MAVEA Elemaris XL 9-Cup Water Filtration Pitcher, White

I have used three different brands of water filter pitchers. Honestly, I don’t see a whole lot of difference between them. But, I do not have “hard” water. The taste of my unfiltered water is decent, but it has a very slight / faint smell. Filtering takes away the smell and also makes it taste “neutral”. . . no matter which water filter pitcher I have used. There are a few things that I like about this pitcher over others. . . and oddly enough they are things that have nothing to do with the filter itself. First, there are “rubber feet” on the bottom. So the pitcher will not slide around. Second, you can put all parts into the dishwasher, after you remove the “timer” part. Third, it looks nice / better than other pitchers I’ve used. Overall, I’m quite happy with it.

I bought this to replace ZeroWater filter. The ZeroWater had great tasting water, but at the cost of pricey filters and taking out ALL minerals in your water. Minerals in water is often the only way we get some essential minerals. I decided I didn't need water that was lacking minerals... just clean water that tastes good. The mavea filter does that and without the super expensive filters. To be honest I can't tell a HUGE difference between the old Brita filters (that was bought by Clorox) and this new one from the same original company. The pitcher itself is a much better design and a big improvement over the Brita and Zero pitchers for sure. The base of the Mavea filter is awesome and very sturdy while the volume of water it holds is perfect for our household. I'd give it 5 stars but for the fact that the handle kind of leaks when I put the pitcher in the fridge after filling it. That could be just excess water from filling it up, but I keep thinking it's coming from the handle. Even with that slight annoyance (on full fill only) I still prefer the Mavea over the Brita and Zero pitchers.

Purchasing a water filtration pitcher has never been at the top of my "to buy" list. For YEARS I've been content with purchasing "spring-fed" bottled water in plastic gallon containers. However, over the past year, I've noticed a "perfumey" smell and taste - disagreeable at best, and sickening at worst. I contacted the bottler and was told that it was likely a shipping/storage issue - that mine was the only complaint they had received. I did try some other bottlers; however, big name/big city water just did not sit well; so, I returned to using tap water. After all, I know where that water comes from, right? What I found was water that tasted "different" not only on different days, but throughout the day. Sometimes it was "okay;" sometimes it was just plain terrible. A friend lives in a rural area, and has used a Brita for years. That started me on my search for a water filtration pitcher. Brita was a name I had heard; however, I was put off by the reviews (as well as my friend's comments) regarding charcoal sediment. Looking further, I came across Mavea - definitely an unknown to me. Other reviewers have written eloquently about this filtration pitcher. What I will contribute is this: I have saved all of the opened, unused "perfumey" water containers - thinking that I would use the water for plants next Spring. This morning, I opened one of the jugs and confirmed that the smell was still there. Pouring the water into the Mavea, I fully expected to pour it back out - into the kitchen sink. Surprise...........SURPRISE!!! No perfume smell. No perfume taste. Perfectly delightful water!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a joy it is to drink GOOD water!!!!!!!!!!!!!

UPDATE: Spoke to Mavea and my worst suspicions are true...Mavea is closing North American operations. No warranty...no replacement parts...no cartridge recycling...no customer service in a month. They would not tell me why they are closing. They said cartridges would still be available only on Amazon. Of course, there is no guarantee for how long. I may ask Amazon for a refund. This is amazing. If this pitcher were as good as it seems, why would they be closing? I would not not have bought this had I known. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Something weird about this company. I went to the website given in their product manual and it has the filters on there, but none of the pitchers. Therefore, there is no information about features, using the product or warranty. In the box the pitcher came in is a slip with a website to register the pitcher and extend the warranty. I go to that site and it re-directs to BRITA with a list of countries...the US is NOT listed. There is no way to register the product. Very strange in today's day and age to buy a product and have no access to information online. I have no idea what my warranty is. I am going to have to call the company. As for the pitcher, we bought this to replace a BRITA. The water tastes great and we like it a lot. It claims to filter better and more substances than BRITA, but I have no way to substantiate this. Will update this if I can figure out what is going on with this company.

Initially I was very happy with the purchase and I still find this pitcher to be very good quality and better than competing brands. My only complaint would be that after about a year, the metal part of the filter life indicator got rusty.. And as it touches directly the water, I needed to remove it. So now I don't have the filter indicator anymore and just note in my calendar when to change the filter (I change it every 2 months)

Much better than our old Brita 6 cup space saver water filter. The lid is sturdy and doesn't fall off when you pour water (like the Brita). I like that it has an indicator when the filter needs changing. Apparently you can send the used filter cartridges back to MAVEA for recycling. That's a plus for our family because we always felt guilty throwing all that plastic in the garbage with previous water filters. Its design is very sturdy made with high quality plastic. Would definitely recommend.

Works great and tastes great! More than I expected, I have been drinking tap water for the longest time without ever considering that my experience could be so positively changed by a water filter. The filters don't need soaking for hours, just simple rinsing. They are easy to install and last a long time. Cheap to replace as well. I would recommend this product.

Does the job, and no black particles with convenient refill. The digital tracker sometimes resets on its own though. Update after a year: I've reduced the rating on this as the digital tracker died shortly after purchase, it's pretty much useless and you don't want any battery or electrical material leaking into your water. Last but not least, I've called their customer service phone number 3 times and emailed them 2 times to replace the water pitchers spout cover, and not once has their customer service got back to me via email or by phone. The dispatchers say someone will call you within 24hr's but no one ever does! So if customer service is important to you down the line they get a solid 0 out of 5 from me!

Great Jug. When it is full of water it gets pretty heavy. The digital display is nice and it helps you know when to change it. Sturdy grip and plastic. Filters can be replaced pretty easily. Only thing I did not like was that sometimes the filter has two streams coming out of it and it makes me wonder if unfiltered water is coming in because it is suppose to be 1 stream.