Review & Giveaway: ZeroWater Pitcher

Mom Central recently asked if I wanted to be a part of the ZeroWater blog tour. I REALLY wanted to!


I've never been fond of the water since we moved to this area, but last Summer it really took a turn for the worse when the county "worked" on our water pipes in the street. Since then, our water has had tons of things floating in it - sometimes our water actually is white! I've tried out several different water filters, even running it through one TWICE. It gets rid of some, but not all of it. I don't even want to think about what's in it. :( I'm changing out the filter at least once a month, even though it's recommended for every 6 to 8 weeks, since I know it's working a lot harder with our water - and it's expensive. Granted, it's cheaper than bottled water and still more environmentally friendly, but still. I don't know if you can see it well in this photo, but this is our water unfiltered:


Then again, I guess I should remind myself that others aren't even fortunate enough to have running water nearby. March 22nd was World Water Day, and it's a reminder to us living here that some people have to walk miles just to get a pitcher of water, and many folks have water that is contaminated much, much worse than anything we have here in the US.


Anyways, as part of the ZeroWater blog tour, I was sent the ten cup ZeroWater Pitcher to review. ZeroWater uses Ion Exchange water filtration systems that remove virtually all dissolved solids from tap water delivering pure tasting water. It uses a 5-Stage Ion Exchange water filter - the big name ones available at most stores only use one or two stages. It's certified to reduce both lead and chromium, both items that other filters can't. And unlike distilling water, ZeroWater uses no electricity.

Opening the box, I noticed immediately that it was bigger than our other filter pitcher. It also had a sleeker design, with a handy dispenser at the back of the filter. This is great for some folks, because you can turn the pitcher backwards on the shelf in the fridge, and use that to pour your water, instead of bringing the whole pitcher out. (You'll see why this is a good thing as I go on) I carefully hand washed the pitcher to get out those box crumbs, as I call them, and got my pitcher ready to assemble.

I was surprised at the size of the water filter. Here it is next to our other water filter:


Big difference, right? You can tell the ZeroWater filter has the five stages of filtering when you see that. I twisted the filter into the bottom of the reservoir and tighten it to make a seal. (FYI: If *new* filters are exposed to cold temperatures for prolonged periods (such as storing in the garage or a cold room during winter months) bring the filter to room temperature for several hours before passing water through it the first time)

Now ZeroWater gets part of it's name from the TDS meter it uses to show how clean the water it is. You simply place the meter (included with the pitcher) in the water for 15-30 seconds, and it will give you a digital reading of what it finds. According to ZeroWater, most water in the USA falls into the 051-200 range. I tested my water out: 104. Ouch! (I suppose it could have been worse?) Next, I tested out water from our "other" pitcher, using a filter that was about three weeks old. The number: 44! (I knew it wasn't removing everything!)

So I filled up the ZeroWater pitcher to let it filter through. It took around the same time as the other filter, and I'm sure it will start to slow down as the filter gets filled up with gunk like the other one, too. It might seem like a long time to others, but remember it has to go through all those stages in the filter. Make sure you keep it filled so you don't have to wait too long for a clean glass of water. Time to check the TDS water meter reading: 0! It worked! Yippee!

You need to check the rating of each filtered pitcher of water, because you change out the filters when the meter reads 006. Here's the thing I noticed when reading the paperwork that comes with the pitcher. The expected quantity life span of unfiltered water that falls into my range (104) is only about 25 to 40 gallons. A set of four replacement filters will run you about $55.99 according to the website. If you drink a lot of water (we use an average of 3-4 gallons a day between drinking/cooking), it could get expensive quickly. I guess it just depends on how bad your water is! (ours is so bad it's worth it!)

Now it's not that our water ever tasted horrible to begin with - a little funky, but with the other filter it made it drinkable - so for me, the ZeroWater filter cleaning up our water was fine. If you're not drinking your tap water because it tastes funny, the ZeroWater might or might not make it drinkable for you. Here's the thing: all our water, unfortunately, is different. What's in the water at my home might not in the water at your home. Some folks have a lot of iron in the water, for instance, and of course, if you have well water vs city water that's treated, again, there's a difference. All I can tell you is that ZeroWater cleared up my water so it's not white, and it tastes fine.

I told you way up there that there was a reason why it was great to have the spigot on the back of the pitcher for use in the fridge or the counter edge, and that's because the ZeroWater pitcher when full is HEAVY! I struggled to refill bottles when trying to pour with it. Small children and anyone with arthritis/carpal tunnel will have a hard time with it. I'm not keen on plastic as returning readers know, so I simply filled my glass carafe in the fridge with it and that made it easier for me to get a glass of cold water. (To be honest, unless it's the day before shopping, there's never enough room in the fridge for a pitcher anyways since I buy in bulk/large containers)

So after pros vs cons? I was pleased with the way ZeroWater worked for me. Like I mentioned above, it could get expensive so I'll have to see over time. (I've only been using it for four days as of this posting) If you have a large family, or drink even more water than we do, they do have a bigger countertop version that remind me a little of the Katadyn Gravidyn or the Big Berkey filters, only it uses 2 filters in it. (Again, it could get expensive?) There are several offers available, including coupons for both the pitcher and the filters, as well as a filter recycling program that will give you coupons in exchange for sending back your used filters. Unfortunately, you have to pay to ship them back to the company. (I'd like to see it free to encourage more people to do it and keep them out of landfills!)

The ZeroWater pitcher comes with one filter and one TDS meter, with a suggested retail price of $35. You can purchase it online, or via stores like Walmart and Target. Like I said above, there are coupons available - including 30% off a ten cup ZeroWater pitcher here using promo code MC30

Win it! TWO lucky readers are going to win a ZeroWater pitcher to see for themselves if it makes a difference in their drinking water! To enter, tell us if you're currently using a filter or buying water, and how you think ZeroWater would be better for your family.

As always, you can receive extra entries for:

-Subscribing to my feed OR following my blog
-Blogging about this giveaway with a link back
-Tweeting about this giveaway 1X (leave the link in your comment below or @psychotichouse)
Win a ZeroWater Pitcher! http://bit.ly/Htd2gk ends 4/12 @psychotichouse

That's four (4) possible entries! Giveaway ends April 12th at 11:59 PM PST, and please leave your email address in your entry or have it available in your profile. Continental US only, sorry :( Good luck everyone!! :)

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of ZeroWater and received a water pitcher to facilitate my review, two pitchers to giveaway, and extra filters to thank me for taking the time to participate.