CR tests pitchers specifically for how well they remove flavors and odors. We gather a panel of professional water tasters and give them water spiked with common compounds to make it smell and taste like various things: metal, compost, damp soil, a sewage treatment plant, and a swimming pool. Definitely not the sort of drinks you want on tap! Then our tasters score each pitcher based on how well it removes the flavors and odors against a baseline of pure spring water.
“There is quite a range in the pitchers’ abilities to remove off-putting flavors and odors, and some models are not that effective,” says Richard Handel, the project leader who oversees CR’s testing of water filters.
And if a manufacturer claims its pitcher meets standards set by NSF International for removing specific contaminants, such as chlorine and lead, we check. In our tests, all models effectively remove chlorine and four models remove lead.
But there are other factors to consider, such as cost, flavor, odor, and whether water flows easily through the pitcher without clogging.
For more, see our water filter buying guide. To get the details on how various pitchers performed in our tests, CR members can check our water filter ratings. Here are five things you should know about water filter pitchers.