BRITA Marella XL filter reduces the amount of magnesium & calcium (i.e. hard water) present in your water. This also includes the removal of chlorine (that is often added to water as a way to remove bacteria but not ideal to consume). However, it not only removes harmful contaminants from your water, it also provides you with richer water through alkalinization. Best Features

Need A Filter Water That Also Gives You Healthy Alkaline Water? Platinum Alkaline Water Ionizer and Filter MachineBRITA Marella XL does not remove fluoride. Something that is important to note if fluoride is an issue in your home. I was sceptical that the water from different filters could really taste all that different. But during our taste test I was surprised – some had a smooth, almost creamy mouthfeel, or more of a bite, just as Patel describes. For those who are perhaps not quite as invested in the terroir and taste of their glass of water as Milin, which filter jug should you buy for everyday use? Brita and BWT are the high street brands and they do a fine job of filtering tap water, which is always preferable to buying plastic bottled water,” says Milin. “There are carbon filters and exchange filters… all of which alter the flavour of the water slightly, but the main function of filter jugs is to remove the calcium and magnesium to soften the water, and to remove any chlorine taste." (Chlorine is added to tap water in very small amounts to disinfect it, and can leave a residual taste.)

The Bawell platinum alkaline water ionizer has to be one of the most user friendly countertop alkaline water machines available on the market today. However, as Milin points out, it’s actually mineral content that gives water its flavour. ZeroWater’s output is totally flavourless and smooth – I personally preferred that the water above actually had a taste.Getting a BRITA filter water jug is a perfect way to get clean, great tasting water that is non-toxic. What is the best water filter jug?” may not be a question that’s occurred to you before. But once you look into the details of water filtration, as I have in the process of writing this piece, it’s a question that needs answering. Water is “very similar to wine” says Milin Patel, the UK’s leading water sommelier. (Yes, that is a real occupation.) “Once you get the right mineral level, or the right carbonation level, the water pops. You discover flavours. I work with a number of chefs creating water pairing menus,” he says. It is one of the easiest water filter jugs to use. The BRITA Marella XL comes with an easy flip-top lid. This lid makes it both easy to refill and pour out the filtered water. Drinking from this ZeroWater jug is an interesting experience. It produces the purest drinking water on the market, filtering out 99.6 per cent of TDS and microplastics down to three microns in size through a five-stage filter. On testing, the TDS is 001 compared to 304 in my tap water – a remarkable result that shows it really does what it says on the tin (and the jug even comes with its own TDS meter).

The 10 cup model I test would be too big for smaller fridges, but it holds an impressive 2.3l of filtered water, and the clever design means you can either pour the water out of the top of the jug or dispense it at the bottom. If you need a smaller or larger capacity, the jug comes in a wide range of sizes from six cups to 30 cups. If you need something that doesn’t just filter but provides you with healthy alkaline water then this is my top recommendation: If getting a whole house water filter or tap faucet filter is too expensive or too much of a commitment then a portable water jug is ideal. TDS is measured in parts per million (ppm) and you can taste “all of the minerals that are dissolved in the water naturally. That’ll be calcium, magnesium, potassium, bicarbonate, silica, iron, zinc. This is what gives water its character: the creaminess, the saltiness, the oiliness, the bite,” Milin says. “If you drink an 8,000 year-old, mineral-rich glacier water with a TDS of 7,500ppm, that’s a meal in itself.” The unit is very small yet powerful with a ridiculously long feature list but here are just some of its features:Bottled water is very wasteful while potentially risking your health with BPA poisoning from the plastics.

Some water filters reviewed below remove TDS from the water, but Magnus Jern of Tapp Water says this isn’t always a good thing. “High TDS is really not a measure of water quality,'' Magnus says. “TDS primarily consist of healthy minerals such as calcium, magnesium and bicarbonate.” It’s up to you, and your preferred taste, whether you opt for a filter that removes TDS or not. Is it worth buying a water filter jug? It really does NOT filter much out from your water and not really worth it in my opinion. The Best Brita Alternative? ZeroWater Filter Also, remember that you don’t just need clean water to drink on its own. You can use filter water for cooking and making teas. Traditionally, water has been filtered with moringa seeds, clay and dried coriander to make it safer and improve the taste, as well as charcoal, which is still used in water filter jugs now, says Milin. A water filter jug enables you to drink pure water without single-use plastic bottles – in the UK we throw away 7.7 billion of them per year. Some also think it's better for your health, although Milin is a big fan of our tap water and says there's no evidence it's not good for you. Filtering can also change the taste of tap water.The taste of the water gets a thumbs up from our sommelier, Milin, who says it’s softer and less chlorinated than tap water, but still with a distinctive flavour. I love it – it tastes distinctly better than my tap water, with a lighter feel.