Soda makers that don’t require electricity may include a battery to operate LED lights. Other units, like the SodaStream Jet Fountain in our product list, don’t need electricity pressure from the carbon dioxide cartridge mixes the sparkling water. These machines must be plugged into a wall outlet. Some soda makers require electrical power to inject the carbon dioxide into the water. Before buying a machine, make sure its dimensions will fit your available space. Some soda makers require more counter space than others, and some stand taller than others. Hands On: KitchenAid SodaStream MakerīestReviews Other considerations Machine size In general, the less carbon dioxide you use, the less time it will take to carbonate the water. Some soda makers can inject the carbon dioxide in about 30 seconds others require three or four minutes. The time required to complete the carbonation process varies depending on the machine. Or, it may let you know how much carbonation is present via an LED display. The machine may require you to choose from an on-screen menu or press a button representing a specific concentration. A quality machine allows you to personally select the amount of carbonation you want. The more carbon dioxide you use, the more “bite” you’ll taste in your sparkling water. If you select a soda maker that uses a tablet or pod system, understand that you won’t be able to control the concentration of carbonation in your final product. Still others use a pod system similar to that of a single-serve coffee maker. However, some soda makers only accept one specific cartridge size.Ī few soda makers use dissolvable tablets instead of a cartridge. You may suppose a larger cartridge would be more convenient because you wouldn’t have to replace it as often.