Berkey Water Filter Review

Do you hate the taste of city water? I think it tastes like a swimming pool. I had heard wonderful things about the Berkey water filter, so I bought one and LOVE it! Here is my honest Berkey water filter review.

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Berkey to the Rescue!

Having enjoyed the luxury of well water for much of my life when I lived with my parents, I was unaware of the dramatic difference there could be in water. I hated the tap water at our house once I moved out and got married. The water tasted like a swimming pool. In fact, it even smelled like chlorine. Gross! I refused to drink it unless the circumstances were dire.

When I would go home to visit my parents, I took every empty water bottle, cup and jug that I could find. After my most recent trip I came home with 11 gallons of well water. Or as my husband calls it, “special water.” I would ration myself so that I had enough to get me through until the next visit. That was normally a few months out.

I had heard Lisa from Farmhouse on Boone rave about her Berkey water filter. There was also a friend at church that loved hers. I did a bit of research and finally took the plunge. I ordered the Travel Berkey, which is perfect for just the two of us.

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About the Berkey Water Filter

The Berkey water filter purifies the water according to military standards. It is purer than most water sold at stores. Each black filter will purify 3000 gallons of water. The filters can be cleaned which extends the life of them. The cost per gallon is about 2 cents, which is amazing compared to other water filters.

Berkey water filters remove bacteria, viruses, chemicals, and heavy metals. Although it does remove the bad stuff, it does leave the healthy minerals in the water. All of this is done through the black filters and PF2s (white) filters. The white filters help to reduce fluoride and arsenic.

The Berkey water filters do not require electricity. This means that they can be used off grid or during a power outage. My favorite part is that it doesn’t take up an outlet in my kitchen. Those are precious real estate!

Because of the amazing filtration these filters provide, their classification has been upgraded to water purifiers. That means that the water coming out is good and clean.

My Berkey Water Filter Review

I absolutely LOVE my Berkey water filter! I bought the Travel Berkey Water Filter, which holds one and a half gallons of water. This has been perfect for my husband and I, well and Kitten-Eyed Joe. I normally fill it up every other day. There are occasions when I fill it up twice a day. This is usually on the weekends when I am filling up water bottles for the week, feeding my sourdough, and refiling the hydroponic gardens.

I fill my Berkey up with cold tap water. The same chlorine-smelling water that I refuse to drink. I did go ahead and purchase the white PF2 filters because we have city water. When it comes out of the Berkey, it no longer smells or tastes like the city water that went in the top. The first batch of water was thoroughly sniffed and sipped to make sure that I couldn’t taste or smell a hint of the chemical yuck. It passed with flying colors. My husband on the other hand took some convincing.

He didn’t believe me that the difference was that big. He insisted that the water filter in the fridge did just as good a job. I disagreed. He wasn’t a big water drinker, so I figured he just didn’t understand. I knew how to make a believer out of him though.

To begin, I started filling up the cat’s fountain water bowl with Berkey water. I didn’t mention anything to my husband, but the cat quickly decided that he liked Berkey water best. He would sit below it and meow when he wanted water. Soon enough my husband caught me giving the cat Berkey water. He teased me, of course, but that didn’t stop me. A few weeks later he mentioned that since I had started using Berkey water the bowl didn’t get slimy halfway through the week like it did with fridge water. Again, I said nothing, but I knew I had won. If the cat was on board, then Dalton was too. He had Dalton wrapped around his little paw.

I soon saw Dalton filling up the cat bowl and his own water bottle with Berkey water. Next thing I knew, he was putting Berkey water in the Keurig as well. Clearly the Berkey water had won him over thanks to Kitten-Eyed Joe.

Now we use Berkey water for everything. I use it for my sourdough, water kefir soda, tea, cooking, drinking, hydroponic gardens, diffusers, room sprays, and most importantly the cat’s water bowl. I am a firm believer. While nothing will ever compare to well water, the Berkey is pretty darn close.

If I had to do a Berkey water filter review in 2 words it would say, “Buy it!”

Things I LOVE About My Berkey Water Filter

Lifetime cost– It’s the cheapest at 2 cents per gallon

Taste– It takes my yucky city water and gives me something yummy

Low Maintenance– The Berkey needs scrubbed out once a month or so, and filled when empty. That’s pretty easy to take care of if you ask me.

Won’t kill ferments– It was annoying to have to run to the store when I ran out of distilled water for my ferments. Now that’s never a problem. They all made the switch to Berkey water and lived.

Regrets About My Berkey Water Filter

I didn’t get a bigger one– When we start a family we will definitely need a bigger Berkey.

I don’t have a great spot for it– It sits on a stand, which then makes it block a cabinet. We don’t get in the cabinet often and it’s easy to move.

Priming the Filters is a Pain– When setting up the Berkey, you have to prime the filters. This was hard to do without the priming tool. I ended up using a squeezy water bottle, but will definitely buy the priming tool next time.