Best Countertop Water Filter

If you are looking at a particular filter to buy, make sure it meets NSF/ANSI standard 53. It is important that the filter is certified by National Sanitation Foundation, NSF International, which is a reputable third party testing laboratory for filtration system. Aquasana water filter has that certification. Attached is the filter certification and all contaminants it removes (PureH2O NSF Standard 53 Certification).

[Note that it says PureH20 as we formally used it private labeled by a different company, but it is the same product; we currently work with the manufacturing company Aquasana directly]

Aquasana is an excellent quality and affordable water filter which is comparable to reverse osmosis, but unlike reverse osmosis (which I do not recommend), it retains minerals naturally occurring and needed in the water. It also removes 40-60% fluoride, which is hard to remove by any filter. This filter installs directly on a traditional small faucet. If the faucet is a different shape than the one in the photograph below, a separate faucet is used that can be installed in a soap dispenser hole. In that case, the filter itself is installed under the sink.

We used the kitchen countertop in our Baltimore house and loved it. When we renovated the kitchen, we used the soap dispenser hole to install the faucet there and installed the filter under the sink. That was even better! When we sold our house and moved back to Seattle, we had to move a few times, so we relied on Berkey – it is perfect when you rent or don’t want any installations and if you want to travel with your filter.

These days I always have both. I use Berkey if I need water fast (e.g. for tea). I use Aquasana when I need to fill a big pot with water (it takes time but water is on demand).

Here is a closeup of a faucet that will fit this filter directly. Otherwise, buy the additional spout.

Why I choose Aquasana water filter:

• Helps maintain healthy pH levels of water
• Has a two-stage filtration system: a combination of carbon filtration, ion exchange and sub-micron filtration
• The first cartridge reduces sediment, tiny microscopic particles, and chlorine taste and odor
• The second cartridge features a complex ion exchange process that enhances the mineral balance of water while reducing the lead
• It retains minerals naturally occurring in water that should never be removed by many filtration system (whether it is reverse osmosis or distillation)
• It reduces over 60 commonly occurring contaminants including chlorine, lead, mercury, cysts, chlorination byproducts, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and gasoline additives (see the complete list of contaminants on the website above)
• It removes 40% up to 60% fluoride, 2 out of 5 existing isotopes: calcium fluoride and sodium fluoride (using the activated coconut shell carbon) – this may reduce fluoride level to below .5 ppm
• The initial cost is about $100
• Installation is simple but I did need my plumber to install it on the faucet
• The filter is replaced every 6 months and NOT longer (you do not want the filter to start growing bacteria)
• If your faucet is incompatible there is an option of a separate spout that you can purchase and install in place of a soap dispenser

Find Aquasana Here 

Following this affiliate link will provide you with a 10% discount as part of our community.

More blogs I wrote on Berkey:

1. Berkey Water Filters

  2. Berkey Water Filters

Barrett, J. R. (2014). Chemical contaminants in drinking water: where do we go from here? Environ Health Perspect, 122(3), A80. doi: 10.1289/ehp.122-A80

Jo, W. K., Weisel, C. P., & Lioy, P. J. (1990). Routes of chloroform exposure and body burden from showering with chlorinated tap water. Risk Anal, 10(4), 575-580.

Kharrazian, D. Why do I still have thyroid symptoms? When my lab results are normal. 2010.

United States Environmental Protection Agency. Chloroform. Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/airtoxics/hlthef/chlorofo.html  

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