I get a ton of questions about the big silver thing sitting on my counter. Today I am finally going to share all the ins and outs in this Berkey water filter review.

Berkey water filter review large family healthy water

This post containsย affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you.ย 

The Big Silver Thing on my counter

Ever since I started sharing videos in my kitchen on my Youtube channel, people have been asking me about the big silver thing sitting out on my countertop.

“What the heck is that thing?!”

I mean, its kind of hard to miss.

I move it for some beauty shots on my Instagram page, but 99.9% of the time, this is the real look of our farmhouse kitchen. Pretty farm sink, ticking stripe curtain, white quartz counters and a big old eyesore of a stainless steel Berkey.

But, read on to find out why there is no way I’m moving it off our countertops anytime soon. ie. EVER.

Berkey water filter review video

Shop the Berkey we have here.

Is the berkey worth the valuable coutertop real estate

When we were shopping water filter systems, seven + years ago, I had just had my second baby. I was in obsessive research mode about all things health and wellness. I had two tiny humans who depended on me to take care of them, and I didn’t want to mess it up.

It didn’t take long for me to find out that the public water we were consuming was the furthest thing from anything you would want to put in your body. And, being water-drinking health nuts, we were throwing back A LOT of it.

I quickly found out there were a million different filtration options…reverse osmosis, refrigerator pitcher systems, under counter systems..the list goes on.

I was concerned about drinking water loaded with chlorine, lead, arsenic, viruses and bacteria.

Our local water has so much chlorine that it actually smells like pool water, especially now that I am so used to drinking it from the Berkey.

We decided on the Berkey water filter for three main reasons, and we have been loving it ever since!

berkey water filter review why we love our berkey for our large family

The three deciding factors for choosing a berkey water filter

  1. Price- I didn’t want to have to replace filters every few months. Some of the systems were a little cheaper up front, but they required changing out the filters ever few months. Examples are the Brita water filter. Berkey did some math and posted the cost per gallon on their website. This is what they found. The Berkey filter cost per gallon is approximately 1.6 cents. Most of the other major brands averaged between 6 and 8 cents. That’s quite a cost savings when you drink a lot of water over the course of ten years!
  2. Filter quality- The number one reason we even decided to look into water filters was because the city water we were drinking before was full of junk no human should put in their body. The Berkey met all the requirements, and then some. Unlike other systems, it even filters out viruses and bacteria. You could literally filter pond water through it and still drink it! That impressed me.
  3. Testing- The Berkey system allows you to test the filters to be sure they are working properly. (I explain the test in the FAQ below) One time my second daughter knocked the whole system off the counter. I was advised to run the “red food dye test” to be sure they didn’t have any hairline fractures that would compromise the filters. I love that this is a possibility with the Berkey. With other filter son the market, you just have to hope that they are filtering properly and it’s hard to know when they have outlived their functionality.

berkey water filter review best water filter for health and cost

Another thing I love about the Berkey, that can’t be said of most of the other brands, is it doesn’t remove beneficial minerals. Its gets out the bad but leaves the good.

Some FAQ about our Berkey water filter system

How do you do the food dye test with the Berkey water filter?

  1. Remove the top portion of the stainless steel system, leaving the black filters securely screwed in.
  2. Place the bottom tip of each filter into a glass jar.
  3. Add eight cups of water and 10 drops of food coloring to the top basin and give it a little stir.
  4. Watch the water come out completely clear into the glass jars below.

If the water in the jars has any tint to it, its time to replace those filters!

This is one of the reasons I decided to purchase the Berkey in the first place. With other filter models, how are you supposed to know if the filters are still doing their job?

With the Berkey I can be confident that my water is still being filtered completely for me and my family.

I wrote an entire post on how to do a Berkey red dye test. There is also a vide to show it in action!

What does the Berkey filter out?

According to the Berkey website, Berkeys filter out over 99.99% chlorine, over 99.99% bacteria and viruses, lead, VOC’s, THM’s, lindane, benzene and atrizine.

Does the Berkey remove lead?

Yes, it does! It removes over 96% of the lead in water.

How often do you need to change Berkey filters?

Each black filter will last for 3,000 gallons. Each system can house up to four filters. We have 2 on ours, so that gives a total lifetime filtration amount of 6,000 gallons. We estimate that our filters will last a little over four years.

Learn how to set up a Berkey water filter with my post and video HERE.

How do you clean a Berkey water filter?

First remove all the water from the Berkey system. Next, remove the filter by unscrewing the wing nut that holds it in place. Scrub it down with a scotch brite pad under cold running water.

I have a whole post and video on how to clean a Berkey water filter. You can find that HERE.

Does the Berkey remove fluoride?

It does if you have the optional additional PF-2 elements. We have opted to include these with our Berkey, because of the damage that fluoride can do to gut health.

How often do you change the water in a Berkey water filter?

We use all the water in the Berkey daily, and then refill. To get the last bit of the water out before refilling, we tilt the system toward the spout.

“Mom, will you tip it?!” is a common thing to hear our kiddos yelling around here. Time to refill the Berkey!

Shop the Berkey water filter that we have HERE.

Berkey is running a bundle sale right now, where you can get some accessories free! Find that here: Berkey Bundle Sale

Do you have a Berkey water filter? Do you love it? Let me know in the comments below!

Thank you so much for stopping by the farmhouse!

Learn more about the Berkey water filter

How to Prime Berkey Elements

How to Setup a Berkey Water Filter

How to do a Berkey Red Dye Test

How to get a Berkey Water Filter for a Dealโ€‹

How To Clean A Berkey Water Filterโ€‹โ€‹

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Berkey water filter review the best water filter for families

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65 Comments

  1. Catherine says:

    Does your system filter out micro plastics?

  2. Elvis M. Ives says:

    This is such a nice review. Thanks for sharing this.

  3. Mike says:

    So many helpful tips here. Thanks for sharing about the Big Berkely and other water filters.

    1. Lisa says:

      Hi Mike,
      You’re welcome! ๐Ÿ™‚

  4. Debi says:

    I’ve had the Big Berkey for about 6 months now and posted an instagram picture of it on my counter a little while back! So worth the investment & assurance of cleaner healthier water!
    I enjoy your You Tube videos and love how your new farmhouse is coming along!

    1. Lisa says:

      Thanks!!

  5. Katie says:

    What size does your family have?

    Thank you ๐Ÿ™‚

  6. David says:

    Great review about Berkey water filter. Thank you!

    1. Lisa says:

      You are quite welcome!

  7. Anna says:

    Hi! I see you have the Big berkey. Do you like that size or do you sometimes wish you had a larger size? Is it important to use all the water in it daily before refilling? Id also like to use it for cooking/the dog and keep extra in thr fridge

    1. Lisa says:

      I wouldn’t want it any larger. We just keep it full throughout the day. ๐Ÿ™‚

      1. Audrey says:

        When I click the link in your video, it says you have the Royal Berkey (not the Big Berkey as mentioned in this comment). Can you clarify which model you have? Big Berkey is 2.25gal, Royal Berkey is 3.25gal. Thanks!

        1. Lisa says:

          We have the Royal. Sorry about that oversight! I think they are currently all sold out. ๐Ÿ™

  8. movzio.com says:

    WOW just what I was searching for. Came here by searching for wedding cakes

  9. Brandi says:

    Hi, we have had berkey for two years and love the clean healthy water. However, i have changed the filters three times in two years because the water literally takes two days to filter a gallon of water. Have contacted berkey about the problem and was told to do the dye test. I did. It filters out the dye but still takes days to run through the top water. Sometimes it never filters the entire top tank. I scrub the filters and prime weekly but works well for one filtering and then goes super slooooowwwww there after. Just wondering, do you ever experience super slow filtering. We still love our berkey but it is a lot of work to keep us in water everyday.
    Love your blog ๐Ÿ™‚

    1. Lisa says:

      I wonder if it has something to do with your water. I would say maybe its hard water, but ours is super hard and we don’t have that issue. I’m surprised Berkey can’t figure it out. Certainly someone else has had the same problem. Sounds like you’re doing everything right, bu doing the tests and cleaning the filters. Baffling!

      1. Jenessa says:

        Hey! So we just purchased our Big Berkey and it tastes a little fishy! Iโ€™m so bummed! Any advice on this??

    2. Justina says:

      Super late to the game but this is exactly what happens to us as well! We had berkey send us new filters as our system isnโ€™t even a year old yet and our filters just stopped. We got a new pair last month and already, our water isnโ€™t filtering. We have tried literally everything and have been in communication with berkey throughout it all but they canโ€™t seem to figure it out either. Frustrating because we love our berkey water.

  10. Kathy A says:

    We LOVE our Berkey – so worth the counter space!!! Our city water has tons of chlorine too which I’m sensitive to. Also have 2 filters & fluoride filters.

    1. Lisa says:

      Yes! Our city has so much chlorine too. The berkey smells and tastes amazing. ๐Ÿ™‚