Now that Ramadan is over, I can openly say that nothing is more refreshing than a cold glass of water on a hot day… except maybe a glass of cold sparkling water. OFOUR believes this too; so much so that we have a carbonator (or soda-machine) in the OFOUR office! Specifically, we have the Aarke Carbonator II – made by Swedish company Aarke, which was founded just a few years ago in 2016.

 

Aarke founders believed the world was moving away from functional and beautiful appliances, and felt they needed to create their own to feed the market. Aarke means “everyday” in Southern Sami, a language spoken by only 500 people in very small regions of Sweden and Norway. This kind of highlights what their products are meant to represent – stuff you would use every day and be happy doing so.

 

So they set out to create a carbonator that not only serves its functional purpose, but also is aesthetically pleasing and fits with almost, if not all, home décor styles. The second iteration is the one we’ll be taking a closer look at today. Its minimalistic design stands 41.5cm (16.2”) tall and weighs 1.5kgs (3.2lbs). It comes in 4 different colors – silver, matt black, copper, and gold. OFOUR has the copper one – we think it’s the best looking. It also meets all the safety standards, especially because it uses co2 canisters that pump the gas into the water.

 

It’s incredible simple to use. You just need to insert the canister into the device, screw on the bottle it comes with, but fill it up to the “fill line” with still water, and pull the lever. The co2 tank slides in from the bottom and simply has to be rotated into place; it’s that easy! After the setup is done, and the bottle is screwed on correctly, simply pull the level and wait a second or so. You’ll hear a loud hiss; that’s the sign to let go. If you like your sparkling water extra sparkly (like I do), pump it again. Heck, pump it a third time if you’re wild enough! If you like your water flavored, wait till after carbonization to add the syrup as recommended by Aarke. I’m sure there’s a technical reason for this, but I don’t know. Anyway, I’m not going to risk damaging the device, so I’ll just do as I’m told.

 

Honestly, the only drawback I can find is the sound. The sound of the gas and the hiss is startling; don’t try to make soda water in the middle of the night with your significant other sleeping, unless you want to wake them up. Could be a good alarm, I suppose! I should add that if you do pour some into a bottle, to make sure you do NOT close the bottle. I mistakenly did, and the pressure buildup ended up shooting the lid straight off and water got everywhere. Gave everyone in the office a good fright; though it did make sure they were awake.

 

Best thing about the Aarke Carbonator II is that it will never go out of style. It blends so well with any style and sits comfortably on your counter. If you’re looking to upgrade your kitchen with some cool new appliances, I’d say start your wishlist with this.