We analysed the Amazon.co.uk subcategory Soda Makers and kept only products with at least 200 reviews and 4.3 stars, which left 68 listings. Ranked by estimated monthly revenue, the ten below come from exactly two brands: six SodaStream machines from £74.99 that all include a 60 L gas cylinder, and four Aarke Carbonator 3 finishes from £175 whose titles mention none.
The volume seller of the whole category: an estimated 2,941 kits in the observed month, more than the other nine listings put together.
Check the price on AmazonThe volume seller of the whole category: an estimated 2,941 kits in the observed month, more than the other nine listings put together.
The retro Duo at £129.99 puts a glass carafe on the table as well as two plastic bottles, and its 215 reviews make it one of the newer listings here.
The white Terra, 19 pence below the black one at rank 1 and otherwise the identical starter kit.
The cheapest machine in this comparison at £74.99 after a 27% price drop, and like the Terra it arrives with a 60 L cylinder and a bottle.
The first of four Aarke listings: a steel-bodied carbonator at £179 that sells 160 units a month and still earns more than every cheaper machine below it.
The only machine here that needs a socket: three carbonation settings, at £101.50 about £22 above the manual Terra.
Matte grey, the same Aarke carbonator and the same £179: the finish is the whole difference between this and rank 5.
The ENSO in metallic silver sits at £139.99, above every other SodaStream in this list, and its 210 reviews are the fewest in the top ten.
The plain steel Aarke at £175, sold by a UK merchant rather than out of Amazon stock, and £4 below the sand and grey versions.
The most expensive listing here at £196, and the only Aarke that comes with two 800 ml bottles instead of one.
| Product | Score | Stars | Reviews | Feature | Material | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01. SodaStream Terra Starter Kit, Black Best seller sodastream · sodastream |
9.3 | 4.7 ★ | 3,258 | 60 L cylinder · 1 L | Plastic | £79.78 | Amazon › |
| 02. SodaStream Duo with Glass Carafe, Black sodastream · sodastream |
8.1 | 4.4 ★ | 215 | glass carafe · 2 x 1 L | Plastic and glass | £129.99 | Amazon › |
| 03. SodaStream Terra Starter Kit, White sodastream · sodastream |
8.9 | 4.7 ★ | 760 | 60 L cylinder · 1 L | Plastic | £79.59 | Amazon › |
| 04. SodaStream ART Starter Kit, Black Lowest price sodastream · sodastream |
9.1 | 4.6 ★ | 2,312 | 60 L cylinder · 1 L | Plastic | £74.99 | Amazon › |
| 05. Aarke Carbonator 3, Sand aarke · aarke |
9.2 | 4.5 ★ | 7,226 | hand lever · PET | Stainless steel | £179.00 | Amazon › |
| 06. SodaStream Electric Terra, Black sodastream · sodastream |
8.7 | 4.6 ★ | 534 | electric · 3 levels | Plastic | £101.50 | Amazon › |
| 07. Aarke Carbonator 3, Matte Grey aarke · aarke |
9.2 | 4.5 ★ | 7,226 | hand lever · PET | Stainless steel | £179.00 | Amazon › |
| 08. SodaStream ENSO, Silver sodastream · sodastream |
8.4 | 4.6 ★ | 210 | 60 L cylinder · metal | Metal and plastic | £139.99 | Amazon › |
| 09. Aarke Carbonator 3, Steel Finish aarke · aarke |
9.2 | 4.5 ★ | 7,226 | steel finish · PET | Stainless steel | £175.00 | Amazon › |
| 10. Aarke Carbonator 3, Matte Black, 2 Bottles aarke · aarke |
9.2 | 4.5 ★ | 7,226 | matte black · 2 PET | Stainless steel | £196.00 | Amazon › |
Every SodaStream listing in this top ten names a 60 L CO2 cylinder as part of the kit; none of the four Aarke listings mentions one. That is not a footnote. A machine without gas makes nothing on the day it arrives, and the cylinder is the item you keep paying for afterwards.
The SodaStream machines here are sold as Quick Connect: the cylinder clicks in from the back instead of being screwed in blind from underneath. That matters at every exchange rather than only at setup, and it decides which replacement cylinders fit.
One entry is the electric Terra with three carbonation settings, and it needs a socket on the worktop. Every other machine here is pressed by hand, which means no cable, no standby draw, and a fizz level judged by feel and by the sound of the valve.
Most kits ship a single 1 L BPA-free PET bottle. The Duo adds a glass carafe for the table and one Aarke finish comes with two 800 ml bottles. The plastic ones are what go into the machine and eventually expire; glass is for serving, never for carbonating.
The four Aarke entries are metal-bodied at £175 to £196, while the SodaStream machines start at £74.99 in plastic. The carbonation is the same trick in both cases, so the extra money buys a worktop object you are happy to leave out rather than more fizz.
Two listings here mention making Pepsi at home, which needs syrup bought separately and repeatedly. If plain sparkling water is the real reason for buying, the concentrate range is not a good reason to pick one machine over another.
Their titles do not mention one. All four describe the carbonator and a water bottle, while every SodaStream entry here explicitly lists a 60 L cylinder. Check the listing before setting the £179 Aarke against the £79.78 Terra, because one of those prices includes the gas and the other appears not to.
Amazon gives each finish its own ASIN, so the Carbonator 3 appears in sand, matte grey, steel and matte black, all sharing one pool of 7,226 reviews. The prices differ by finish, at £175, £179 and £196 in this snapshot, for what is otherwise the same machine.
The electric Terra at rank 6 gives three repeatable carbonation settings for about £22 more than the manual version, in exchange for a plug and a fixed place on the worktop. The lever machines work anywhere, need no power, and have nothing electrical to fail.
The products are ordered by estimated monthly revenue per ASIN, not by star rating and not by bestseller rank. Only products with at least 200 reviews and an average of 4.3 stars were included. Because revenue is price times units, the £179 Aarke at rank 5 reaches its place on 160 sales a month while the £74.99 SodaStream at rank 4 needs 654.
The score is not our own hands-on test. It is calculated transparently from public Amazon data: 75% from the average star rating and 25% from the number of reviews, weighted logarithmically. The ranking order itself comes from estimated monthly revenue per ASIN. Prices, ratings and review counts were retrieved from Amazon.co.uk on 22 July 2026 and can change at any time.
Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases — at no extra cost to you. All links are affiliate links. Prices are snapshots taken on 22 July 2026; the current price is shown live on Amazon. Product images and details come from Amazon or the manufacturers.