Review: Smeg Soda Maker SKC01

A quick glance at the statistics makes for horrifying reading. Globally, 1 million plastic bottles are purchased every minute. Fifty billion single-use plastic bottles are bought each year in the US alone, and 35 billion are incinerated or sent to landfills. And we’ve not even touched on soda cans, where over 100 billion are sold each year.

Bottled water should not be as popular—or as profitable—as it is, especially with so many fantastic reusable bottles available. It’s all the more true if you’re partial to sparkling water, given the existence of excellent home carbonation machines like Smeg’s new Soda Maker SKC01.

It enters a market stuffed with quality soda makers, including our favorite options from brands including SodaStream, not to mention Aarke, Mysoda, and Ninja. But can the effortlessly stylish Italians tempt us with their bottles of sustainable, sparkling fun?

Effervescent Style

Part of the Smeg Collezione range of countertop appliances, the Soda Maker is available in four matte finishes: Storm Blue, Emerald Green, Matte Black, and Matte White. My sample was blue, and I think the simple, well-proportioned plastic tubular design looks a treat. The matte finish is also fairly resistant to fingerprints, something the original shiny Aarke models can only dream of. The Smeg's metal drip tray (under the cover there’s a QR code for online instructions) and control dial add to the classy aesthetic. Would I prefer it in all metal? Maybe. But Aarke has that design covered, and the Smeg genuinely looks great on my counter.

Measuring 16.5 x 5.3 x 9.7 inches and weighing just 3.5 pounds, it’s easy to slip into a corner, or next to the coffee machine, as there’s no need for electricity—it can basically go anywhere. It is supplied with one 28-ounce (800-milliliters) Tritan Renew bottle, made from 50 percent recycled BPA-free plastic. My first thought was that a design like this is crying out for a stylish straight-to-table glass carafe, but having spoken to Smeg, they explained that they wanted a device that could be safely used by all ages. Extra bottles will also be available, but prices have yet to be confirmed.

Installation and use is simple. Just screw the standard 400/426-gram CO₂ cylinder into the hole in the base and you’re ready to fizz. In the UK, Smeg has partnered with a brand called CO2 You that offers cylinder refill, return, and subscription services, with prices from £25. Buy direct from Smeg and you will receive a free cylinder, but don’t expect the same from third-party retailers.

Most soda makers have handles or buttons, but the Smeg has a stylish metal dial that keeps the design lines uncluttered. The knurled metal ring is a pleasure to use, and the base is stable enough for one-handed operation, although getting the current level of fizz into your water does take practice.

Busy With the Fizzy

The supplied instructions are a little too basic, suggesting that turning the dial once, twice, or three times will boost your bubble level. What it doesn’t say, however, is how long you turn the dial for. Again, I asked Smeg, and they told me that carbonation levels are subjective, as a rule. But as a rule, if you spritz for two seconds, you’ll get light bubbles—leggermente frizzante, if you’re feeling Italian—four seconds for a medium fizz, and hold for six for the full club soda effect. You can also hold the dial to the right until it squeaks, which indicates there’s as much CO₂ in there as possible.

Obviously, the amount of carbonation will impact the number of cylinders you will get through. I like my water fizzy, and while rated for 13 gallons (60 liters), CO2 You estimates that I’m more likely to get 10 to 11 gallons (45 to 50 liters). It’s still a whole lot better than the equivalent number of plastic bottles you’d get through.

So it’s simple to use, effortlessly stylish, and fizzes water like a charm. And surprisingly, given Smeg’s track record, it’s not crazy expensive. Still, just be aware that you can currently pick up a perfectly effective, but painfully boring, SodaStream Art with three CO₂ cylinders for just $110.