The Aarke Carbonator II Is The Best-Looking Way to Make Seltzer At Home

Seltzer and sparkling water are having a moment and while it’s delicious, consuming it from cans and bottles is less-than-ideal for the environment. The solution? Make your own at home. And there’s no better-looking way to make sparkling water at home than the Aarke Carbonator II.

The Aarke’s streamlined, retro-inspired makeup is admirable. It looks like a combination of an old school soda fountain and milkshake machine. It doesn’t take up a ton of real estate, with a slim cover to conceal the CO2 canister that powers the machine and the drop guard to keep your counters dry taking up the most space. The sleek pull arm allows you to easily carbonate to your desired level and the Aarke bottle itself is made from safe, nontoxic PET plastic.

All you do is fill the Aarke bottle up to the fill line, screw it onto the machine, and hold the handle down. Once you hear a sort of ”burp” or “hiss” sound, you’ve reached full carbonation, which can take as little as two seconds depending on how full your CO2 tank is (you will have to purchase your own Co2 cartridge, but that’s pretty standard with at-home carbonation systems). Then, just unscrew the bottle and get to sippin’.

What I appreciate the most about the Aarke system is that as an at-home seltzer maker, I don’t entirely enjoy having a bulky, unattractive machine on my counter. The Aarke’s attention to aesthetics is almost as impressive as how well it works. It comes in four colors and finishes: Matte Black, White, and Stainless Steel for $199 and a bright, shiny Brass for $229.

Aarke systems don’t need any electricity (battery or otherwise) which means they can be placed anywhere in your kitchen without worrying about a plug. It’s an incredibly good-looking approach to the simple but enjoyable task of creating sparkling water at home.

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