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I don't use the kind of water filter that's heavy-duty and attached to the tap. I care about the purity and taste of my water, but not enough to do all that. Instead, I use a water-filter pitcher. The one I use is the Culligan ZeroWater pitcher, which I've had for months—long enough to swap out the filter three times—and have found it to improve the taste and quality of my water to my liking. Right now it's on sale for 29% off, so if you've been looking for one, this is a great place to start.
Why is it called ZeroWater, you ask? The goal of the filter is to reduce the total dissolved solids (TDS) in your water down to zero. The coolest thing about the pitcher is it comes with a little meter to check whether that's working. My model is older, so TDS is represented as parts per million (PPM) on my quality-checking stick, but it's all the same thing.
TDS are organic and inorganic materials like metals, minerals, salts, and ions that are dissolved in water. I don't know exactly what the TDS in my water are—though the Culligan site says its ZeroWater filters produce "significant reductions in the forever chemicals PFOA and PFOS, lead, chromium, and mercury"—but without them, my drinks taste better.
It lasts a while, too. I would say I use mine every day and in about 10 months, I've changed the filter thrice. I use the little stick to check my water every week or so and only when I see the number rising up from zero do I know that the filter is losing effectiveness and it's time for a swap. I can taste it, too. It tastes just a little off as the filter runs out of power. Changing it isn't hard. You just unscrew the filter from the cap, screw a new one in, and call it a day. From there, it operates like any other water-filter pitcher. You fill the top with tap water and let it make its way through the filter and into the base. From there, you can dispense it using the spigot or the pour top, which is convenient when you're storing it in the fridge and don't want to haul it out just to pour.
There is a hierarchy of filters out there and if you're looking for something serious, check out the Lifehacker guide to the best ones. Pitchers are mostly useful for improving taste, as they can filter out minerals and other particles, but not viruses or bacteria. It really depends on where you live and how worried you are about the quality of your water. My boyfriend lives in a county that was awarded millions of federal dollars to combat lead in the water last year, so he's spent a lot on bottled water since moving there. The addition of the ZeroWater pitcher has saved him a boatload of cash and added some peace of mind, plus it's way better for the environment than constantly repurchasing those big plastic jugs.
If you're someone who spends a lot on bottled or pre-filtered water, this could be helpful for you. To me, it does enhance the taste. I've always been a big fan of tap water, personally. Prior to owning this, I found the idea of not drinking the free water in your own home pretentious beyond belief. I still enjoy my late-night sips from the bathroom sink faucet, but I'm not too proud to admit that this has improved the overall taste of my water.
