It's been a while! I recently signed up to Dooyoo so I thought I would come and join in here to. My...
It's been a while! I recently signed up to Dooyoo so I thought I would come and join in here to. My reviews are on Dooyoo as well under the name kitschkitty.
Member since:05.02.2003
Reviews:103
Members who trust:40
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.
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