mostly determined by health condition for some. Indeed, some people can only handle a certain level of gas in their drinks. If you are well, choose the level of carbonation in your soda machine as you wish. Make sure your machine is equipped with a carbonation level meter.
History of the soda machine
The creation of the soda machine dates back to 1903 with its inventor Guy Gilby of the London Gin company. At the beginning, this invention of Gilby was mainly used to equip the country houses of the English aristocrats. Then little by little, the soda machine gained in popularity among the English during the XXth century before being marketed in other countries. Today, more than 10 million homes around the world have a soda machine.
What is a soda machine?
A soda maker is a device that turns plain water into sparkling water, not just soda. It comes with a cylinder of food-gradeCO2 that you simply screw into the receptacle provided, and concentrates are supplied with the machine to give your sodas flavor. In the upper part of the machine's body, there are usually buttons or a lever to activate the device and select any built-in functions.
How to use it?
To start, you must first fill the carbonation bottle with water, up to the indicated level. Then insert it into the device and press the lever or button to activate the creation of bubbles until you hear a buzz. Once it's done, remove the bottle and add the flavor and amount of sugar of your choice and stir until it's smooth.
What about reusable bottles and the cylinder that goes with them?
It is good to know that the plastic bottles used with the soda machine have a 3 year use-by date for safety reasons and weigh in at 415g. As for the CO2 cylinder of the machine, when it is empty, you just have to refill it from the manufacturer.
Soda machines from the French brand Siméo accept all types of C0₂ cylinders.
Put your soda machine in the right place
When setting up your soda machine, avoid exposing it to excessive heat such as an oven, radiator or microwave.
How to properly maintain the bottles of a soda machine
Always
be sure
to strictly adhere to the expiration date on each reusable bottle in your soda machine. Wash it in warm water after each use rather than in the dishwasher or hot water.
How to clean the soda machine
Your machine should be cleaned with a soft, damp cloth. If necessary, use a little detergent and warm water.
How to recognize an empty cylinder
A
C0₂ cylinder is empty once nothing happens when you press the gas button: gas is not injected into the cylinder and the machine does not hum, or simply when the gas button remains pressed
.
What to do with used PET bottles
Once the
3-year expiration date has passed, you can drop off your PET bottles at a PET bottle collection point. Before dropping them off, remember to remove the bottom and cap of the bottle first.
In our opinion, the best soda machine for most people is the sodastream Crystal. To learn more, read our buying guide.
The cylinder of a soda machine lasts on average two months for one bottle of soda water per day.
Be aware that extreme heat or cold (more than 50°C or less than 1°C) can damage or deform PET bottles. Therefore, avoid placing them near a heat source, exposing them to the sun or leaving them in a closed vehicle. Furthermore, these bottles are not suitable for freezing and never use deformed or damaged PET bottles for carbonating.
According to Euromonitor Beverages Packaging 2009 France, the average family's consumption of soft drink bottles and cans (water and soda) generates about 5kg of waste per year compared to only 138g per year for reusable soda machine bottles.
No. When you make your sodas, you don't have to limit yourself to the concentrates that come with your soda maker. You can use syrups sold in supermarkets or natural ingredients like mint leaves to flavor your drinks.
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