In our first round of research, we read studies on the types of contaminants that need to be filtered out to produce safe and great-tasting drinking water, and how the various water filters on the market work. We included the BWT pitcher in the first round of our tests, and it brita water dispenser has an interesting and innovative design. The filter itself actually adds magnesium to the water, presumably to improve taste and increase the health benefits of the water. However, some of our taste testers did not like the flavor of the water filtered by the BWT pitcher.
On the other hand, it has a large capacity tank, so you don’t have to take as many trips to fill it up. Water filter pitchers aren’t the best way to clean your tap water, but they can strip out unappetizing flavors, funky odors, and common contaminants. They’re a practical, inexpensive choice compared with other water filter options that may require a plumber’s installation and maintenance. However, the whole point of a water filter pitcher is to actually remove contaminants, and the Pur filters reduce and remove more chemicals from the water than the Brita pitchers do.
Then we poured all 16 ounces into a water filter pitcher, waited for it to filter all the water, poured it into a new glass and took the readings again. For nonalkaline pitchers, you should expect to see a drop in the TDS readings, as impurities and other minerals are removed from the water. At 14.5 inches, the Brita dispenser is slightly less deep than the Pur, which measures 15.5 inches. In my apartment-size counter-depth fridge, the Brita settled in easily, but the Pur was a tight fit. (Any regular-size standard-depth or counter-depth fridge should accommodate either.) The Pur’s deep, cupped handles are more comfortable to hold than the Brita’s thin, flat ones.
In addition, we assessed how easy it was to set up the pitcher, how heavy it was once filled and how easy it was to pour from. We also looked at the clarity of the instruction manual and whether the pitchers were dishwasher safe. We tested performance factors like how quickly it filtered a cup of water and measured how much tap water the reservoir can hold. We reviewed how long each filter lasts and factored the price of the replacement filters into a yearly calculation of what it costs when replacing filters at the recommended time frame.
Great-tasting water can help you meet your daily water intake, and having a good water filter pitcher can help improve the taste of your water and remove various water contaminants. While many standards for contaminants and their levels are regulated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), you may prefer to filter your water to remove specific contaminants. There are a few ways to filter your water — including an under-the-sink water filter, which saves brita filter pitcher space in the refrigerator or on the countertop — but a water filter pitcher is a convenient option with no installation required. So you might find that you’re waiting or refilling the pitcher often, depending on your drinking habits or how many housemates are pouring from the pitcher. In CR’s lab, we run each pitcher through a battery of flow-rate tests and time just how long it takes to filter a quart of water at various stages of the filter cartridge’s lifespan.
When trying to pour out the last cupful of water, we repeatedly had problems with the filter and fill housing falling out and onto our hands, the glass, or the counter. The Brita Grand pitcher fits both the Longlast+ and the Pitcher and Dispenser filters (like the Everyday does). The Grand has a thumb-flip lid for one-handed filling, which is a feature we like on the Pur Classic (and one the Everyday lacks). But the Grand also has a molded-in “pipe” inside the fill hole; this shape creates tight crannies that are harder to clean than the Everyday’s simple design. And the Grand has the same concave handle as the Everyday handle, which is harder to grasp than the Pur Classic’s.
The standard filter helps remove chlorine and some heavy metals, which we verified through third-party lab test data review. Most water filter pitchers will improve the taste and smell of drinking water by ridding it of odorous chemicals such as chlorine. Some more expensive or high-quality models also remove heavy metals, pesticides, PFAs, pathogens and other contaminants.
Our Lab experts spent three months researching and testing these water filter pitchers and continue to test them year-round. We dedicated over 37 hours to combing through over 200 pages of data to ensure these water filter pitchers removed what they claimed, such as getting rid of a specific chemical or physical contaminant or killing bacteria. Zero Water’s innovative two-in-one pitcher allows you to pour out of the spout or to dispense water while sits on on brita water filter faucet the counter with the push-button spigot at the bottom of the pitcher. The Zero Water 5-Stage system comes with a Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) meter, which indicates the level of dissolved salts and minerals in the water such as calcium, magnesium, sodium, sulfate and more. Plus, it filters out five chemical contaminants, including chlorine, heavy metals and endocrine distruptors such as PFOA and PFOS, according to our verified review of third-party test data.