I honestly never thought I needed a water filter in my life, let alone that I'd grow to find it indispensible but in the case of my Brita Fjord Cool filter jug, that's exactly what's happened. I bought it on a whim as it was reduced to £10 in Woolworths and I decided to treat myself to something ... Read review
change the cartridge Takes Maxtra cartridge for optimum removal of chlorine, limescale and impurities Integral spout cover that protects from dust & taste taints Di...
A review by nicolemorgan on Brita Fjord Water Filter December 15th, 2008
Author's product rating:
Performance
Excellent
Ease of use
Very easy
Durability
Long
Cleaning & Maintenance
Very easy
Value for money
Excellent
Advantages:
Great design, excellent filtered water, reasonably priced
Disadvantages:
None .
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
I honestly never thought I needed a water filter in my life, let alone that I'd grow to find it indispensible but in the case of my Brita Fjord Cool filter jug, that's exactly what's happened. I bought it on a whim as it was reduced to £10 in Woolworths and I decided to treat myself to something I considered at the time to be frivolous yet practical. There were a few Brita filter jugs on offer at the same price and I chose the Fjord Cool model simply because it looked a bit sleeker and sexier than the others available.
As soon as I got home, I quickly decided to test out my new 'gadget.' On this occasion, I did read the instructions which included handy diagrams to show you how to insert the filter cartridge into the jug. This filter jug incidentally takes the Brita Maxtra cartridges. It comes supplied with one but I bought an additional box of three replacement cartridges which set me back around £10.
I've already mentioned that the picture on the box was what attracted me to this filter jug but on closer inspection, it's even better than I had anticipated. The jug itself is made of sturdy clear plastic which means you can easily see how much water is left at any time. The filter part is a dark charcoal grey and the lid is a sleek metallic grey which should compliment most kitchens. The handle is solid and comfortable to hold even when the jug is full and there's a nifty little cap over the pouring spout which is forced open as you pour but otherwise stays shut to keep your water in tip top condition. Another feature I'm particularly fond of is the non slip rubber on the bottom of the jug. Whilst the jug is solid and unlikely to be easily knocked when it's full, I'm a very clumsy person and little features like this mean I don't have to replace broken items in my flat nearly half as often as I would do were it not there!
The Brita Fjord also features a small LCD in the lid of the jug which is appropriately known as the electronic Cartridge Exchange Indicator. You set this each time you insert a new filter by pressing the small start button on top of the lid and this reminds you to replace your filter cartridge once every four weeks as recommended by Brita. Again, it might not seem a necessity for everyone but if you have the memory of a sieve like I do then this is a nifty little extra. For obvious reasons, this does mean that the lid of the jug isn't dishwasher safe but the rest of the jug still is. Brita advise you to recycle the used cartridges and there are details in the packet on where to send them to. Alternatively, I spotted a collection point in my local Argos the other day so you can always take your old Maxtra cartridges to Argos to be recycled.
The jug is large and can hold 1.5 litres of filtered water (bearing in mind a large bottle of soft drink is 2 litres) and also has the facility to accommodate an additional 1.1 litres in the reservoir at the top of the jug. If you fill the jug entirely then once you start pouring the water out, the water stored in the reservoir above will start to filter through, giving you the convenience of less trips to the tap. The jug is also designed in such a way as to be slimline enough to fit into your fridge door. In fact, the shelving in my fridge door is quite limited and getting a large carton of milk in there can sometimes be a struggle but the Brita Fjord fits in perfectly.
So, design wise, I hope I've established this is a nifty piece of equipment. In fact, based solely on its aesthetic qualities and the other inbuilt features, I'd say it was already worth twice the £10 price tag I paid for it. But of course it doesn't stop there. After all, this is a filter jug and so the proof really should be in the pudding or the cordial if I'm more precise.
Just for the purposes of comparison, the water where I live is not particularly appealing. As it comes out of the tap it tends to look very cloudy and unappealing. I generally need to run the cold tap for at least two minutes to ensure the cycle of warm, cold, warm and finally cold has completed. Even then, I often used to find that a scum appeared on top of a glass of water which wasn't very appealing. In an attempt to overcome this problem, I often boiled more water than necessary when making a coffee and put the excess in an old pop bottle in the fridge for when I needed it. Not very convenient I'm sure you'll agree and certainly not very good for the environment.
But since purchasing the Brita Fjord, my water drinking habits have changed entirely. I simply pour the water straight from the tap without worrying about running it first and pop the jug straight into my fridge door, the Brita Maxtra cartridge does all the hard work for me. For those that are interested in the technicalities, the Brita website at Brita.net explains the science behind their filters. In short, it says that:
Maxtra offers an advanced filtration technology that works in four steps: • Intensive Pre-Filtration • Ion Exchange Filtration • Activated Carbon Filtration • Intensive Final Filtration
To be honest with you, I'm not particularly interested in how it works, I'm just pleased to say that it does. The resulting water is clear, as it should be and lacks the froth and scum of the water that comes straight from my tap. It tastes purer and more palatable and makes a refreshing change to the awful water I've become accustomed to since moving into my current home. I've also used the filtered water to make my coffee and have to say I've noticed an improvement in that too with it tasting less bitter than previously. I don't drink tea but I'm tempted to do a test just to try and mimic the images on the back of the box which shows the difference between a cup of tea made with filtered water and one made with normal tap water.
My Brita Fjord has quickly become an indispensible item in my kitchen and I'm beginning to wonder how I survived all these years without it. Whilst I was lucky enough to buy it on offer, I'd happily have paid twice if not three times as much for it if I'd have known then what I do know. The filter jug is excellent quality and I'm sure it will last me for some time but it comes with the added benefit of a 2 year guarantee from Brita for peace of mind (which reminds me, I must send off my registration card!) Whether you're looking to buy your first filter jug or simply upgrade from an older model then I can't recommend the Brita Fjord highly enough.
According to Amazon the part number for the Fjord in the USA is 35539. It's only available on Amazon through marketplace sellers and costs $15.90. In the UK, the Brita Fjord has a different part number just to cause confusion which is 100007 and they have the white version in stock for £16.35.
Advantages: Affordable, delicious drinking water with no hardness Disadvantages: cartridges can be a little expensive
...internal organs.
Enter the Brita Fjord water filter, the only thing standing between Leicester and the most chronic case of dandruff / petrification in the known world.
Description:
The filter is divided into four parts; these being the jug, funnel, lid and filter cartridge. The jug has a total capacity of 2.6 litres, meaning that it can easily handle enough water to cater for an entire tea party without the need for refilling. The funnel fits ... ...sharpening and general tomfoolery. The Brita filter is really very easy to look after; once every four weeks you pull the old filter cartridge out and discard it (I'm not sure if there is a way of recycling these but it is something I'm researching and will update this review at a later time). Once the old filter is out, the unit can simply be taken to bits and washed (every bit except the lid is dishwasher safe), which takes me about two minutes. ...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Improves water taste and quality Disadvantages: None
...is readily available from the Brita Service Team. It is however designed to have a service life of five years.
As with all food products treat it with respect, do not allow the Brita filter to stand in direct sunlight, wash everything at least every time the cartridge is changed and if the water is not consumed within two days then tip it away and add new water. In our house it’s not lasting 2 hours let alone two days. The capacity is 1.6 litre ...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Brita water filter systems are almost an essential item for every household these days. But first let me tell you a little about the company and its products etc.
The company
Heinz Hankammer founded the company in Germany in 1966. It’s head quarters remain in Taunusstein Germany, though it’s now an international company, and still family owned! The company makes water filter systems in Germany (of course), England, Switzerland, and ... ...The products
Brita offer water filtration systems, in a range of styles. The Atlantis is capable of holding some 2.2litres of filtered water, though you probably need a large fridge for this one. The Fjord (the one I have) will fit snugly into the fridge door (for those of us with small fridges); the Fjord is capable of holding 1.6 litres. The Aluna will hold 1.9 litres, and the cool 1.3 litres, though they Aluna will not fit in your fridge door, ...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: get to drink purer water, tastes great Disadvantages: cartridges are fairly expensive
...in tap water.
The Brita water filter costs roughly £25 it’s available to buy in health food stores, supermarkets and Boots the chemist.
It comes with a little instruction book, which tells you how to prepare your water filterer for use. You need to buy the cartridges that filter the water separately, they cost roughly £3.95 per cartridge.
The idea of filtering water sounds quite scientific, but the Brita water filterer is easy to use. Three quarters ... ...jug. The top of the filterer is a funnel where the filtering cartridge is slotted through.
The funnel is where tap tap water is passed and filters down through the cartridge into the jug. For the best results you need to make sure the water stays in contact with the cartridge in the jug and does not go below the line where the cartridge ends.
Sometimes in the funnel part of the filterer there are small black bits, these look a bit gross at first, ...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: makes the water taste great Disadvantages: none
...I filter it with the Brita filter the chlorine taste and smell completely goes and the water just tastes much, much nicer. For the first few filters with a new cartridge the water tastes like mineral water with a slightly sweet taste, but as the cartridge is used more and more the sweet taste disappears. Even when the cartridge has been used for longer than the recommended four weeks the water still tastes much better, and I can easily tell if the ... ...should know before buying a Brita Fjord water filter:
What it is:
It is a jug that holds 1.6L of filtered water and has a total capacity of 2.6L. It consists of 4 parts: a clear plastic jug, a white holder for the cartridge which slips into the jug, a lid and of course a cartridge. The lid has a 'memo-thingy' - a phrase coined by that really irritating advert with the woman who gets turned on by her water filter and suggests to her partner that ...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Healthy living made easy! We all know that we are supposed to drink more water than we should, but tap water doesn’t taste nice and bottled water gets expensive… The answer for me is a counter top water chiller that uses a Brita Maxtra Water filter.... more
Featured merchant
