ZeroWater filter pitcher review

A few minutes ago I posted an article on the San Jose Fitness Examiner column about a new filtered water pitcher I tried: ZeroWater filter pitcher a good way to go green, stay hydrated

I thought I'd post here some additional thoughts about the product that I didn't put in that piece.

ZeroWater, just fyi, is a system that removes the dissolved solids in tap water (the solids that come from the municipal processing and sometimes from your own home pipes). While safe to drink, all of those solids affect the taste of water, which is why water tastes different when you travel.

The nice PR people for ZeroWater pitched me the story about the pure water and how it was good for fitness people and I agreed.  But the price point of nearly $40 for the pitcher struck me as too-high-to-be-worth it.  They asked if I wanted one to review and I said yes, no commitment on my part if I was going to like it or not, no commitment for a review.

The first week I used it, I noticed the difference in the taste of my water.  But it was about 10 days before I realized I was drinking a lot more water because I actually liked the taste.  Water with a yummy factor?  Yep.  And kept nice and cold in the refrigerator it's even better.  It also improved the taste of my morning coffee. I like my morning coffee, so this earned the pitcher a gold star in my book.

To disclose: I also say yum to my Crystal Geyser bottled water, and to some of the lightly flavored waters that are on the market.  Both of those would be way too expensive to use those for all my cooking/drinking water needs, however.

This is a good filter system.   I'd consider buying one for my desk at work  - our tap water there is awful and I suspect our water machine is gross with bacteria.

I'd also consider giving ZeroWater as a gift to friends with lousy tasting tap water, though I'd want to include a good supply of filters with it.  The filters are easy to find online and are stocked at Target and some other retail locations, but they aren't as easy to find as Brita filters.  

My goal for 2011 is to cut way back on bottled water but to increase my water intake.  This will help, though I'll let you know in six months if I was willing to keep paying the high cost of replacement filters (about $15 apiece).