PUR DS-1800Z 2 Stage Water Dispenser

This is a great water filter. It made drinking 8 glasses of water a day really easy.

The very best of the table top designs. Also PUR has 2 grades of filters and their premium filter is the only one certified to eliminate cryptosporidium. The long narrow chamber design also fits easily into a refrigerator where it is intended to stay within it and dispense water without having to awkwardly move a "pitcher" style in, out, and back into the refrigerator. Best for parties and groups of up to 20 people. The only shortcoming is the way the filter protrudes unprotected through the bottom of the upper chamber when the chamber is removed for cleaning (which should be rare). But if one's hands are wet and slippery and the upper tray slips away and crashes to a counter top, the impact leverage against the filter will crack the bottom of the upper tray.

We used to use the Pur water pitcher which is very good however we would go through a pitcher of water every 2 days. The Pur 2 Stage Water Dispenser Model:PUR DS-1800Z 2 Stage Water Dispenser is so much better. Beside the 2nd stage for getting the water cleaner it's about 2 times larger hense, you don't have to fill it up as often as the pitcher. I also like the convenience of having a spigot on the front for dispensing the water. If you pull the spigot forward the water dispenses fast; if you push it forward the water dispenses slow. If you don't have a water dispenser on your refrigerator, this is the way to go. This Pur water dispenser is not expensive and is most excellent! The only thing I do not care for is, it's somewhat slow at filtering the water but this is a minor inconvenience.

Our water comes from a well. It's good water - no bacteria - but, coming from the earth, while being reasonably clean, it's not exactly 'pure'. We have a filter in the basement but, since it's our kids who drink it, we used to have a faucet filter as well. Some 6 months ago we decided that the faucet filters were more trouble than their worth so we switched to this unit.

WE WILL NEVER GO BACK :)

To summarize the good things about this implement:

- It holds A LOT of water. Not so sure how much but it should be more than 2 gallons on a full charge.
- It looks cool. It really does. It's designed and colored to convey 'freshness' and 'coolness'.
- Unlike what other reviewers experienced, I NEVER sensed anything 'chemical' about the water's smell of taste. It is possible that it depends of the quality of the water you pour in.
- The filters are NOT expensive. We are at the second filter after almost 6 months of use and you can get a filter for about $6 if you buy a three-pack.
- It lets your faucet operate the way it's supposed to. No faucet disfigurement or constraints from a faucet-attached filter.

I can't think of any major 'minuses'. If you hate faucet-attached filters but you'd still like extra clean-fresh water for drinking or cooking or tea and coffee brewing, this is what you need.

I set this up with great expectations of no more bottled water, but it never even made it into the refrigerator. I followed the directions to the letter -- washed the dispenser thoroughly and soaked and flushed the filter. I poured fresh tap water into the top and checked that water was only coming into the bottom section through the filter. Once there was a bit of water in the bottom, I drew some into a glass. It smelled like waste product from a chemical plant. Silly me, I actually tasted it. YUCK! Bye-bye dispenser.