Gravity-Fed Water Filter System with 2 Black Purification Elements NSF/ANSI 372 Certification, 2.25G Stainless-Steel System Metal Spigot

This product is nice and works as it should

It's pretty. However, the filter pot sits so far down into the clean water reservoir that water is pushed out of the top of the glass level way before 2 gallons of water are processed. When dispensing water very little air gets into the reservoir (because the two sections are too tight together) which causes the water to trickle out. Definitely not 2.25 gallon clean water capacity.

Updated post - 3 stars - Jan 28, 2024The container randomly started leaking. It leaked all over our wood floor and has warped the boards. It might be coming from the spigot -- there was a small circle under it on the test sheet of paper towel I put down -- but is also coming from probably where the spigot goes into the bottom tank. When I put in a fresh piece of test paper towel and went back three minutes later, there was a huge semi-circle on the paper towel that went from the base of the tank to beyond the spigot. If we had been out of town for two days, it would have been a major disaster with the table it sits on and the floor below. As it is, after a span of less than12 hours since we had a dry floor, it did a major number on our wood floors. Nothing on the table, which made us think it was the spigot. But the more I tested, the more it seemed to be multiple spots. It's hard to tell. We emptied the tank and are not using it at this point.Original post - 4 stars - Jan 1, 2024This looks great. The directions leave a bit to be desired, though, particularly those for assembly. It would be very helpful to have something labeling all the parts in the directions. I have a few pieces left over and have no idea where they go.It took me a minute to figure out the large black rubber ring went around the bottom. I kept wanting it to be a seal somewhere! Also I didn’t see realize at first that the water level pipe screwed into the hole by the spigot. It was wrapped, so I didn’t have it with all the other parts. Since the assembly instructions are weak, I didn’t have a checklist so just started putting it together and following the instructions for filling. Then the water started coming out like a whale shooting from its blowhole. Water everywhere! Well, the floor got mopped, so yay for that lol But anyhow, once I got it assembled, it seemed to work fine.Note that this will not be ready to use immediately. You have to prime the filters and then empty all that water. And it does take some time to filter when the upper basin is completely full. So be patient!This looks nice, but you do need a dedicated space for it. It’s large, and if you have a very small kitchen or are particular about your countertop space, you need to figure out where you’re putting it before you decide to buy it.It’s a little misleading with the stand in so many pictures. The stand does not come with this setup. It’s an add-on. There’s also a higher quality spigot. I am going to look for that after the holidays. The one that comes with it is pretty flimsy.

I've used all the 'big brands' of countertop water filters. Berkey, ProOne (previously Propur), all of them. I've physically had each one in my hands and worked on them. I can tell you with no uncertainty that this HiWater filter matches any of them in terms of quality. From the all-metal spigot to the sight glass to the actual stainless steel that they make them with, this is right on par with any other name brand countertop water filter you would care to mention.Filters are, of course, all cross-compatible. You can install fluoride filters on this, the same as the big boys, but they aren't included. If you intend to filter a municipal water source with this, I STRONGLY advise you to purchase a set of fluoride filters to fit this in addition to the carbon filters it comes with.As one reviewer pointed out, it comes with instructions for flushing the filters and filling the tank, but nothing for assembly, which cost it 1 star. I kept trying to use the rubber ring as a gasket somewhere, but found out it was the "base ring". It also includes a spare set of gaskets for the spigot. You'll want to keep those safe and don't lose them in case the originals ever fail. I put my spare gaskets in a ziplock baggie with the original instructions so I don't lose anything.Assembly is NOT complicated, and a simple set of assembly instructions would be GREATLY appreciated, especially for someone not familiar with putting one of these together. Once you have the filters installed, be careful not to drop or jerk the top part hard, as you don't want to snap the filters off.Let's be honest. The Berkey is the "gold standard" of countertop water filters, but they're pretty darn expensive. A comparably-sized filter from Berkey is going to cost you 2x as much as this EASILY. Maybe more. This is made to the same standards of quality. I know, I've used them both. If I was going to spend my own money today and buy one or the other, I'd buy THIS, and save over 1/2 my money to put towards things like...replacement filters or fluoride filters. Money well spent.In summary...I TOTALLY recommend this. Whether you want it for "the apocalypse", or just as a day-to-day healthy drinking water source, the cost vs quality here CRUSHES the competition. The only thing this is missing is a decent set of assembly instructions, which cost it a star. You'll figure it out, it's not hard. And you'll save a few bucks to boot.