Worry over water safety has become a source of stress for most homeowners. In the search for clean drinking water, many households have spent a fortune on bottled water. Countertop water filters, however, are a fantastic solution to this escalating problem.
They are a point of use water filters installed at exact water access points such as the kitchen faucet. Countertop water filters will filter out a large percentage of chemical pollutants from city or municipal tap water, through carbon-based filters. Specialty elements can also be included in the filtration cartridges that eliminate other water pollutants such as lead, cysts, fluoride, heavy metals, bacteria, or nitrates. The most robust water filters will have dual or trio water filtration cartridges, which enhances their water filtration potential.
They are also straightforward to install. You only have to attach one to a faucet, and it will dispense clean and safe water for use. You can also purchase countertop filters that produce that mineral water that you love. Want to learn more? Below is a list of the ten best countertop water filters on the market today.
Image | F.Rate | Stages | U.V. | Price | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | 15 GPM | 4 | Apex MR 1050 Check Price | 8.9 | |
![]() | 7 GPM | 5 | CleanWater4Less COMINHKR069766 Check Price | 8.7 | |
![]() | 15 GPM | 4 | The PURE Company Carbon Water Filter Check Price | 8.4 | |
![]() | 24 GPM | 3 | Big Berkey BK4X2 Check Price | 8.3 | |
![]() | 15 GPM | 5 | Invigorated Water Filter pH REGENERATE Check Price | 8.3 | |
![]() | 15 GPM | 3 | Home Master TMJRF2 Jr F2 Water Filter Check Price | 8.1 | |
![]() | 10 GPM | 4 | Brondell H630 Countertop Filter Check Price | 7.8 | |
![]() | 12 GPM | 3 | Zen Water 4G-MP Check Price | 7.7 | |
![]() | 7 GPM | 3 | APEX EXPRT MR-2050 Check Price | 7.5 | |
![]() | 12 GPM | 2 | Aquasana AQ-4000W Check Price | 7.2 |
- Improved ALKALINITY removal
- Trusted US brand with 20 years of history
- High purity RO water and at 75GPD
- Reduces chlorine taste and odor
- Filters up to 600 gallons
- Removes entamoeba cryptosporidium and giardia
How To Choose Best Countertop Filter – Buying Guide
What is a countertop water filter?
Countertop water filters are point of use water filter waters attached to a faucet. There are also countertop water filtration systems designed for portability and can be used to filter water in RVs or camping excursions. The most portable countertop water filters are gravity fed. These points of use water filtration products are a staple of many kitchen countertops because they are an easy and affordable solution for clean kitchen faucet water.
They have a straightforward installation process that you can complete without the assistance of a plumber and come in a variety of styles and designs. Additionally, countertop water filters have a variety of water filtration technologies, which eliminate not just sediments, rust, and dirt, but chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, microbial, and fluoride.
How a countertop filter works
These products have a straightforward method of water filtration, but one that is also very effective. To operate the water filtration system, simply turn on your cold water and allow it to run. The diverter valve on the faucet should have a knob that, once pulled, will divert your faucet’s cold water to the filter via the connecting tube. The water goes from the pipe through the product’s filter housing, where it passes through replaceable water filters housed in filter cartridges.
Your water will go through one or more filtration systems and then emerge through a spout ready for drinking or cooking. You can stop water filtration by turning off the cold-water faucet. The connected diverter bulb will pop back to its original position and cut off the water supply to the filter. This should free your faucet for other uses such as cleaning and washing and save on the filter’s life. There are, however, pour-through pitcher types of countertop water filters, not connected to the faucet.
Factors to consider before buying a countertop water filter
If you are planning to purchase a countertop water filter for your household, there are a few factors that you need to keep in mind to ensure that you buy the best there is out there. There is, for instance, the factor of space or the type of filtration process used. You, of course, will need to figure out the product’s cost. The size of the filter also will influence the speed and clarity of filtration. Below are some of the vital factors that you need to keep in mind when purchasing a countertop water filter.
Type of countertop water filter
Water filter pitchers
Water filter pitchers are easy to use water filtration products that are used in many homes to eliminate unpleasant smells and tastes from drinking water. According to Consumer Reports, they are the most common type of water filters in most US households. Pitcher style water filters have an easy installation process. Simply fill them up with water from your faucet, then let it run through its filter cartridge. These products are inexpensive compared to other water filtration systems. If your home does not have any water filtration system, a pitcher style fitter will conveniently supply your home with great tasting, clean water.
Faucet filters
If water from your filter pitcher seems to run out faster than it can filter your water, you need to purchase a faucet water filter. Faucet water filters are installed directly onto a tap, and they can provide clean, safe, filtered water for months. They are a much more affordable option to the under the sink or reverse osmosis filter and are easier to install too. Faucet filters models vary in filtration prowess and the amount of water they can supply, as well as their maintenance requirements. Theyare designed to eliminate sediments, chemicals like chlorine, bad tastes, and odors from water. There are faucet water filters that can filter a broader range of water pollutants. Other faucet water filters like the pH REGENERATE Faucet Water Filter, increase water PH which improves the taste of water.
Filtration mechanism
Carbon filters
Most point of use water filters depend on carbon for water filtration. Carbon blocks can be used as standalone filters because they effectively eliminate chemicals like chlorine from water. They are also fantastic volatile organic compounds, bad odors and tastes, herbicides, sediments, and pesticides filters. For enhanced water filtration, they are at times treated with special additives or combined with other filtration technologies.
Activated carbon filters are simply charcoal that has been processed to expand the porosity of its granules. This gives the individual carbon granules a larger adsorption surface area. The enhanced adsorption capability is what makes activated carbon block or granulated filters efficient assimilators of dissolved pollutants in water. Activated carbon is also affordable and readily available, meaning that its replacement filters are easy to purchase and low cost too.
Ceramic filters
Ceramic filters are commonly used in countertop water filters to eliminate sediments and disease-causing cysts and bacteria from water. These filters have dense microscopic pores with minute micron ratings, which means that any water pollutants with more substantial micron ratings cannot pass through them.
Most bacteria, for instance, is a micron in size, but a ceramic filter’s pores could be 0.5 microns. There are instances where this filter is infused with silver, a bacteriostatic element. This prevents the growth of living organisms, such as algae, which could flourish inside the ceramic filter. The beauty of a ceramic filter is that it can be cleaned and reused over time. When combined with activated carbon or ion exchange resins, ceramic filters can be very efficient at water filtration.
Water distillation
Water distillation, as mentioned above, utilizes heating and cooling processes to purify water. It generally imitates water evaporation cycles, whereby water is heated up by the sun into vapor and falls back as rain or dew. Water distillation eliminates viruses, heavy metals, chemicals, and elements from water, producing the purest form of water. Distilled water, however, may require remineralization to make it healthy enough to drink.
Maintenance
Countertop filters that use carbon for filtration will need replacements every few months or years. Ceramic filters, on the other hand, will require constant cleaning, depending on the amount of sedimentation in your water. Countertop water filters that have a pre-filter will need replacements over shorter periods. It is essential, therefore, to ensure that you are aware of the life period of a particular filter before purchase. If you want a set it and forget it type of filter, purchase a product whose filter will last for years.
Costs
While the initial cost of a countertop water filter may be a critical factor, the prices of filter replacements over time are crucial too. The filtration efficiency of a countertop water filter is highly pegged to the condition of its filter. Therefore, you have to ensure that first, the filters that work with your product of choice are affordable and readily available. They should also be of very high quality, to ensure that they can filter water optimally for more extended periods.
Pros of countertop water filters
- Countertop water filters require minimal installation procedures, and at most, you only need to attach a diverter to your cold-water faucet to get them up and running. You do not need to purchase an extra tap, such as is the case with under sink water filters.
- They are also very easy to maintain. All you need to do is to establish their filter replacement durations, and change them when the time comes. Some models will go for years without filter replacements needs.
- Water produced by countertop filters is very affordable when compared to expensive bottled water. The filters themselves are also low cost, and their maintenance costs are very low too.
Cons of countertop water filters
- Countertop water filters are point of use water filtration systems. This means that they will only filter water from one single faucet, unlike whole house water filtration systems.
- Countertop water filters have to be placed on your kitchen counter, which could be intrusive not only on space use but on your design aesthetic as well. If you want a discrete water filtration product, an under the sink system could be more ideal.
- These products may not filter every pollutant in water. Some of them only have a one-stage filtration process with one media. If you need to filter a broader spectrum of water pollutants, you will need dual or trio stage filters, with more than filtration media.
How to install a countertop water filter
As the name suggests, countertop water filters are placed on top of a kitchen counter adjacent to the kitchen faucet. A large number of them have a diverter valve that connects their filtration system to your kitchen faucet’s water flow. All you need to do is swap your faucet’s aerator for the water filter’s diverter valve. Once the diverter valve is firmly screwed on to your kitchen cold-water faucet, you can begin to enjoy clean, fresh-tasting, and safe drinking and cooking water.
How to change a countertop water filter
Simply slip the provided housing wrench onto the filter’s casing. Turn the casing clockwise to open it up, and then unscrew the filter cartridge out. Remove the old cartridge and insert the new one. Spin the base of the casing back on and tighten it with the housing wrench.
Conclusion
We recommend the APEX EXPRT MR-2050 Water Filter for its very effective two-cartridge system. It has a carbon block filter and an alkaline water filter, which combined, produces not only optimally filtered water but great tasting water as well. We also love the Cleanwater4less Countertop Water System for its long life filters and stainless steel build.