Although it doesn’t come with a gas cylinder included, your Aarke Carbonator is compatible with the SodaStream 60 Litre Gas Cylinders we sell online and in store, as well as CO2 cylinders from AGA, Linde and many other manufacturers. And if you live near a Lakeland store, you can also use our cheaper SodaStream Recycled 60 Litre Gas Cylinders too – in which case you’re only paying for the gas refill – and helping to recycle the canister. Developed to work perfectly with Aarke carbonators, the brand’s Flavour Drops come in a variety of flavours, like sweet Wild Strawberry and refreshing Cucumber and Lime. Sugar free and made with natural flavourings, just add five drops of Aarke flavouring to a glass of freshly carbonated water and enjoy. Each 50ml recyclable bottle of Flavour Drops makes up to 40 litres of flavoured fizzy water, so you can save on those trips to the shops. Accessory appeal The MySoda Woody produces the closest cousin to canned seltzer — assertive, rolling bubbles that hit the front of your tongue and you almost feel in your nose. The SodaStream Fizzi One Touch takes the guesswork out of one of the big questions raised by soda makers: how many times to push the button.

For the home seltzer enthusiast, bubble structure — essentially, the type of fizziness the water holds — is undoubtedly a top priority. A loose bubble structure can feel like slightly larger bubbles, and give a less aggressive sensation of fizz, while a tight bubble structure features tiny bubbles, and a more prominent burn from the carbonation (think McDonald's Sprite). While there are merits to both, I prefer a tighter bubble structure (go big or go home, you know?) which I find more bracing, and also helps to better cleanse your palate between bites at mealtimes. That's why I was excited to learn that this product comes with a high-quality glass bottle that can hold up to 27 ounces of water and be tossed in the dishwasher without a second thought. I was also pleasantly surprised to see that Aarke's gas cylinder is made from 100% renewable CO2. You press the button to carbonate, and you can fine tune with a few extra squirts of CO 2 at the end. Honk honk and you're done. Aarke's carbonators even use the same CO 2 canisters as SodaStream, which makes swapping them out much easier. And like SodaStream, the company even has a convenient canister mail-in exchange program called the Cylinder Loop. It's also worth noting that the carbonated water it produced felt and tasted identical to what we've been making at home for years.The electric Spärkel was on the loud side, similar to a coffee grinder, but not obnoxious. The plug is short, so you’ll need an outlet nearby. Once you’re finished, you have to empty the water cycled through the machine from a front tank. Please note: Recycled SodaStream Cylinders are only available when you return a used SodaStream cylinder. Used cylinders can be returned to any of our stores. The DrinkMate OmniFizz produced drinks with gentle, rolling bubbles. It was a bit like drinking white noise. You depress the button on top multiple times in short bursts to carbonate water (there’s a max amount of carbonation that is still relatively mild) before releasing the built-up pressure via the attached infuser. It was among the quietest models we tested. The DrinkMate OmniFizz comes with a 28-ounce bottle and 14-ounce bottle (nice if you’re looking to make a single serving of sparkling water) that are not dishwasher-safe.

The carbonation tank (you’ll need to buy a threaded 60-liter tank separately) is screwed into the tower after you lay the machine on its side, while the 27-ounce plastic bottle (that needs to be hand-washed) is likewise twisted onto the top. It was one of the easiest models to set up. This is a manual machine, nice if you want to use it somewhere where you don’t have a plug handy. You depress the button on top until you hear a hissing noise (after only a second or two). Three pumps created a strong, fizzy drink, even with the user guide suggesting that five pumps was “strong fizz.” The soda machine can only be used to carbonate water.The Aqua Fizz comes with a threaded 60-liter carbonation tank and a pair of dishwasher-safe glass bottles, which means it’s not compatible with any of the plastic bottles from SodaStream. Swedish company Aarke’s carbonators combine expert craftsmanship with elegant design. Sleek and stylish, Aarke soda makers are as practical as they are pretty, delivering perfect sparkling water in less than ten seconds while adding a touch of class to any home. A glamorous addition to a home bar or kitchen countertop, Aarke carbonators do away with the need to lug heavy bottles of sparkling water home from the shops. And with a range of flavours available, you can create delicious sparkling drinks in the comfort of your own home. Let the bubbles begin

Aarke soda makers are designed to be easy to use. Just insert a CO2 cylinder into the tower, add tap water up to the fill line of your carbonation bottle and screw it into the machine. Push the stainless steel lever down until you hear a buzz, then release the lever, unscrew the bottle and seal it. Canisters of CO2 are available separately and Aarke carbonators are compatible with the 60-litre SodaStream gas cylinders we sell online, and the recycled canisters we sell in store. Built to lastAble to make 700ml of fizzy water at a time, the glass bottle is made from high-quality glass with a sleek polished steel lid to match your Carbonator Pro. It’s suitable for refrigeration, so you can make your soda water or fizzy flavours in advance and chill them to perfection until you’re ready to serve, and when you’ve supped all the delicious fizz inside, you can pop it straight into the dishwasher for an easy clean. Another slightly irksome detail was the residual water often found in the machine after carbonating. Aarke’s user guide suggests that this is a result of overfilling the bottle, but trust me when I tell you, dear reader, that is that not the deal. All in all it wasn’t a huge inconvenience by any means, but the tablespoon or so of water that would often be left in the machine took a few minutes to clean up, and happened nearly every time I used the carbonator. Is the Aarke Carbonator Pro worth it? A Mashable Choice Award is a badge of honor, reserved for the absolute best stuff we’ve tested and loved. After all of the tests, we compared the performance of each model and factored in the price and warranty to determine which soda makers we would recommend. First, I wouldn't feel comfortable taking this bottle out into the world, at least not without some kind of silicone sleeve for protection (which Aarke doesn't offer). It might be ideal for filling up and placing on the table during dinner, but it's less convenient for travel. Of course, you could always empty the sparkling water into a travel bottle of your choice, but that just adds one more item to the dirty dishes pile at the end of the day.