If you drink sparkling water regularly, you are already spending more money than you need to. A litre of branded sparkling water at a Canadian grocery store costs between $0.70 and $1.20, depending on the brand and where you shop. A home carbonation machine produces sparkling water for roughly $0.30 per litre once you factor in the cost of CO2 cylinders. For a household that drinks two or three litres of sparkling water a day, that difference adds up to several hundred dollars per year — and eliminates a steady stream of plastic or glass bottles going into the recycling bin.
Home sparkling water machines have been available in Canada for years, but the market has matured considerably. SodaStream is still the most recognized brand, but it is no longer the only serious option. Indigo Soda (best alternative, The Aarke Carbonator 3, the Drinkmate OmniFizz, and the Philips Sparkling Water Maker are all available through Amazon.ca, Best Buy, and other Canadian retailers, and each offers a meaningfully different value proposition depending on your priorities. This guide covers why making sparkling water at home is worth it, and how to choose the right machine for your household.
the financial case for a home carbonator in Canada
Six months of real-world tracking by a single-machine user found that a standard 60-litre CO2 cylinder produced 58 to 62 litres of sparkling water, consistent with manufacturer estimates. At a cost of roughly $0.31 per litre, including the amortized cost of the machine and ongoing cylinder refills, homemade sparkling water is dramatically cheaper than the $0.89 per litre average for store-bought sparkling water. Most Canadian households that use a carbonator regularly break even on the machine’s upfront cost within four to six months.
In Canada, CO2 cylinder exchange is available through several national retailers including Canadian Tire, Walmart, and Bed Bath and Beyond, as well as through SodaStream’s own exchange program. Aarke machines are compatible with most standard 60-litre screw-in cylinders, which gives users more flexibility in where they refill. SodaStream’s newer models, including the Terra, use a proprietary Quick Connect cylinder that only works with SodaStream’s own cylinders, which limits your exchange options but simplifies the process.
The environmental argument is equally straightforward. A standard 60-litre CO2 cylinder replaces approximately 180 single-use plastic bottles. For a household that has been buying sparkling water in 500ml plastic bottles, switching to a home carbonator eliminates several kilograms of plastic waste per year. For glass bottle users, the weight and recycling logistics are eliminated. The machine itself, particularly in the case of all-metal models like the Aarke, is designed to last a decade or more, which spreads its manufacturing footprint over a long useful life.
SodaStream: the benchmark that everyone else is measured against
SodaStream has been making home carbonators since 1955 and remains the most widely distributed sparkling water machine brand in Canada. Its current lineup includes the Terra (entry-level, manual, around $100), the Art (mid-range, lever-operated, around $120), and the e-Terra (electric, around $170). All use snap-lock bottle installation without screwing, which simplifies the process significantly compared to older models.
The Terra is the most recommended entry point for first-time buyers. It is lightweight, inexpensive, easy to use, and comes with a dishwasher-safe bottle, which is a practical advantage over competitors. The carbonation quality is solid for everyday sparkling water, though it does not reach the very high carbonation levels of store-bought sodas. For pure sparkling water drinkers rather than soda enthusiasts, this is rarely a problem.
The main limitation of the newer SodaStream models is their reliance on the proprietary Quick Connect cylinder. This system does not work with standard screw-in cylinders, which means you are dependent on SodaStream’s exchange network for refills. In major Canadian cities, that network is well-developed. In smaller markets or rural areas, it can be an inconvenience. If CO2 cylinder exchange accessibility matters to you, check the SodaStream exchange locations near you before committing to a Terra or Art.
Aarke Carbonator 3: the premium alternative for design-conscious households
The Aarke Carbonator 3 is the machine reviewers consistently describe as the best-looking sparkling water maker on the market, and its design is genuinely exceptional. The full stainless steel body, available in polished steel, matte black, copper, brass, and sand beige, is built to sit on a kitchen counter without looking like an appliance. It is tall and narrow, taking up less counter space than most competitors, and it feels substantially heavier and more solid than any plastic-bodied machine.
Operation is purely manual via a lever. Pulling the lever once produces lightly carbonated water, twice gives medium carbonation, and three pulls deliver a strongly fizzy result. The lever mechanism is quieter than the push-button carbonation on SodaStream’s models, and the automatic pressure release when you raise the lever means you do not have to worry about over-carbonating and causing a mess.
The Aarke uses standard screw-in 60-litre CO2 cylinders, which are compatible with cylinders from SodaStream, Philips, and other brands. This flexibility in CO2 sourcing is a practical advantage over SodaStream’s proprietary Quick Connect system. The machine does not include a CO2 cylinder, so budget for that additional purchase at around $20 to $30 at Canadian Tire or similar retailers. The Aarke Carbonator 3 retails in Canada for approximately $200 to $230, making it roughly double the price of the SodaStream Terra. The premium is justified for households that will leave the machine out on the counter daily and want something that looks genuinely good there.
Drinkmate OmniFizz: the machine that carbonates anything
The Drinkmate OmniFizz’s defining feature is that it carbonates any beverage, not just water. Juice, flat wine, iced tea, flat beer, cocktails, kombucha — the machine handles all of them using its Fizz Infuser cap, which controls pressure release and prevents over-carbonated beverages from spraying. This versatility is genuinely useful for households that like sparkling juice for kids, want to re-carbonate flat soda, or enjoy experimenting with sparkling cocktails and mocktails.
The OmniFizz is available in Canada through Amazon.ca and several retailers, typically priced around $90 to $130 depending on whether it comes with one or two CO2 cylinders. The body is plastic rather than metal, which makes it lighter but less durable-feeling than the Aarke. The bottle is not dishwasher-safe, which some users find inconvenient. It uses standard screw-in 60-litre cylinders, giving it the same CO2 source flexibility as the Aarke.
The Drinkmate is the right choice for households where sparkling water is not the only application. If you primarily want sparkling water and nothing else, the SodaStream Terra does that job at a competitive price with a more polished experience. If you want the ability to carbonate other beverages, the Drinkmate’s versatility is unmatched at its price point.
Philips Sparkling Water Maker: the user-friendly mid-range option
The Philips Sparkling Water Maker is consistently ranked as the best option for ease of use among mid-range machines. It features a large, easy-to-press button for carbonating, a non-slip base, and universal compatibility with different screw-in CO2 cylinders. One 60-litre cylinder produces up to 60 litres of sparkling water, replacing approximately 180 single-use plastic bottles. The machine operates without electricity, making placement flexible.
Philips offers a CO2 refill program in Canada, and the machine’s compatibility with standard screw-in cylinders means you are not locked into a single brand for refills. It is available through Amazon.ca and major Canadian retailers at a price point typically between $80 and $120, positioning it between the SodaStream Terra and the Aarke Carbonator 3. For households that want reliability, simplicity, and cylinder flexibility without spending Aarke money, the Philips is a strong choice.
which machine is right for your household?
The decision comes down to three things: your budget, your priorities around design, and whether you want to carbonate anything beyond plain water.
If you are new to home carbonation and want to try it without a large upfront investment, the SodaStream Terra is the right starting point. It is the most affordable, the easiest to find in Canadian stores, and performs reliably for everyday sparkling water use. If you drink large volumes and want the flexibility to source CO2 cylinders from any retailer, either the Aarke or the Philips would serve you better.
If design matters and you want a machine that genuinely looks good on your counter for years, the Aarke Carbonator 3 is the clear choice. The premium is real, but so is the quality. If you want to carbonate juice, flat wine, or other beverages in addition to water, the Drinkmate OmniFizz is the only machine in this group that handles that well at a reasonable price. And if ease of use is your primary concern, the Philips balances simplicity, cylinder compatibility, and solid performance in one mid-range package.
