SodaStream Ensō Review: When Sparkling Water Becomes your Lifestyle

Every once in a while, a gadget shows up in your kitchen that doesn’t just do something useful: it changes the way the whole space feels. That’s the SodaStream Ensō. Designed by Japanese legend Naoto Fukasawa, is a piece of design that elevates your countertop and redefines what it means to make a simple glass of sparkling water at home.

Yes, it carbonates water. But the Ensō is less about function in isolation and more about the blend of refinement, ritual, and sustainability that it brings into your everyday life. It’s a tool, but also a statement piece. The kind of gadget that makes your kitchen feel curated, not cluttered.

Design That Belongs Anywhere (And Everywhere)

The Ensō is proof that design matters. Measuring just 22.6 x 11.4 x 42.2cm, it’s slim enough to tuck into any space, yet its stainless-steel body and clean, architectural lines make it impossible to ignore. Available in silver or black, it adapts effortlessly to whatever design language your home speaks: Scandi minimalism, modern luxury, or cozy family hub.

Unlike most appliances that shout “tech gadget” the second you unbox them, the Ensō whispers elegance. Fukasawa’s signature is restraint: nothing feels unnecessary, nothing feels forced. The result is an object that you want to leave on the counter, not hide in a cupboard. It elevates the space simply by existing there.

And here’s the clever part: it doesn’t dominate. It blends. It looks equally at home next to a marble espresso machine, a rustic fruit bowl, or sleek open shelving. Ensō doesn’t fight your kitchen’s aesthetic, it completes it.

Functionality That Feels Effortless

Design without functionality is just decor. But the Ensō delivers both. SodaStream’s Quick Connect system means swapping cylinders is as simple as slotting them into place. No awkward twisting, no resistance, just a satisfying click. It’s the kind of detail you only appreciate once you’ve fought with older machines.

The 1-litre BPA-free bottle (included) is dishwasher-safe, practical, and designed to last. It’s not glass, and yes, some might miss that touch of luxury, but the choice of durable plastic makes sense for daily life. It’s light, sturdy, and safe even with kids in the mix.

Using the Ensō is as easy as it gets: fill the bottle with cold water, attach it, press the lever. Seconds later, you’ve got sparkling water as crisp as anything you’d buy bottled, but fresher, cleaner, and designed by you. Light fizz for a subtle spritz, strong bubbles for cocktails: you control the outcome.

Turning Daily Hydration Into a Ritual

Here’s where the Ensō shines. It doesn’t just make water fizzy, it makes the act of making water fizzy feel good. Pressing that lever isn’t another kitchen chore, it’s a moment of control, almost meditative in its simplicity.

In the morning, you can infuse sparkling water with citrus for a refreshing start. In the afternoon, add elderflower syrup and ice for a café-style spritz. At night, mix up a sparkling base for cocktails. Every time, it’s the same smooth ritual: attach, press, fizz.

This is where design meets experience. The Ensō turns hydration into something you look forward to.

Sustainability, but Make It Chic

One of SodaStream’s big wins has always been sustainability. Each reusable bottle saves countless single-use plastics from landfill, and families who go through bottles of sparkling water weekly will notice the difference instantly.

But what sets the Ensō apart is that it wraps that eco-conscious benefit in luxury. Instead of making you feel like you’re compromising for the planet, it makes you feel like you’re upgrading. Sustainability doesn’t feel utilitarian, it feels aspirational.

The Blend of Style and Tech

What makes the Ensō so magnetic is the balance. Too often, appliances lean one way, pure style with little function, or all function with no beauty. The Ensō does both.

Functionally, it’s one of SodaStream’s most seamless machines yet: intuitive, reliable, and consistent. Stylistically, it’s a design-led object that actually enhances your home. That intersection, style and substance in perfect proportion, is what makes the Ensō feel special.

Living With the Ensō: The Home Upgrade You Didn’t Know You Needed

Give it a few weeks, and the Ensō stops being “the soda maker” and starts being part of your life. It’s there at every meal, every get-together, quietly making things a little more elevated.

Breakfast: sparkling water with berries instead of juice. Lunch: homemade kombucha spritz. Dinner: cocktails for friends, mocktails for kids. Suddenly, the kitchen feels like a bar, a café, and a wellness hub rolled into one.

Even beyond the drinks, the Ensō brings a vibe: that quiet pride of ownership when guests notice it, the small luxury of having sparkling water on demand, the satisfaction of reducing waste without compromising on style. It’s a gadget that doesn’t just function; it transforms your kitchen into a space you want to spend time in.

Price: Premium, But Worth It

At £179.99 / $189.99, the Ensō sits firmly in the premium tier of soda makers. Yes, cheaper models exist. But cheaper models won’t elevate your kitchen. They won’t make you smile when you press the lever. They won’t blend sustainability, design, and function into something that feels this effortless.

Think of it less as “just a soda maker” and more like a designer kettle or espresso machine. You’re not buying utility alone; you’re buying an upgrade to the everyday. And when it’s something you use daily, that upgrade pays for itself in experience.

Verdict: A Sparkling Icon in the Making

The SodaStream Ensō is a rare kitchen gadget that nails the trifecta: design, functionality, and lifestyle impact. By combining Fukasawa’s minimalist aesthetic with SodaStream’s proven carbonation tech, it reimagines sparkling water as a ritual worth savoring.

It’s not here to compete on raw fizz-per-penny efficiency. It’s here to make your home feel more refined, your routines more enjoyable, and your lifestyle more sustainable. And it succeeds beautifully.

Buy it if: you want a sparkling water maker that doubles as a design piece, enhances your kitchen, and makes daily hydration a joy.

Skip it if: you’re only chasing the cheapest fizz on the market and don’t care about design.