Aarke Carbonator 3
What We Like & Don't Like
✓ Pros
- Exceptional design — stainless steel, minimal, beautiful
- Smaller footprint — more compact than SodaStream
- Uses standard cylinders — cheaper screw-in refills
- Multiple finishes — Chrome, Matte Black, White, Copper, Gold
- Quality feel — satisfying lever mechanism
- Durable — built to last years
✗ Cons
- 2.5× the price of SodaStream Terra
- Smaller bottle — 800ml vs 1L
- Screw-in cylinders — slightly fiddlier to change
- Plastic bottle — despite metal body, bottle is still PET
- Water only — can't carbonate other beverages
In This Review
Design & Build Quality
Let's address the elephant in the room: you're paying $140 extra for how this thing looks. Is that worth it?
If you care about kitchen aesthetics, yes. The Aarke Carbonator 3 is genuinely beautiful in a way that no SodaStream can match. It's designed in Sweden with the same sensibility you'd find in high-end Scandinavian furniture — clean lines, quality materials, understated elegance.
Materials
- Body: Stainless steel throughout
- Lever: Metal with smooth action
- Base: Weighted for stability
- Bottle: BPA-free PET plastic (not glass)
The lever mechanism deserves special mention. Where SodaStream uses a plastic push-button, Aarke uses a metal lever that feels satisfying to operate. It's the kind of tactile quality you notice every time you make a bottle.
Footprint
The Aarke is surprisingly compact — smaller than most SodaStream models despite looking more substantial. It doesn't dominate the countertop the way you might expect a premium appliance to.
💡 Design Award Winner
The Aarke has won multiple design awards including a Red Dot Design Award. It's regularly featured in interior design publications. This is the soda maker people put on their countertops for photos.
Key Specifications
Carbonation Performance
Here's the thing about soda makers: they all work basically the same way. CO2 goes in, fizzy water comes out. The Aarke carbonates exactly as well as a SodaStream — no better, no worse.
The lever mechanism does offer slightly more control. You can feel the carbonation happening and stop at exactly your preferred level. But practically speaking, you'll get the same quality sparkling water from any decent soda maker.
What We Tested
- Carbonation level: Excellent, on par with SodaStream
- Consistency: Very consistent across bottles
- Speed: About 10-15 seconds per bottle
- Fizz retention: Comparable to SodaStream bottles
One minor advantage: the 800ml bottle means slightly less water per carbonation session, which some people prefer for maximum freshness.
Running Costs
The Aarke uses standard screw-in CO2 cylinders (the kind with a blue cap) — the same ones used by older SodaStream models like the Spirit. This is actually a cost advantage.
Over time, the Aarke's lower per-liter cost offsets some of the upfront premium. If you drink 1,000 liters of sparkling water over 5 years, you'd save about $50 on CO2 versus a quick-connect SodaStream.
Still, it would take decades of use to fully offset the $140 price difference through cylinder savings alone. You're buying this for the design, not the economics.
Aarke vs SodaStream
| Feature | Aarke Carbonator 3 | SodaStream Terra |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $229 | $89 |
| Materials | Stainless steel | Plastic |
| CO2 System | Screw-in (cheaper) | Quick-connect (easier) |
| Bottle Size | 800ml | 1L |
| Design | Award-winning | Functional |
| Carbonation Quality | Excellent | Excellent |
| Best For | Design-conscious buyers | Most people |
For a detailed comparison, see our SodaStream vs Aarke guide.
Color Options
The Aarke comes in several finishes, all priced the same:
Our pick: Matte Black or Chrome. Both are timeless and match most kitchen styles. Copper and Gold are statement pieces — beautiful but polarizing.
Who Should Buy the Aarke
✓ Buy the Aarke if you:
- Care about kitchen aesthetics and design
- Hate the look of plastic appliances
- Want something you'll be proud to display
- Don't mind screw-in cylinder changes
- Appreciate Scandinavian design
- See it as a long-term investment
✗ Skip the Aarke if you:
- Want the best value — get the SodaStream Terra
- Want the easiest cylinder changes — quick-connect is simpler
- Need a larger bottle — the Aarke is only 800ml
- Want glass bottles — get the SodaStream Duo
- Want to carbonate anything — get the DrinkMate
Final Verdict
Aarke Carbonator 3
Best premium soda maker
The Aarke Carbonator 3 is a beautifully designed appliance that happens to make sparkling water. If you appreciate good design and can afford the premium, it's genuinely delightful to own and use. Every time you see it on your counter, you'll be glad you bought it.
But let's be clear: it makes sparkling water exactly as well as a SodaStream that costs $140 less. You're paying for materials, design, and the satisfaction of owning something beautiful. For some people that's absolutely worth it. For others, it's not.
Only you know which camp you're in.
Available in Chrome, Black, White, Copper, and Gold
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