Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Review: Clear2O Water Filtration Pitcher
I got a test unit of the Clear2O water pitcher with a built-in filter. Now, let's be realistic about testing some products. These people claim their product filters out 5 times what the "leading brand comparable pitcher" does - which, to me, probably means Brita. I don't have a lab and there's no way I really check that claim, which is one of those things that marketers count on. However, they claim that the pitcher fills far faster than that leading unnamed pitcher. That is certainly true. I've seen a Brita sit for a good long time as water dripped down. The Clear2O has an integrated hose that connects to your kitchen faucet. You may need to swap the nozzle on the faucet, but you get all the parts and it's easy.
As we live out in the sticks and depend on well water that already goes through one filter, we don't exactly have water pressure. It's more like water nudging. Still, I connected the hose, turned on the tap, and the pitcher filled in about a minute - longer than the 30-odd seconds they claimed, but that probably assumes a normal water system. Also, I found that the attachment that you screw onto the faucet didn't interfere noticeably with the water flow when the pitcher wasn't attached.
Four out of five people in our house gave the new water a thumbs up, and one said that there was a metallic aftertaste. Well, there is a bit of one, but I don't think that all minerals will come out, and it was greatly improved.
I like the design of the pitcher. Tall and slim, it fits nicely into our crowded fridge, so you can keep a ready supply of cold water on hand with a 72-ounce capacity. Pair this with some water bottles, and you can cut down on buying small bottles of water to take with you. The price on the company's site is about $30 for the original model with the white plastic lid and $35 with the "platinum" design. Personally, I'd stick with cheaper. You will need to get replacement filters that run $16 for one, or $35 for three. Each supposedly filters 40 gallons, or about 40 cents a gallon, which is significantly cheaper than most bottled water I've seen.
As we live out in the sticks and depend on well water that already goes through one filter, we don't exactly have water pressure. It's more like water nudging. Still, I connected the hose, turned on the tap, and the pitcher filled in about a minute - longer than the 30-odd seconds they claimed, but that probably assumes a normal water system. Also, I found that the attachment that you screw onto the faucet didn't interfere noticeably with the water flow when the pitcher wasn't attached.
Four out of five people in our house gave the new water a thumbs up, and one said that there was a metallic aftertaste. Well, there is a bit of one, but I don't think that all minerals will come out, and it was greatly improved.
I like the design of the pitcher. Tall and slim, it fits nicely into our crowded fridge, so you can keep a ready supply of cold water on hand with a 72-ounce capacity. Pair this with some water bottles, and you can cut down on buying small bottles of water to take with you. The price on the company's site is about $30 for the original model with the white plastic lid and $35 with the "platinum" design. Personally, I'd stick with cheaper. You will need to get replacement filters that run $16 for one, or $35 for three. Each supposedly filters 40 gallons, or about 40 cents a gallon, which is significantly cheaper than most bottled water I've seen.
