Zerowater Filter
Hi everybody! I am looking for a good filter system and I don’t want to use Brita because of the nano-silver in it. So I used google to browse around the web and found “zerowater” – they are advertising with reaching “0 TSD”.
Is that good for the taste of the tea?
Does anyone here has experience with zerowater?
Does it lower also the pH?
Does anyone know, whether they use BPA for their pitchers?
Thanks for any answer
Ahasja
I brew nearly all my tea with water from the Zerowater filter. It is really good. The tea comes out tasting great. You always know when to change the filter because it comes with a meter to check the water.
If you buy one locally consider getting the replacement filters on Amazon via subscription. I get the 8 pack on subscription and I get 15% off each time I need one, much cheaper this way.
Hello Ahasja,
“Water with 50 – 150 ppm total dissolved solids (TDS) or 1 to 3 grains hardness provides the best results, according to the Tea Association of the USA." http://www.teaandcoffee.net/0609/tea.htm
This water filter thread and its links maybe of interest:
http://steepster.com/discuss/6791-water-filter-recommendations
I hope this info is helpful.
AllanK, thanks for you reply. Did you every compare zerowater to other filters like Gravitea or Brita?
As looseTman wrote:
“Water with 50 – 150 ppm total dissolved solids (TDS) or 1 to 3 grains hardness provides the best results, according to the Tea Association of the USA." – so I wonder whether with zerowater the tea will taste too flat.
See the quote from David Duckler of Verdant and the YouTube video from Garret Sorensen of Mandala found here: http://steepster.com/discuss/6791-water-filter-recommendations
We use this one: http://smile.amazon.com/PUR-18-Cup-Dispenser-Filter/dp/B00IK5A4U8/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1409773027&sr=8-4&keywords=pur+filter
We have a Zerowater Filter. Our tap water doesn’t taste very good, but after being filtered, I can’t detect any of the unpleasant flavors at all. It seems to work great for tea. Even if it doesn’t leave the ideal amount of dissolved solids, It is much better than ending up with funky tasting tea from your tap. According to Amazon, the pitcher is BPA free.
The one caveat I would give is that if you fill the top of the pitcher, and let the water filter, then try it again it won’t filter a second time. We empty ours into a one gallon pitcher before filtering more.
I don’t know if it effects the PH (my guess is probably, since it filters out solids that would change the PH).
“Even if it doesn’t leave the ideal amount of dissolved solids, It is much better than ending up with funky tasting tea from your tap.”
Hello rosebudmelissa,
Agreed! If one’s water has an objectionable flavor or smell such as chlorine, iron, or sulfur, any filter that removes them will improve the quality of one’s water.
The first step in a successful solution is to first have the water tested for any health or quality issues so that the appropriate filtration equipment can be selected.
For tea, the optimum water treatment solution should also provide the recommended TDS level to create the maximum flavor and enjoyment from your tea leaves.
If the necessary filtration solution for your water quality issues results in a TDS level that is too low for tea, a re-mineralization filter can be added. For example:
- http://steepster.com/teaware/puregen/39532-aptera-alkamag-water-filter.
- http://www.puregen.com/products_detail.php?id=301&lang=en
I put a pur water filter on the faucet. I have used the zero water in the past and liked it, but it wasn’t cost effective for me.
Thanks a lot for all the answers. So I will get a zerowater filter and a gravitea filter and make a comparison. The results I will post here.
Per Consumer Reports:
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/water-filters/buying-guide.htm?pn=0
Carafe water filters:
- Clear2O CWS100A – 93 pts
http://www.clear2o.com/
http://www.amazon.com/Applica-Clear-Water-Pitcher-CWS100A/dp/B00189XOEG
- ZeroWater ZP-010 10-cup and ZD-013 8-cup Pitchers – 70 pts
The Gravitea filter wasn’t tested by CR.
Another convenient option to consider:
Faucet-mounted water filters
- Culligan FM-15A or FM-25 – 80 pts.
http://www.culligan-store.com/product_detail.asp?T1=CUL+FM%2D25&.
http://www.amazon.com/Culligan-FM-25-Faucet-Mount-Filter/dp/B0064MKTE0
- Pur FM-3700B – 77 pts.
- Brita Base On Tap OPFF-100 – 75 pts.
For those who have a refrigerator with a built-in water dispenser, most include a replaceable water filter cartridge:
http://www.filtersfast.com/Refrigerator-Water-Filters-cat.asp
http://www.freshwatersystems.com/c-453-refrigerator-filters.aspx
Thanks for all the links – somehow the link to the consumerreport does not work for me. Does the Clear2O also soften the water and reduce calcium carbonite? (I couldn’t find this information on the homepage)
See also:
– http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/water-filters.htm
– http://pressroom.consumerreports.org/pressroom/2010/04/cr-finds-10-recommended-water-filters-that-can-replace-bottled-water-.html
Water filters typically do not soften water. For that you need a water softener. A softener uses ion exchange resin beads that are recharged with salt:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ion-exchange_resin
- http://store.afwfilters.com/water-softeners/single-tank-water-softeners/7000-softeners/64k-water-softener-with-fleck-7000sxt/
The side-effect of a softener is that it adds sodium to your water, which is not recommended for tea or your blood pressure, especially if you have hypertension or heart disease or a family history of it. However, it you have hard water, this is the appropriate solution.
To remove the sodium from your drinking water a reverse-osmosis filter is typically employed. The side-effect of an RO system is that it also removes the minerals that are beneficial for the flavor of tea. Selecting a model that includes a re-mineralization filter is recommended.
- http://steepster.com/teaware/abundant-flow-water/37798-6-stage-alkaline-zoi-zeta-reverse-osmosis-sys-with-remineralization-filter
- http://store.afwfilters.com/reverse-osmosis-systems/drinking-ro-systems/6-stage-alkaline-zoi-zeta-reverse-osmosis-system-alkalizes-water/
Dear looseTman thanks for asking. At the end I let go of Zerowater as I don’t live in the U.S. and the shipping cost would have been much too high. So now I am using bottled water – at least that is better than the tap water. It isn’t perfect as the best water I found here has very low calcium, very low magnesium and very low hydrogen carbonate but 170mg/l chloride. Is there a way to lower chlorides? Bamboo Charcoal?
Chlorides / Chlorine?
An activated charcoal filter can be used to remove chlorine:
- http://www.freshwatersystems.com/s-278-chlorine-in-water.aspx
- http://www.freshwatersystems.com/s-430-carbon-filters.aspx
Did you check out the CR top-rated carafe water filter, the Clear2O CWS100A?
Thanks for you quick answer and the interesting links. What I don’t understand so much is the difference between chlorine and chloride. What is the difference? Do carbon filter lower chlorine and chlorides?
Yes, carbon filters lower chlorine.
For salts, such as sodium chloride (NaCl), magnesium chloride (MgCl2), etc. a reverse osmosis filter is typically used.
http://ky.gov/nrepc/water/ramp/rmcl.htm
http://www.uri.edu/ce/wq/ww/Publications/Chlorides.pdf
http://www.freshwatersystems.com/s-277-sodium-chloride-in-water.aspx
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