If you’ve visited a bar, backyard BBQ, beach party or even just left your house in the last few years, you know: Seltzer is having a moment.
Boosted by the popularity of hard seltzers, carbonated, sparkling waters have become a $29 billion industry and beverage staple in home bars and banquet halls worldwide.
But, as more of us reach for a glass of something cool and fizzy, the price tag and the inconvenience of regularly needing to replenish supply—along with the ecological cost of all those discarded plastic bottles—has led many to enlist the help of a soda maker for regular bubbles.
With all the new and buzzy options on the market, how does one choose the best, most effervescent choice? That depends on what you need for your space, lifestyle and carbonation preferences.
But first, how exactly do soda makers work?
It’s All in the Spritz
Carbonated water contains dissolved carbon dioxide (CO2). This process occurs both naturally and through the mechanized infusion of tiny, refreshing bubbles.
For centuries, European spas served naturally occurring carbonated mineral spring water as a curative. We can credit the popularity of artificial sparkling water to English scientist Joseph Priestley, who, inspired by the vapors produced by his local brewery, accidentally discovered that water infused with carbon dioxide creates effervesce.
While Priestley’s soda maker was a rather involved device that required piping, pumps and even an animal bladder to produce CO2, it’s often credited with paving the way for the modern soda maker. Today, most seltzer makers rely on CO2 canisters, which, at the press of a button, release gas through a designated chamber into the carbonating water bottle, adding fizz. Bottles are then covered with an airtight cap, allowing bubbles to form and build pressure, forcing CO2 to dissolve into the water.
We turned to the experts and product reviews to find the best model.
Last Updated: May 22, 2023
