The home soda maker, often called a Sodastream after the most popular manufacturer in the market, is an amazing addition to any kitchen. One downside though is that almost all of them use plastic bottles.
So which Sodastreams and soda makers use glass bottles? And which of those are the best purchase for your and your family?
Why Buy A Glass Carafe Soda Maker
As a long-time (over 10 years now) Sodastream owner, I’m a big fan of the product, but I’m tired of the plastic bottles. Not only do they only last 3 years (read the side, they have an expiration date), but they are not dishwasher safe and after just a few months they look beat up.
I also don’t love the idea of keeping water in plastic for extended periods of time. Maybe I’m being overly cautious here, but it seems like we have more than enough plastic in our lives so why not avoid it with my drinking water?
The talks throughout the last few years about of ocean plastic and microplastics really shored up my opinion to focus on glass for food and beverage storage. This hasn’t been a huge inconvenience for me, except in the case of my homemade sparkling water! For years I’ve had an original Sodastream Jet, but it has plastic bottles, so I need to keep my water in the fridge in glass carafes, decant those into my Sodastream plastic bottle and then get the water into my water bottle or glass. It’s a pain.
So, finally, I broke down, did the research, did the testing, and bought a glass bottle soda maker. Which is the best way to go?
Aarke Carbonator Pro
While not as well known as SodaStream, Aarke has made a name for themselves in the higher-end (the William Sonoma segment) of the Sodastream market. Aarke does sell a glass bottle, it’s called the Glass Bottle, and it only works with the Aarke Carbonator Pro.
So, like the SodaStream Aqua Fizz, you need to get the top-end model and then pay a lot for the bottle in order to go with glass. What’s the damage you ask? The Carbonator Pro sells for $349 and then glass bottles sell for $32.95 each. So a nice setup for a typical home will run you over $400 after shipping and tax! That said, these Aarke Carbonators look great and they use standard SodaStream CO2 canisters for refills.
SodaSteam E-Duo
If you want a SodaStream but you don’t want the somewhat dated Aqua Fizz then you are in luck be the E-Duo exists. This model supports the 1L Glass Carafe, which is the standard option for 2024, though the new bottles look different than they used to but they function the same and are the same price as before.
The E-Duo is relatively new and unproven (it hit the market in May 2024), without many reviews of it being posted yet. Initial reviews are good, with no real surprises so far. We haven’t yet purchased one for testing, but we expect to get one this year in order to compare it to the Aqua Fizz.
Like some of the newer SodaStreams, the E-Duo has preset fizz buttons as opposed to the manual 3-pump style we’ve all gotten used to. The downside of this is that it has lit LED buttons on the top and needs to be plugged in to be used.
The E-Duo starts at $200.
Sodastream Aqua Fizz
The Sodastream Aqua Fizz the the current top-of-the-line model from the most popular manufacturer in homemade sparkling water. Selling for about $160 with two glass bottles and a CO2 tank that is good for 60 liters of water, there is no arguing that it’s expensive.
The extra money gets you a more refined design that is much quieter than a normal Sodastream because the carbonation happens inside of a metal housing. This means way less of that loud, and frankly annoying, squeal when your water is fully fizzed. Another perk is that you don’t need to screw the bottle in when making your water fizzy, you just push the top down and it seals on its own.
Downsides, aside from the price, area the the glass carafes are 0.6 liters, which is much smaller than the standard 1.0 liter plastic ones. The glass carafes also sell for about $20 each, where the standard plastic ones are $8 each.
Long story short, Sodastream has identified glass bottles as being a highly sought-after feature that is demanded by a small segment of people who are willing to pay about 2x the price for the maker and the bottles.
All that said, my Aqua Fizz if about 4 years old and it’s still going strong! I have had the same two glass bottles since I bought it and they look great as well.
SodaStream Penguin Soda Maker
2024 Update: The Penguin is no longer sold. You might be able to find a used one or something New-Old-Stock, but this model isn’t generally available any longer.
The Penguin is the predecessor to the Aqua Fizz, which seems to not only be its direct replacement, but its only descendant. Then Penguin uses the same glass carafes and a very similar design, but the top of the maker has a strange beak shape that clearly gives the product its name.
This soda maker is no longer made, but perhaps you can find one on Ebay or beg, borrow, or steal one from a friend or loved one.
And That’s It.
Unfortunately, if you want a soda water maker with a glass bottle there are very few options. No one even makers a glass bottle that is compatible with the standard Sodastream! It’s not clear if there are concerns with glass being under pressure or chipping or what, but there has to be some hesitation as no one sells aftermarket glass bottles for the Sodastream Fizzi or other top sellers. Also, both the Aqua Fizz and Penguin have their bottles filled while fully encased in metal housings, so clearly there is value in the bottle being enclosed when being filled.
Either way, if you want a glass bottle for your Sodastream or sparkling water making in general, then the Aqua Fizz is the only game in town.