Have you ever tried making coffee with treated drinkable water from different sources in separate glass cups, respectively, and on tasting both, you realized there is a slight difference in the taste of both drinks? I bet you have had a similar experience.
Best Non Plastic Water Filter Pitcher
As we all know it, every water has a terroir, that is the reason there is always a slight difference between the taste of one commercially manufactured bottled water and another. A small difference in the level of chloride or fluoride in the water is responsible for distinct flavor indifferently sourced water. Everyone has preferences when it comes to the quality and taste of water.
Water filters are designed to reduce contaminants like chlorine, sodium, Fluorine, organic compounds, and other related compounds from water. Most water filter jugs are merely containers with in-built filters and routinely in need of replacement depending on how often it is used.
Filters are equipped with activated charcoal/carbon to remove contaminants by adsorption mechanism. Basically, the better your water filter pitcher, the better the taste of the water you get to drink. Before purchasing a water filter, you should research your area, as water quality varies from place to place.
No one filter is equipped with the ability to do everything; that is why it is paramount to research the situation of your specific water source. For example, there is no need to get a water filter for arsenic if there is no arsenic in your water.
There are also specific ways to get your water tested, and one of the steps to follow before contacting a lab for testing as a first approach is to meet your water supplier and explain your needs to them. You will be required to provide a water sample in accordance with your complaint.
Your water supplier is then obligated to carry out routine checks on your water and provide you with the reports upon request.
Having fore-knowledge about your water characteristics would give you insights on what kind of water filter to purchase. Another major area of concern is the material the pitcher is made of. Pitchers are made from different materials, some of which include plastic (as the most popular), glass, stainless steel, bamboo or wood e.t.c.
But why a non-plastic water filter pitcher?
Plastic has been an integral part of our lives for a very long time. Its distinctive lightweight and versatility make it almost impossible to do without. Global demands for plastics have increased to nearly 300million metric tons in recent years leading to plastic pollution worldwide. Cancer is one of the deadly diseases associated with excessive plastic usage.
Another risk associated involves congenital disabilities and impaired immunity. The study reveals that nearly 8 million tons of plastics are dumped in our oceans, and only a little fraction is being recycled.
To mitigate the harmful effects of plastic, the consumption of plastic products must be reduced to the barest minimum to reduce our plastic footprint.
So, if you are currently using a water filter pitcher to ensure you get contaminant-free water, brownie points for you! Now there is just one more thing to do to step your game up. Make sure it is a non-plastic water pitcher.
Why should you use a non-plastic water filter pitcher instead?
- To avoid the risk of chemical contaminants, BPAs and other chemicals leaching into your water
- Glass filter pitchers keep filtered water fresh even after days of storage
- Glass water filter pitcher is easier to clean and will retain their clarity for a very long time even after frequent washing.
- Water left in a plastic pitcher can absorb some of the distinctive plastic taste which lingers in the mouth.
- You don’t need to go through the stress of installing a whole system water filter.
- It is easier to operate.
- It doesn’t require a large space, unlike a whole system water filter.
There are many non-plastic water filter pitchers in the market today, and below is what I’ve learned about them. The quality of the water characterizes the best ones after filtration.
The quality of the water is deduced from its aesthetic property, which includes taste, hardness, and softness, clarity, how well it pairs with food and taste in beverages. The most important property that determines the tasting characteristics in water is its hardness and softness.
Hard and soft water
The level of dissolved minerals is a major property that determines whether water is hard or soft. The presence of a high level of dissolved minerals (especially calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonates) indicates hardness.
Another feature is the difficulty to form lather with soap. The presence of a high level of minerals is the reason some water sits heavy in the mouth and flows uneasily around the mouth. Hard water is alkaline and has a chalky taste. If your skin appears somewhat brittle and dull after bathing, you are probably bathing with hard water. Washing your hair with hard water is also damaging.
Soft water, however, is low in calcium and magnesium and bicarbonates but contains sodium ion, which sometimes causes saltiness in water.
The knowledge of hard and soft water paves the way for determining which is best for your beverages, say coffee, for example. Studies have revealed that the best water for coffee is a soft, slightly acidic, odorless, chlorine-free, and neutral tasting water. Alkaline waters buffer the acidity of coffee and flatten the taste.
Another relevance of water testing relies on how it pairs with food. Light food pairs well with light-tasting water, examples of this food include salads.
Greasy foods like cheese, however, needs water high in minerals to cut through the tastes that linger after eating and cleanses the palette from greasy food. Generally, soft water is palatable and desirable, and this is why water softeners are becoming more popular today.
Other characteristics used to rank them includes the pitcher capacity, conformity of resulting water with drinking water standards, ease of use, and design. A survey carried out by Dr.
Palandrani and Andrea Rinaldi to test and review a range of filters based on its ability to purify municipal tap water gives us insight on various list of the best non-plastic water filter pitcher out there – starting with the ones that came out atop in this survey, here is a list of the best non- plastic water filter pitcher:
Best Non Plastic Water Filter Pitcher
BRITA glass water filter jug
The 2.4L version fits perfectly in the refrigerator door with a total filtered water capacity of 1.4L, which is capable of serving an average family size, large families can go for the extra-large version.
The difference in the taste of the water that emerges from the filter and the taste of the surveyed municipal tap water was quite a surprise – an all-round neutral (i.e., neither sweet nor salty) crisp cleaner mouthfeel.
There was an incredible decrease in the total dissolved solid level (from 360 to 258), i.e., while getting rid of undesirable toxic contaminants, it still retained some minerality.
An incredible decrease in pH was also recorded with the resulting water at a palatable pH of 6.5, which studies have proved to be just the perfect pH for coffee. Although the filter cartridge needs changing every four weeks, there is a cartridge exchange indicator that informs you when the filter cartridge needs replacement.
To refill your own Brita filters yourself, you’ll be needing activated carbon from a pet store, a polythene plug, a drill, and a funnel. All you need do is to drill a hole in the filter cartridge to empty old contents and clean out the filter cartridge, after which you will have to refill it with the purchased activated carbon and then insert the plug.
ZeroWater Filter pitcher
The filter typically lasts 6-12 months, compared to the Berkey filters (which we will soon be discussed below), making them a lower-cost alternative.
A considerable removal (up to 99%) of pollutants, including mercury, pesticides, chlorine, herbicides, lead, pathogens, chloramine, and other contaminants, is achieved.
Berkey Filter Pitchers
The Berkey filter eliminates a variety of contaminants, including volatile organic compounds (VOC), bacteria, arsenic, pesticides, chlorine, nitrates, parasites, heavy metals, and other harmful chemicals. One of its features includes an extra filter to remove fluoride (which most filter pitchers do not have).
A major disadvantage is an incredibly high price. The cost per gallon is relatively high because the filters last long and do not need frequent replacement. An added feature includes a water spigot, which makes it plugging into your kitchen faucet easily.
A major disadvantage of Berkey filters is that it would probably hog too much space in your kitchen.
EpicWater filter jug
Although, one of the reasons for the high price is based on the fact that the filters last longer than most other water filters and its ability to remove microorganisms, fluoride, lead, pesticides and other chemicals from water.
This is clearly because its 5-stage filter has specific filters for specific components. Another advantageous feature associated with the EpicWater filter job is its ability to distinguish between well-dissolved solids and badly dissolved solids.
pH level also reduces slightly. The resulting water, according to the survey, was perfectly passable and recorded a subtle sweetness in the taste.
Black & Blum Eau Carafe with charcoal filter
Features including a cork and BPA-free hand-blown glass and a perfect design to house a replaceable Binchotan charcoal filter whose mechanism involves absorbing the unwanted tastes, odor, and contaminants in the municipal tap water.
However, there was no considerable change in the level of the total dissolved solids, and another disadvantage is the duration with which it completes filtration making in not so efficient.
The major advantage of this is its use of charcoal to remove contaminants, especially chlorine effectively, and this binchotan charcoal is quite easy to install into the pitcher.
The first thing to do is to bottle the charcoal (glass bottle) for an hour, making it soak up bacteria, absorb the smell and release minerals into the water.
The charcoal sticks last for up to three months and can be boiled in water for 10-15minutes to get another few months’ uses out of them. It is recommended you rinse the charcoal and place it in boiling water for 10 minutes.
Soma 6-cup water filter pitcher
Filtering out mercury, chlorine, sodium, zinc, unpleasant tastes, and odor is also one of its roles. Its high sustainability considering that it is made from 65 percent plant-based renewable materials (bamboo) indicating a lower carbon footprint.
The result of the filtration produces a light, fresh, neutral-tasting water and slips directly to the stomach with a TDS of 350 and pH 7.5, although traces of chlorine were still noticed in the taste after the survey.
Meet Nigel Pearson, a water filter enthusiast with a background in molecular biology. He’s all about making sure we have safe drinking water, and he’s got a bunch of interests that tie into it – think science, technology, plants, and genetics.
Imagine someone who loves learning how living things work on a tiny level – that’s Nigel. He’s studied how genes and molecules come together to make life happen. But what really caught his attention is how living things adapt to their surroundings.
Nigel didn’t stop at just learning about this stuff – he decided to use his smarts to help solve a big problem: how to get clean drinking water for everyone. He writes cool blog posts that explain tricky science things in simple words. You’ll get to read about stuff like how plants can help clean water, or how new inventions are changing the way we purify water.
But it’s not just about science and tech for Nigel. He truly cares about people and their need for safe water. Every blog post he writes shows how much he wants to make a difference. By sharing his knowledge, she wants to get more people thinking and caring about clean drinking water.