Spain drinks more bottled water than almost anywhere in Europe — and pays for it in heavy supermarket runs, cluttered cupboards and a weekly mountain of plastic. A new Marbella-based company thinks there’s a better way, and it fits on your countertop.
Congas is Spain’s first premium sparkling-water system: a beautifully engineered machine, reusable bottles, and CO2 cylinders refilled locally and delivered to your door. Fill a bottle with ice-cold water, screw it into the Burbujito machine, press the button, and a measured burst of food-grade CO2 brings it to life in seconds. No electricity, no plumbing, no installation. One press for a gentle, delicate fizz; two or three for something livelier. As the company puts it: sparkle your own way — or, in Spanish, burbujas a tu manera.
Built to stay on the countertop
The Burbujito is no flimsy plastic gadget. Powder-coated stainless steel with a stainless-steel nozzle, it’s designed as a durable kitchen object you’ll actually want on display — available in finishes from Soft White and Champagne to Graphite Grey and Midnight Blue, at home in a Mediterranean, minimalist or classic kitchen alike.
The Starter Pack includes the machine, two CO2 cylinders and two premium water bottles, so one is always chilled and ready. Each cylinder produces up to 60 litres of sparkling water — weeks of supply for most households.
Deliver, use, return
What really sets Congas apart is the service. Order through www.congas.es, and in the launch area the company’s own branded vehicle delivers directly, often within days. When a cylinder runs out, scan the QR code and order a refill: full cylinders arrive at your door, and empties are collected on the same visit, then inspected, sterilised and refilled at a local facility. No driving, no carrying, no waste — a circular model the company calls Deliver, Use, Return.
Because cylinders are refilled locally rather than trucked across Northern Europe, the service is faster and the emissions lower. And the machine uses standard screw-type CO2 cylinders, widely available across Spain — no proprietary lock-in.
The savings add up, too. For households that regularly buy premium sparkling water, the Starter Pack typically pays for itself within months, after which the only ongoing cost is the refill — a fraction of the price of the equivalent volume in bottles. Meanwhile, hundreds of plastic bottles per household disappear from the recycling bin every year.
A serious pedigree
Behind the brand is founder Paul van Maanen, a Dutch executive with three decades of international leadership across shipbuilding, aerospace and industrial giants including GEA Group, spanning Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Congas, launched in Marbella in 2025, is the first business to carry his own name on the door.
“Spain drinks more bottled water than almost any country in Europe,” he says. “The bottles are heavy, the packaging is unsustainable, and the experience is, at best, mediocre. We help people make exceptional sparkling water at home — they save money, reduce waste, and enjoy a better product.”
Southern Spain comes first — an international, design-conscious community that entertains at home and increasingly includes non-drinkers for whom great sparkling water on demand simply makes sense. Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Portugal are next.
Ready to sparkle?
Everything is sold directly at www.congas.es — no middlemen, no markups. Open a free Soda Club account for access to machines, cylinders and the refill service, and the checkout shows the exact delivery window for your postcode before you confirm.
Chill the water, sparkle just before serving, and pour into a proper glass. Small details, big difference.