Best Countertop Water Filters

There are a few reasons that countertop water filters have risen in popularity. Firstly, the leading products can remove many contaminants from our tap water. This improves the taste, smell & most importantly cleanliness of the water that we use in our homes significantly. They are much more affordable than whole-house systems most of the time. It’s also useful that these types of filters are straightforward to set up. This is an excellent advantage for many people who are renting for short periods as complex filtration systems wouldn’t be a feasible option.With hundreds to choose from, the purpose of this piece is to introduce you to the best countertop water filters that we think are excellent choices for homeowners or renters across the USA.

Best Countertop Water Filter Reviews 

Big Berkey Gravity-Fed Water Filter

The Big Berkey is our best countertop water filter that manages to remove many harmful contaminants from your water supply. This product is reasonably priced and made with premium-quality materials. Its filters have been tested to exceed the NSF standards for water treatment systems.Unlike most models in a similar price bracket, the Big Berkey can remove water fluoride, and re-oxidized arsenic three and arsenic 5. Both of these types of arsenic can cause severe health issues, even at low doses.

Big Berkey uses two excellent filters – the PF2 and the black BB9, which come as part of this product package or can be bought separately.The PF2s can process 1,000 gallons or 3800 liters of water before replacement is necessary. The black BB9s can process 3,000 gallons or 11,400 liters of water. The product is incredibly durable and requires no electricity, tools, or plumbing to start filtering your water.

Pros

• Available in a range of sizes.
• Portable and durable.
• Includes a stainless steel water bottle.

Cons

• Assembly instructions are a little unclear.
• Has to be filled up manually.

Apex Countertop Water Filter

This model is phenomenal because it clears your drinking water of 99% of the potential contaminants. This filter is capable of removing unwanted metals and minerals like lead and sodium, arsenal, fluoride, bacteria, chlorine, and parasites.

It filters out Giardia cysts and Cryptosporidium, both of which can contribute to waterborne illnesses.

Even more impressive is it’s ability to add additional minerals to your drinking water; all the while removing harmful bacteria and other particles that do not belong there. So not only is your water clear of contaminants, but it’s also alkaline and much healthier as an end product.

We also appreciate this countertop water filter because it’s very easy to maintain. You only need to clean it every so often. Plus, it effectively cleans 750 gallons of water before the filter needs to be changed.

These models have been conveniently designed to sit on any kitchen counter, are simple to install, and will easily connect to most standard model kitchen faucets. The product comes with all the necessary hardware for DIY installation.

Pros

• Creates alkaline water. So not only will it remove contaminants, but it also has an alkalizing effect as well. It can purify 750 gallons of drinking water before a replacement is needed.

Cons

• The filter can be a bit tricky to remove when it is time for it to be replaced.

APEC Portable Countertop Water Filter

This impressive portable countertop water filter conducts four stages of water processing.Firstly, water runs through a sediment filter with pores that are just five microns in size. Next, the water will be processed with activated coconut carbon. At this point in the purification journey, many pesticides, herbicides, VOCs, and disinfection by-products are removed.

Next, reverse osmosis frees the water of minerals and heavy metals. Finally, the fourth filter cartridge uses more activated coconut carbon to remove any foreign tastes or smells that remain in the water.Installation is also a straightforward process. Simply place the filter on your counter, connect it to your faucet, switch on the tap, and hey presto… crisp, purified water.With no tank to store water, the flow is not very strong. However, it can make about 3 gallons every hour, given that the original pressure is somewhere in the region of 40 and 80 psi.

Pros

• Lightweight
• Affordable
• Easy to install

Cons

• Takes up space on your bench
• It doesn’t come with an independent faucet

Culligan WH-S200-C Water Filter

CleanWater4Less Water Filter is one of the most cost-effective and efficient countertop water filters that can be purchased today.Excellent Lifespan of up to Seven YearsThis water filter can filter over 10,000 gallons of water. This means that an average family of four that use 1500 gallons per year can get seven years of value from this product.

Excellent FiltrationThe CleanWater4Less water filter can remove the taste and odor from radon, chlorine, VOC, and other heavy materials from your household water. It includes a high-grade GAC filter, two stages of pre-filters, and two stages of post-filters.Simply put, we love this product! This is a must for families that want to create safer, cleaner water, on a sensible budget.

Pros

• The product lasts for up to seven years.
• Affordable and cost-effective.
• Suitable for chlorine treated city water sources.

Cons

• Hard to estimate when the unit will need replacing.
• The company does not state a warranty period.

Royal Berkey 3 Gallon System Bundle

The Royal Berkey countertop water filter is a model that has reached the height of popularity. Not only does it provide amazing tasting water, but it also removes contaminants and makes the water incredibly healthy. Plus, this powerful filter can handle 3000 gallons of water at a time before the filter needs to be replaced.

First of all, when using this filter for the first time, we discovered that the water tastes amazing. 

You can filter the water directly into a 3.5-gallon stainless steel container, which is provided with your purchase, and the taste of the water remains the same even if you store it for an extended period.

This is an excellent model because it can remove unwanted contaminants including pesticides, germs, organic solvents, and herbicides. And even though it can’t eliminate nitrates from the water supply, it can reduce their amount while still leaving the right minerals that are ideal for the human body untouched.

Pros

• The water tastes amazing, and it filters many of the worst contaminants that do not belong in your water supply.

Cons

• The instruction manual leaves a lot to be desired. It’s hard to understand the filter installation and priming instructions. Thankfully they offer installation videos on the website of the manufacturer to make up for this poor quality.

Home Master Jr. F2 Countertop Water Filter System

This Home Master countertop water filter is great because it is fully capable of removing a wide range of contaminants from the water supply. This particular option can remove the bulk of the parasites and bacteria located within the water, and it can also remove 93% of harmful chemicals, chlorine, and fluoride that may also be contaminating your drinking water.

This filter has an excellent design. It’s very compact, takes up very little space on the counter, and can easily fit on a wide range of counters without any difficulty.

It’s also simple to install it, and its minuscule dimensions make it the perfect option for people looking to bring their water filter with them while they travel.

Pros

• The Home Master is quite compact and takes up very little space.

Cons

• The water filters themselves are hard to replace.

New Wave Enviro 10 Stage Water Filtration System

This filter is wonderful because it cleans the drinking water of a wide range of contaminants and utilizes a filtering process that takes ten steps. Although the process is complex, it’s effective because it removes heavy metals, chemicals, and bacteria.

We like this option because it’s simple to install. It’s a matter of connecting the filter to the spout on your faucet, and that’s about it. Plus, it’s very quick to filter the water – as an example, it can decontaminate a gallon of water in about 1 ½ minutes. This is much better than many of the other options.

Pros

• The installation is very easy, and the instructions make sense.

Cons

• Tends to drip. It’s annoying because the water continues to drip even though your faucet is completely turned off.

CleanWater4Less® Water Filter

This countertop water filter is quite popular for many reasons. For starters, it’s very efficient. The price is also quite affordable. And the combination of the two makes it cost-effective and an excellent bargain.

The filtering capacity of this system is somewhat impressive. Before the filter needs to be replaced, it will remove the contaminants from 10,000 gallons of water before you’d benefit from changing it. And the best part is it’s effective because it removes dangerous minerals, bacteria, and harmful chemicals as well.

Pros

• The priming and installation manuals are excellent.

Cons

• The system does not offer a filter change warning like many of the other models.

Home Master Jr. F2 Sinktop Water Filter

The model, officially known as TMJRF2-BK Jr. F2 is an excellent device. The price is affordable, it removes many contaminants including minerals, metals, chemicals, bacteria, and parasites. It’s also a very efficient water filter and removes the unwanted chemicals and more as much as 93% of the time.

The design is compact, and the unit is very small. This makes it an excellent design to take traveling with you because it’s simple to use and easy to install and it only takes up a tiny amount of space.

Pros

• Capable of removing 93% of the fluoride from your water.

Cons

• It comes with a faulty attachment faucet that unfortunately seems to break very quickly.

Home Master Jr. F2 Elite Countertop Water Filter

The Elite version is new, upgraded, and better than the previous model for a few different reasons. For starters, it doesn’t take up a lot of space, it filters water excellently, and it removes many of the unwanted contaminants from your drinking water.

Similar to the previous model, this option is also capable of removing the fluoride and other contaminants up to 93%. But this model is even better when it comes to removing chlorine and chloramine because it gets more of it out of your drinking water.

The Elite model is also superior in another way. It can remove pharmaceutical grade micro-contaminants from the water that you drink as well. Plus, the flow rate of the water is excellent, and this model works very quickly.

Pros

• We like its ability to remove chloramines by clearing up the water source of this unwanted contaminant.

Cons

• You cannot recycle thefilters, which seems pretty wasteful and seems like a wasted opportunity as well.

Ecosoft Countertop Water Filter

This is an excellent option for a countertop water filter that provides wide-ranging benefits on a budget. Not only is it capable of removing many contaminants from your drinking water including odors, bad tastes, sediment particles, chlorine, and heavy metals. It’s also simple to install, it provides the plastic wrench to get the job done, and you will not need additional tools.

We also appreciate that this countertop water filter is very low maintenance. It filters 1500 gallons at a time before the filter needs to be changed, which ultimately lasts about six months. So you aren’t going to have to change the filter too often which is always nice.

Pros

• This model is cost-effective, so it isn’t going to cost you an arm and a leg to buy.

Cons

• The instructions to install this water filter are less than desirable. The poor instructions make it difficult to hook up when it shouldn’t have to be this way.

Water Fall by KOR

The countertop water filtration system provided by KOR is considered one of the top models when you compare the price to its effectiveness.

As you can imagine, it’s an effective unit and clears your drinking water of many contaminants. It’s also capable of filtering 80 gallons of water which should take about four months, and it removes chloramines, chlorine, smells, and tastes from your drinking water that do not belong there.

The overall design is quite impressive. It comes with a receptacle that doubles as a carafe that you can use to drink your filtered water. 

And because of this great design, you can even infuse your drinking water with healthy vegetables and fruits to make it even more tasty, delicious, and exceptionally healthy.

Pros

• Beautiful design, and it’s the right size which makes it fit perfectly on the bench in many kitchens.

Cons

• The filtration process can be very slow at times.

Aquasana Countertop Drinking Water System

This system by Aquasana is exceptionally amazing because it’s a high-quality water filter that’s easily affordable for anyone even if you are on a budget. The model is also efficient and removes 97% of the contaminants from the drinking water.

The contaminants it can remove include pharmaceuticals, lead, smells, chlorine, and bad tastes that all hurt the water quality.

We like this model a great deal because it doesn’t mess with the healthy minerals already in the water and leaves them exactly where they are. Other filters, unfortunately, end up removing healthy minerals like potassium, magnesium, and calcium. This system leaves them in place.

Lastly, this model is excellent because it installs very easily. And if you travel, the fixtures aren’t permanent, so you can disconnect the unit and bring it with you wherever you end up.

Pros

• Very efficient and eliminates 97% of the contaminants in the supply.

Cons

• The filtration process is a little bit on the slow side.

AQUASPREE Exclusive 7 Stage Countertop Water Filter

This water filter is an excellent option for those looking to drink better tasting and higher quality water. The receptacle is capable of holding 5 gallons of water after its filtered, so you will not have to keep turning on the filter so often.

The design is also excellent, and the container is large capacity as we mentioned. All you simply need to do is push a lever, and filtered water will pour directly into your glass, which is certainly very helpful and eliminates the need for using two hands.

Even better, if you are currently running a company in an office or you need it for your small building, this model is going to be an excellent choice.

Pros

• Produces alkaline water which is healthy, tasty, and very good for you.

Cons

• The priming process for this device is quite complicated. It’s difficult to figure out how to prime using the instructions, and you might need help from customer support to get it up and running.

Buyers Guide

The market is saturated with sinktop water filters, and some are going to be better than others. To help you choose and eliminate your frustrations, we’re sharing our buying guide today.This guide was designed to make choosing the best countertop water filter for your needs an easy process. So below we will tell you what to look for when choosing a water filter of this type.

Types

For the most part, there are two main types of countertop water filters to choose from. They include the following:Faucet – as you can imagine, these countertop water filters connect directly to the faucet. They are efficient models that can filter just about anything. Even better, they are often quite easy to use. Some advantages are they are easy to install, very easy to use, come with all of the necessary components to install them, and you can even have them hooked up in minutes. On the negative side, they will require maintenance periodically, and there usually isn’t a warning telling you when it’s time to change the filter.Pitcher – obviously a pitcher isn’t going to be connected directly to your faucet, so it’s a less superior model. Although, it is important to know that these filters are effective and get the job done when removing contaminants from the water. Some advantages include the ability to store it within your refrigerator and not have to connect it to your sink, and it’s perfect if you’re looking for a filter to bring with you wherever you go – be it the office, the beach, a friend’s house, or anywhere else. On the downside, you’ll have to replace the filters more often which are a hassle for many people.

Sizes

The size of the water filter is something you need to consider as well when making your choice. If you have very little room available on your countertop, you may decide to go with an under sink filter or a pitcher instead.

Some countertop water filters can only filter a small capacity of water, but they fit easily just about anywhere. Others are incredibly large and take up a massive amount of space, so if you’re looking to buy one of those make sure you have enough room for it.

Filtration Capacity

Each one of the countertop water filters we cover today eliminates certain heavy metals, sediment, foul odors, bad tastes, and other contaminants. But not every model is going to remove these elements as efficient as others. Some can do a fantastic job of removing chlorine as an example. Others will remove chloramines better than certain elements, while some filters won’t be able to remove it at all.

Certain filters are going to be capable of removing every contaminant. Others will only be able to remove certain minerals and nothing else. And still, others will be able to add additional minerals to the water to make it alkaline and have the correct pH level.

Guess what? Kits are capable of measuring the pH levels in the water and determining if there are heavy concentrations of heavy metals if the water is hard or not, and other contaminants can be checked as well. So test your water ahead of time and choose a filter capable of removing the contaminants most prevalent in your water supply.

Price

Obviously the price is going to be a major factor when choosing a water filter for your home. Some systems are more expensive than others. In fact, some might cost you thousands of dollars while others are only going to cost hundreds. The different price points will vary depending on the unit, the type, the brand, and other factors.

Again, some filters can remove heavy metals with the greatest of ease and others aren’t going to be able to remove this contaminant. Certain filters can remove pesticides while others can remove pharmaceuticals, and some are going to be capable of removing both.

Since water filters are expensive, we would like to recommend testing the water again, determine the contaminants in your supply, and choose a produt based on this information. You can find an excellent model at the ideal price range as long as you know what you’re looking for.

Maintenance

The installation process is only the beginning step when owning a countertop water filter. Some systems are going to require more maintenance than others. Other systems will barely need to be touched until they reach maximum capacity and then you’ll have to change the filter to get it back up to par again.

Using the filter passed its capacity is going to produce poor quality water from your tap. So you have to maintain your system because the quality of the water is otherwise going to suffer.

As an example, if the instructions say that it needs to be changed every time it filters 1500 gallons of water, you’ll need to keep track of this information, and it can be difficult. Some households will take a year to go through 1500 gallons of water. Others can go through that same amount of water in as little as three months.

So it’s important to stay on top of these things. And even better, if you do use a large capacity of water every day, you should choose a much bigger water filter for your house. And vice versa, if you use little water, then a smaller filter will be just as effective.

Water Taste

Water filters are designed to make your drinking water a lot healthier because they eliminate the contaminants. Some countertop water filters, unfortunately, make the water taste less than fresh.

Here’s the thing: you may actually be drinking clean water for the very first time and think it taste bad because there’s no longer any chlorine within it. It may be just a matter of getting used to drinking unchlorinated water.

On the other hand, there are filters that remove healthy minerals from your drinking water. Hard water filters remove magnesium and calcium, which are important minerals for the human body.

Many are efficient, and they will get rid of the magnesium and calcium, but these elements can also change the taste of the water too. So it will taste different in many cases, and it may be a matter of getting used to the new taste as you adapt to the higher quality water that also contains fewer minerals.

You also have the option to purchase a version that re-mineralizes the water during the filtering process. So it will add calcium and magnesium to the drinking water once it’s done, and it will be healthier, tastier, and a wonderful option as well.

Ease-of-use

Water pitchers have a higher degree of difficulty. You have to refill them to have fresh water available continuously. While not necessarily very difficult on the surface, it’s a lot less convenient since many of these pitchers only hold a few gallons of water.

You can add fresh veggies and fruit to drink great tasting, alkaline, and healthy infused water.

Water Alkalinity

When choosing a new filter, some options are fantastic because they have the capability of making your water even more alkaline than it already is. Alkaline water is important because it can slow down the aging process, improve your digestive system, keep you hydrated, so you have healthy skin, improve your immunities, and even help you lose weight.Certain countertop water filters allow you to put in a special cartridge to turn the water alkaline. So if this is something important to you, remember to look for alkalinity when choosing your new filter.

Buying a Countertop Water Filter in Four Simple Steps

• Step one: determining your price range – before you begin shopping, choose a price range for your water filtration system. You know how much you can afford, so keep it within that range.
• Step two: testing your water – it’s necessary to test your water before buying a water filter. Some models filter certain contaminants and do not filter others. So testing your water ahead of time means you’ll be able to choose the correct filter for your water source.
• Step three: contaminants research – after you discover the contaminants in your water, you should use the Internet to research them. Some contaminants are going to be more harmful than others. Lead is a lot more harmful than chlorine as an example if it comes down to the point where if you have to make a choice, you’ll need to know which contaminants can remain and which ones have to go.
• Step four: picking the best countertop water filter – you know your price, you know the contaminants in the water through testing, so now it’s time to choose your water filter. Use the information above to find the perfect water filter based on your specific parameters.

Advantages

• They are inexpensive: Whole house water filtration systems can cost over $1000. However, the majority of bench top units are a tiny fraction of this cost. This is mainly due to the difference in size and capacity. A large house would have to filter a vast volume of water and maintain a decent level of pressure at the same time. They work solely with the kitchen faucet and handle much smaller amounts of water and lower pressures.
• They are smaller than other varieties
• Installation is usually easy – You connect it to your faucet and then it’s good to go. With pitchers, there’s no installation required at all because you just have to assemble it. As a caveat, your filter cartridges need to be installed correctly so check that prior to usage.
• Efficiency is the name of the game – Some models are more efficient than others, and some models will only remove certain contaminants and leave others. But ultimately they can filter for heavy metals, foul tastes and smells, debris, herbicides, pesticides, chlorine, fluoride, chloramine, and even pharmaceuticals.
• Easy to maintain – It’s simple to change out the filters once they’ve reached their full capacity. Some models will even tell you when to change the filters via a warning system.
• Water re-mineralization – During the filtration process, certain beneficial minerals are often removed. But some filters contain mineralized cartridges that put these beneficial minerals back in the water. They will improve your health overall and make your water more alkaline as well.
• Priming is simple – many water filters are very difficult to prime when adding in the filter cartridges. Countertop filters are usually the easiest when it comes to cartridge priming. To learn how to do this, just find out about the instructions from the manufacturer. They may even have videos on their website or an instruction booklet in the package or online.
• The Filters Last longer than other varieties – Because the filters are more significant than those of faucet and pitcher devices, they have a longer lifespan. Some filters can last up to twelve months, keeping running costs and maintenance low.

Disadvantages

• Aesthetics – They are far from aesthetically pleasing.
• Single faucet connection – as opposed to the whole water line
• Inefficiencies – They do not necessarily remove every contaminant. And when compared to whole house filters, they are less than ideal because they aren’t the most efficient option.
• Slow to filter – They filter faster than pitchers, but that’s about it.

Installation

It’s easy enough to install one of these filters. Just implement the following five steps:

• Find a place for the water filter near the faucet. It needs to be close enough so the water line can be connected without any interference.
• Take the aerator off of your faucet.
• Connect the filter if there is an outside thread on your faucet. If the thread is inside, you’ll need to connect the adapter first and then screw the filter onto the faucet and always remember to use a washer. If you screw the adapter on too tight you may accidentally damage it, so keep that in mind as well.
• The diverter valve needs to be attached to the faucet now. When you turn on the water, it will flow out of the faucet.
• Lastly, by rotating the diverter valve, you’ll make it possible for the water to flow through the filter.

Features

On the surface, these filters might seem quite simple, but there is a bit of complexity to them. To understand the process better, we’d like to tell you more about it below. So expect your filter to do the following:

• Activated carbon filters – this filter is in the system because it removes certain organic contaminants from the water supply. It can remove chlorine, disinfectants, volatile organic compounds a.k.a. VOCs, herbicides, and pesticides.
• Re-mineralization – not every filter is going to have a cartridge for re-mineralization, but it’s definitely a great option to have if you’d like to add magnesium and calcium back to your healthy drinking water.
• KDF filter – this is a great filter because it removes or completely neutralizes compounds like hydrogen sulfide, lead, chlorine, iron, and mercury.
• Water softening – this step of the filtration process eliminates hard water. Ion exchange takes place to eliminate the magnesium and calcium from the water, so it becomes softer. The process removes heavy metals and toxins too.
• Silver filtering – some systems use a silver filter. It’s capable of eliminating heavy metals, toxins, bacteria, and viruses.
• Alkalinity improvements – this is an optional addition to water filtration systems, but some can use infrared rays to kill the acidic components and ionize the water creating alkalinity.
• Mechanical filtering – this is typically the first step of the filtration process. This filter contains small pores, and the water is pushed through them. At this stage of the game, it can remove contaminants like water impurities, rust, and even traces of sediment. It even can remove certain parasites and bacteria from the water if they are large enough.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, you realize that after all of our countertop water filter reviews, we hope you have found the best countertop water filter for your needs. Just remember that certain filters are designed to remove specific contaminants and others do not possess the same capabilities. So it’s best to test your water first and choose a filter based on your test results.

At the end of the day, only you know which contaminants need to be filtered out of your water supply. Once you’ve determined exactly what is infecting your water, you can then pick the best water filter for the most affordable price based on your needs. Before long you’ll have amazing drinking water that’s healthy, alkaline, and perfect to help you lead a happy and healthy life.

Whatever model you choose to purchase, you’re protecting yourself, your loved ones, and the environment. Countertop water filters are an affordable alternative to whole house filtration systems and reverse osmosis machines, and will often offer similar levels of protection to these expensive products.