Aarke Carbonator 3
Aarke's mainstream carbonator ships with a PET bottle, but a dedicated stainless-steel "To-Go" bottle attaches and carbonates directly in its place - steel bottle, steel nozzle, silicone-only water path. The only machine here whose steel nozzle Aarke actually documents.
The verdict: Silicone only
Stock, the Carbonator 3 is the category's classic "steel outside, plastic inside" machine: gorgeous stainless body, but it carbonates exclusively into a PET bottle (minimal-contact, same as any SodaStream). What changes the picture is Aarke's own stainless-steel "To-Go" bottle - a separate purchase that attaches exactly like the PET bottle does. With it in place, water is carbonated directly in SUS304 steel through the machine's all-steel nozzle, and the only non-metal part left in the path is the small gasket sealing the bottle against the nozzle. That makes the steel-bottle configuration silicone-only, and it is now the cleanest water path in the category - cleaner than the twice-as-expensive Carbonator Pro, whose nozzle is plastic. A sealed metal bottle needs no protective chamber, so none of the Pro's engineering is required to get here. We rate the Carbonator 3 in that configuration; with the stock PET bottle it would be minimal-contact.
The Carbonator 3 ships with a PET bottle; Aarke's stainless-steel To-Go bottle carbonates directly in its place, making the water path steel-plus-gasket instead of plastic. Buy it separately.
What it's made of
| Part | Material | Water contact |
|---|---|---|
| PET water bottle (stock - replaced by the To-Go steel bottle) ships with — replace virgin food-grade PET; ships with the machine but is what the steel-bottle upgrade replaces | Plastic other / unspecified | primary |
| To-Go bottle body (add-on - replaces the stock PET bottle) double-wall vacuum-insulated SUS304, over 90% recycled content; a separate SKU, attaches the same way the PET bottle does | Stainless Steel 304 / 18-8 | Yes primary |
| To-Go bottle cap stainless cap/lid on the To-Go bottle; exact alloy unspecified by Aarke beyond "stainless steel" | Stainless Steel grade unspecified | Yes primary |
| bottle-to-nozzle seal small gasket sealing the bottle against the nozzle during carbonation, the same style used on the stock PET bottle's cap; exact material unconfirmed by Aarke, treated as the Pro's equivalent seal | Silicone | Yes seal |
| carbonation nozzle third-generation nozzle, CNC-machined from a single piece of stainless steel; grade unspecified by Aarke; dips into the bottle during carbonation | Stainless Steel grade unspecified | Yes primary |
| machine body SUS304 exterior; several color finishes available | Stainless Steel 304 / 18-8 | No |
| CO2 cylinder compartment gasket seals the CO2 cylinder threading, not the water path - not a drink-contact part | EPDM Rubber | No |
Aarke's flagship-looking, mid-priced carbonator - the stainless body everyone recognizes. Manual (no electricity), it uses standard 60L screw-in CO2 cylinders and carbonates one bottle at a time. Compared with the Carbonator Pro it costs roughly half as much, and it is the model whose steel nozzle Aarke actually documents - the Pro's nozzle is plastic. The trade-off is the vessel: the Pro's glass bottle is dishwasher-safe and see-through, while the To-Go steel bottle is opaque and insulated, so you can't watch the fill level or the bubbles.
Pros
- CNC-machined stainless nozzle - Aarke's own documented claim, and the reason this beats the pricier Pro on materials
- The steel bottle is Aarke's own listed accessory, not a third-party workaround
- No electricity; standard 60L CO2 cylinders
Cons
- Does not ship this way - the steel bottle is a separate purchase (~$45-50)
- Bottle-to-nozzle gasket material is not confirmed by Aarke (assumed silicone/rubber)
- With the stock PET bottle instead, it's the category's textbook "steel outside, plastic inside" example
Common questions
Does the Aarke Carbonator 3 have plastic in it?
No petroleum plastic touches your water. On the Aarke Carbonator 3, the bottle-to-nozzle seal is silicone, and the rest of the water path is stainless steel. There is plastic in the CO2 cylinder compartment gasket, which never touches your water.
What is the Aarke Carbonator 3 made of?
Part by part, the Aarke Carbonator 3 is: To-Go bottle body (add-on - replaces the stock PET bottle) — stainless steel; To-Go bottle cap — stainless steel; bottle-to-nozzle seal — silicone; carbonation nozzle — stainless steel; machine body — stainless steel; CO2 cylinder compartment gasket — EPDM rubber.
Does the Aarke Carbonator 3 have silicone in it?
Yes — the bottle-to-nozzle seal is silicone on the Aarke Carbonator 3. It is a seal rather than a surface your water sits against, which is stainless steel.
Is the Aarke Carbonator 3 BPA-free?
No plastic touches your water on the Aarke Carbonator 3 — the water path is stainless steel and silicone — so BPA, which comes from polycarbonate and epoxy plastics, is not in play here.
Where is the Aarke Carbonator 3 made?
The Aarke Carbonator 3 is made in China.
Categories: Soda Makers
Sources
Every material claim above is backed by these. This is the scattered info we centralized.
- manufacturer https://aarke.com/products/carbonator-3-steel Carbonator 3 product page; SUS304 body, ships with a BPA-free virgin PET bottle
- manufacturer https://aarke.com/products/steel-bottle-carbonator-3 To-Go stainless-steel bottle; SUS304 with 90%+ recycled content, attaches and carbonates directly ("the bottle attaches to the Carbonator 3 the same way the PET bottle does"), compatible with Carbonator 3, 2, and 1
- retailer https://www.thehappycook.com/products/aarke-carbonator-iii-steel-021818 retailer listing quoting Aarke's copy that the precision nozzle is "CNC-machined from a single piece of stainless steel"
- manufacturer https://aarke.com/products/pet-water-bottle stock PET bottle spec page; notes the bottle's cap gasket, which the To-Go bottle's seal is assumed to mirror
- manufacturer https://aarke.com/blogs/blog/difference-carbonator-3-vs-carbonator-pro Aarke attributes the steel nozzle specifically to the Carbonator 3 - it was the headline upgrade over the Carbonator II's plastic nozzle - and makes no equivalent claim for the Pro
Spot a mistake or something out of date? Let us know — corrections are how this stays accurate.