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Review: I used the Big Berkey water filter every day for the last year and now I can’t go back
One of the ultimate goals for any prepper is finding preps that effortlessly blend into daily life. While purchasing a product, placing it on a shelf, and waiting for a crisis may seem ideal, the true magic happens when you derive value both in everyday life and during emergencies without skipping a beat. Essentially, you're spending money on items you'd need anyway while simultaneously acquiring essential preps or insurance for free.
A countertop water filter exemplifies this dual-purpose approach, and the $280 Big Berkey reigns supreme in this category. The takeaway from this review is simple: if you're considering a countertop filter, the Berkey is an excellent choice.
**Review:** Best Water Filters for Your Home
Many seasoned preppers are already familiar with this concept because it's widely recognized, but it bears repeating for newcomers since countertop filters offer a seamless and impactful way to enhance preparedness.
**Value in Normal Life:**
- You enjoy clean, great-tasting water on demand within your home.
- The filter is sleek and doesn't appear odd or overly "preppy."
- Countertop filters outlast the more common pitcher filters.
- No installation or modifications are necessary since the filter is standalone.
- No waiting for slow drips—water is filtered over time and stored for later use.
- You save money by avoiding wasteful disposable water bottles and avoid supporting corporations that exploit indigenous water resources.
**Value in an Emergency:** Picture yourself sheltering at home with non-functional or contaminated water supply, like during a boil water advisory. In such scenarios, you'd need to collect water from natural sources and treat it.
The issue with plumbed-in systems (like reverse osmosis) is that they lack an input to handle collected water—you wouldn't know how to channel river water through the system. Pitchers can take in raw water, but they're smaller and less efficient for sustaining an entire family in such situations.
**Testing Notes:**
Thanks to the folks at **BigBerkeyWaterFilters.com** for providing a review sample a year ago when the supply chain was chaotic. A challenge in this market is that all Berkeys are sold via third-party resellers, not directly by the manufacturer New Millennium Concepts. Some disreputable middlemen exist with subpar websites solely focused on profits, but BBWF.com is reputable.
We initially planned a head-to-head stress test between the Berkey and other leading countertop gravity filters. However, due to COVID-related inventory issues, we couldn't obtain all the competing products. Instead, we've been using the Big Berkey as our primary water source for the past year to assess its daily usability and identify minor inconveniences. This review leans more toward a lifestyle assessment than a technical one.
Once we secure additional competitors, we'll update the main comparison article with rigorous head-to-head tests, including durability evaluations like dropping these units to see if they survive.
**Berkey Basics:**
The design is straightforward: two stainless steel containers stack on top of each other. The top holds dirty water, accessible via a simple lid, while the bottom contains a spigot and stores clean water. Filters connect the two containers, with gravity pulling dirty water through the filters into the bottom container.
**More:** You could even create a similar system using 5-gallon buckets.
[Image description: A photo of a Big Berkey filter setup]
The impressive **Black filters** ($120 per pair) are reusable and replaceable. We appreciate that they clearly label the threats they neutralize on the packaging. Here's a comprehensive list of what it protects against.
[Image description: An image showing the filtration capabilities of the Berkey]
We’ve been running with two Black filters (without additional fluoride or arsenic filters), and in a household of two heavy water drinkers, the filters required cleaning only once in the past year—likely lasting another year. With a few replacement filters stored in our emergency supplies, just a handful of filters can treat enough water to sustain us for years!
[Image description: A close-up of the interior of the Berkey filter]
Cleaning the body and filters is manageable. The stainless steel body picks up fingerprints, but it’s easier to clean than expected. Removing and reinstalling the filters takes only a few minutes.
Flow rates are acceptable, though the initial drip takes longer than advertised in the sparse instructions. The first fill took three hours, significantly longer than the promised 20 minutes. Once primed, filling the top container took about two hours.
Note that Berkey filters don’t work with water softened by a water softener.
**Aftermarket Stands Are Essential:**
Theoretically, you could place the Berkey directly on a counter, provided it’s near an edge for vertical clearance under the spigot. We tried this for two days before becoming frustrated and purchasing a **$35 third-party 10-inch stand from Amazon**, which made a noticeable difference. There’s also an **official $40 wire stand**. Elevating the tank allows us to position the Berkey anywhere while accommodating various glass sizes.
[Image description: A photo showing the Berkey on a stand]
This arrangement also frees up counter space and enhances the kitchen aesthetic.
**Berkey Accessories Are Overpriced:**
Given our experience testing numerous products, we can gauge whether a product's price reflects fair value or excessive profit margins. In this case, everyone on our team feels the Berkey is slightly overpriced—a standard Big Berkey plus two Black filters costs $50-$75 more than we’d prefer.
[Image description: A close-up of a plastic spigot]
It’s likely due to Berkey's long-standing dominance in the market without significant competition. However, other companies are entering the field, especially post-COVID, and we hope increased competition will help. My guess is that prices remain stable while materials and features improve.
Plastic components are my main concern. Too many crucial parts are made of cheap plastic. You can purchase a **$25 replacement stainless steel spigot**, but New Millennium Concepts should include it by default.
[Image description: A close-up of a flimsy plastic spigot]
All other accessories are optional, though some might opt for the **$65 fluoride and arsenic filter**. For long-term preppers, a **$25 spare parts kit** could be worthwhile. The **$25 Primer pump** is handy during grid outages, though you might manage without it in such rare instances.
**The Sight Glass Spigot Is Helpful but Not Worth It:**
Clean water accumulates in the bottom half of the Berkey. Externally, there’s no way to determine how much clean water is available—requiring lifting the top half to peek inside.
The **$55 Sight Glass Spigot** addresses this issue. However, we don’t believe it’s worth it for most users because:
- You can’t use the sight glass and the stainless steel spigot simultaneously; we’d rather have steel components.
- The sight glass isn’t compatible with fluoride filters.
- You develop a sense of when the lower tank is running low as the spigot output weakens slightly—not enough to cause trouble but noticeable.
- It might break since the sight glass protrudes from the unit.
The exception would be for individuals with mobility challenges, where lifting the top container proves difficult.