Aarke Carbonator Pro
Carbonates into glass and stores in glass - the real win - but the nozzle that sprays into the water is plastic. Aarke documents a steel nozzle only on the cheaper Carbonator 3.
The verdict: Minimal plastic contact
Correction (Sept 2026): we previously rated the Pro silicone-only on the strength of a stainless-steel nozzle. That was wrong, and the error was ours. Aarke's "precision nozzle, CNC-machined from a single piece of stainless steel" is a Carbonator 3 claim - marketed specifically as the upgrade over the Carbonator II's plastic nozzle - and we carried it across to the Pro, which uses an entirely different mechanism. Aarke has never made that claim for the Pro. The Pro's product page, its user manual, its care guide and its spare-parts list say nothing whatsoever about the nozzle, and a reader who owns the machine reports it is plastic.
Aarke's materials line for the Pro - "stainless steel SUS304, glass, silicon" - cannot carry the weight we put on it. It is a headline list, not a parts list: it omits plastic that is demonstrably inside the machine (the button mechanism is white plastic, visible in owner repair teardowns). A materials line that already leaves out known plastic is not evidence that the water path has none.
What the Pro still gets right is the part that dominates exposure: you carbonate in glass and you store in glass, so your mildly acidic seltzer never spends days in PET. What it does not get right is the nozzle, which dips into the water during the carbonation cycle. That contact is brief and cold, which is why this is minimal-contact rather than worse - but it is the same water path as the SodaStream E-Duo, at roughly twice the price. For a genuinely documented steel nozzle, Aarke's own Carbonator 3 with its stainless To-Go bottle costs less and reads cleaner.
What it's made of
| Part | Material | Water contact |
|---|---|---|
| glass bottle dishwasher-safe; Aarke does not specify soda-lime vs borosilicate | Soda-Lime Glass | Yes primary |
| bottle cap brand describes a metal cap; not confirmed as stainless, exact alloy unspecified | Metal unspecified | Yes primary |
| carbonation nozzle dips into the water during the carbonation cycle; reported as plastic by an owner, and Aarke documents no material for it anywhere - not the product page, manual, care guide or spare-parts list. The steel-nozzle claim in Aarke's marketing belongs to the Carbonator 3, not the Pro. | Plastic other / unspecified | Yes primary |
| seals / gaskets silicone is the third material Aarke lists for the Pro; sealing points during carbonation | Silicone | Yes seal |
| machine body / protective chamber SUS304; the enclosed chamber is the safety requirement for carbonating in glass | Stainless Steel 304 / 18-8 | No |
| button mechanism (internal) not in the water path - listed because it is plastic Aarke's own materials line omits, which is why that line can't be read as a full parts list | Plastic other / unspecified | No |
| PET water bottle (optional accessory) optional optional - the machine is fully usable with only the glass bottle | Plastic other / unspecified | primary |
Aarke's flagship carbonator, in the brand's signature all-steel look. A lever lowers a stainless enclosure over the glass bottle, then you carbonate, store, and pour from that same dishwasher-safe bottle. Manual (no electricity), using standard 60L screw-in CO2 cylinders. The glass bottle is heavier than PET and needs more care.
Pros
- Carbonate and store in the same glass bottle - storage is where most plastic exposure happens, and this removes it
- Dishwasher-safe glass bottle; no electricity; standard 60L CO2 cylinders
- Buy-it-for-life steel build
Cons
- The nozzle that sprays into the water is plastic, and Aarke publishes nothing about it
- Roughly twice the price of the Carbonator 3, whose steel nozzle IS documented
- Glass bottle is exclusive to the Pro (spares only from Aarke)
- Glass type (soda-lime vs borosilicate) unspecified by Aarke
Common questions
Does the Aarke Carbonator Pro have plastic in it?
Yes. On the Aarke Carbonator Pro, the carbonation nozzle is plastic and sits in the water path. The rest of what touches your water is Soda-Lime glass and metal. There is plastic in the button mechanism (internal), which never touches your water.
What is the Aarke Carbonator Pro made of?
Part by part, the Aarke Carbonator Pro is: glass bottle — Soda-Lime glass; bottle cap — metal; carbonation nozzle — plastic; seals / gaskets — silicone; machine body / protective chamber — stainless steel; button mechanism (internal) — plastic.
Does the Aarke Carbonator Pro have silicone in it?
Yes — the seals / gaskets are silicone on the Aarke Carbonator Pro. They are seals rather than surfaces your water sits against, which is Soda-Lime glass and metal.
Where is the Aarke Carbonator Pro made?
The Aarke Carbonator Pro 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-pro-steel product page; enclosed chamber design for glass-bottle carbonation. Materials given only as "Stainless steel SUS304, glass, silicon" - the page does not mention the nozzle at all
- manufacturer https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0756/5135/0805/files/Carbonator_Pro_User_Manual.pdf official Carbonator Pro user manual; the parts diagram labels cover, handle, drip tray, base and bottle - there is no nozzle callout and no material given for it
- manufacturer https://aarke.com/en-it/pages/carbonator-pro-care-guide care guide; tells you to "refresh the nozzle" with a blank carbonation press but states no material for it
- manufacturer https://aarke.com/blogs/blog/difference-carbonator-3-vs-carbonator-pro Aarke's own 3-vs-Pro comparison; the steel-nozzle selling point is attributed to the Carbonator 3 ("precision nozzle, CNC-machined from a single piece of steel", the upgrade over the Carbonator II's plastic nozzle) and never to the Pro
- forum https://www.nicknormal.com/normalblog/not-your-typical-aarke-carbonator-pro-fail-fix/ owner repair teardown showing the Pro's white plastic button mechanism - plastic that Aarke's "SUS304, glass, silicon" materials line omits
- manufacturer https://aarke.com/products/glass-bottle glass bottle with metal cap, made exclusively for the Carbonator Pro; explains glass requires the Pro's protective chamber (not compatible with Carbonator 3)
Spot a mistake or something out of date? Let us know — corrections are how this stays accurate.