To overcome limitations due to the high viscosity in the solvent free esterification of polyglycerol-3 and related polyols, such as poly(ethylene glycol)s, an alternative reactor concept was developed. The new reactor comprises a bubble column that prevents mechanical erosion of Novozym 435 (lipase B from Candida antarctica) found by mechanical stirring of the mixture. That way polyglycerol-3 laurate was synthesized at a space time yield (sty) of 3042 g/L/d and PEG-55-propylene glycol dioleate at a sty of 738 g/L/d. To proof the broad application range of this system, low-viscosity myristyl myristate was synthesized at a sty of 6731 g/L/d, thus outperforming conventional methods such as stirred tank or fixed bed. The newly developed reactor concept is universally applicable to esterification reactions and can be advantageously applied in the synthesis of a broad range of high quality surfactants.