Big Berkey Water Filter Review: Is It Worth the $ in 2024?

Overview of the Big Berkey Water Filter

The Big Berkey Gravity-Fed Water Filter is a stainless-steel portable water purification system designed for use by up to four people. The system uses gravity to push water through filter media, removing more than 200 contaminants.

Unlike many of the countertop water filters we’ve used, you don’t need to attach the Berkey water filtration system to your faucet. Using the Berkey is simple: you fill it with water and leave the filter to do the work.

You can store the Big Berkey wherever suits you most. Most people find a location for it on their kitchen counter. This Berkey system is 19.25” tall and 8.5” – so it’s not particularly compact.

Because you don’t need to connect the Big Berkey to your sink, it has the advantage of being a more portable option. Gravity filters like this Berkey filter are notoriously slower than filters powered by water pressure, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It just depends on your preferences.

Features

The Berkey countertop filter comes in a variety of different sizes, from tiny travel units to larger counter systems. We bought and reviewed the Big Berkey water filter, with this being the most popular choice available today.

Let’s begin with a quick overview of the Big Berkey’s key features:

Stainless steel filter unit

The Big Berkey is around 4 times the size of your average water pitcher, and holds up to 2.25 gallons in the lower reservoir. It’s made from stainless steel, so it’s durable and BPA-free (although some customers complained about rusting – more on that later).

2 Black Berkey elements

You get 2 Black Berkey purification elements with the Big Berkey, which, Berkey says, have been tested in an EPA-approved laboratory and found to meet the NSF/ANSI Standard 42 (for chlorine, tastes, and odors) and 53 (for contaminants with health effects). The filter flow rate is about 7 GPH (gallons per hour) – that’s about bang-on average for a countertop drinking water system.

User manual

You’ll be happy to hear that the Big Berkey requires no major installation. The user manual contains instructions on how to set it up, plus a bit of basic information about looking after the unit, testing that the filters work, and changing the elements.

Performance

We measure the performance of countertop filtration systems by evaluating three parameters: flow rate, contaminants removed, and filter lifespan. This gives us a clear idea of the overall performance value you ca expect from a filter.

If you know anything about counter water filter systems, you’ll know that the Berkey is one of the most popular of its kind. The unit uses “elements” that are designed to filter and purify water at the same time.

If you’re looking for a water filter that removes a wide range of contaminants, but you don’t want to pay for a reverse osmosis system, the Big Berkey is a great choice to consider.

The Big Berkey relies on gravity to filter drinking water, so you’ll have to put up with a much more delayed filtration process – although that won’t affect the quality of filtration; in fact, gravity filters can often afford to be more thorough because of how slowly they work.

You should expect to wait up to a three-hour period for the unit with two Black Berkey filters to reduce the contaminants in a full batch of water. The 7 GPH flow rate is about the same as most similar countertop systems, so it isn’t exceptional or below-average.

The tank has a good capacity, at 2.25 gallons. We only had to fill the chamber once in the morning, and it’d last us all day.

As for lifespan, a pair of Berkey elements can last up to 6,000 gallons (3,000 gallons each), or 3 years, which is significantly higher than other systems. Keep in mind that this really depends on the quality of water being filtered.

Our verdict on performance? All around impressive. Berkey checks our boxes for flow rate, contaminant removal, and longevity – although we don’t recommend using the PF2 filters for fluoride or arsenic removal.

Berkey Model Variations

There are several Berkey models to choose from.

Most are variations on the Big Berkey – for instance, the Imperial Berkey is just a larger version of this stainless steel unit. Some, however, such as the Travel Berkey and the Berkey Light, have slightly different designs, features, and purposes.

Filter Elements Info

Berkey’s most popular filter elements today are the Black Berkey Elements. As we mentioned earlier, Berkey also offers a separate filter for fluoride and arsenic reduction.

Black Berkey Filters

The Black Berkey filters have an impressive lifespan of up to 3,000 gallons and have been tested by a third party lab to reduce more than 200 contaminants, including 99.999% viruses, 99.9999% bacteria, 99.9% lead, 99.9% pharmaceuticals, 99.9% of chlorine and chloramine, and up to 99.9% arsenic.

These filters are labeled “the leader in gravity-fed water purification” by Berkey – a claim we’d agree with, considering their contaminant removal and lifespan. The Berkey water filter system is our current number one in gravity countertop filtration.

The Black Berkey elements have millions of tiny micropores that allow only the smallest water particles to travel through.

Berkey says that the filters use coconut shell carbon and five other types of media (only one of these is disclosed: ion exchange resin). We know that activated carbon is a proven effective filtration method for removing chlorine, pesticides, and other contaminants with health effects, according to various studies. Ion exchange is also a popular media choice for gravity filters.

You can buy the Black Berkey elements in a set of two for around $170 – a fair price to pay given their performance benefits and lifespan.

PF2 Fluoride Filters

While the Black Berkey water filters are a mandatory inclusion – i.e. you have to install them to have a working system – the Berkey fluoride filters are an added bonus if you’re looking for that little bit extra from your system.

Berkey recommends buying the additional fluoride elements if your water has a fluoride level of over 0.5mg/l.

The fluoride PF-2 filters are marketed to filter a whopping 99.99999% fluoride from water – so basically all of it. They also offer arsenic removal, although this is less of a big deal, since the black Berkey elements already remove up to 99.9% of arsenic from drinking water.

You can use the filters for up to 12 months, or 1,000 gallons, before they need replacing, and they’re sold online for around $80.

Contaminants Removed

The Berkey water filtration system is one of the most thorough filter options available and can reduce the majority of viruses and pathogenic bacteria from water. It can also reduce the likes of protozoa, inorganic materials, heavy metals, pesticides, chlorine, and larger sediment, like rust and silt.

You can check out the full details of Berkey’s filtration capabilities here. If you just want an overview of what these water filters can remove

Assembly & Maintenance

It took us about half an hour to assemble the Berkey system from start to finish, including priming the filters. Definitely not the quickest system to setup when compared to others. We reckon we could do it faster in the future now we know what we’re doing.

The biggest job you’ll need to do is the priming – flushing out the filters to get rid of any lingering particles. We’ve got a whole guide on how to prime the Berkey filters if you need it, but it’s pretty easy.

The Berkey filters have a long life of up to 6,000 gallons per pair.

In comparison, other filters only have a life of roughly 500 to 700 gallons, so the Berkey is a great option if you’re looking to avoid maintenance as much as possible.

It’s also recommended that you clean the stainless steel Berkey chamber once every month, and clean the filters once every 6 months, or when they start to filter water slowly.

The Berkey Filter Package: What’s Included?

When you buy a Berkey purified water filter system, you’ll get:

• Upper and lower stainless steel chambers
• Stainless steel lid
• 2 Black Berkey purification elements
• 2 washers
• 2 wing nuts
• Plastic spigot
• Rubber gasket
• Priming button

How to Assemble a Berkey Filter

Whether you have the Big Berkey water filter or one of the larger or smaller options, assembly follows the same process:

1. Wash your hands, then wash the unit and its components (excluding the filters).
2. Take out the Black Berkey purification elements and place them on a clean surface.
3. Insert the lid knob screw onto the lid and fit the lid knob in place, tightening with your hand (don’t use tools for this!).
4. Prime your Black Berkey filter elements.
5. Insert the sealing washer onto each filter element’s threaded section, then screw each element to the base of the upper chamber using the wing nuts. If you have empty element holes (say, because you only bought 2 filters but your unit is large enough to fit 4), insert blocking plugs into the holes to prevent water from being able to pass through.
6. Insert a rubber washer onto the threaded section of the outlet tap or spigot, then attach this threaded section to the unit at the side of the lower chamber. Attach the second washer to the spigot thread, then use a nut to secure it in place.
7. Place the upper chamber on top of the lower chamber and add the lid. The system is now ready for use.

More of a visual learner? Check out our handy video that guides you through setup of its filter system.

Cleaning the Filters

As well as priming the filters, it’s also important to clean them.

We got into a habit of cleaning they filters once every 6 months, as recommended by Berkey. Check out our guide on cleaning the Berkey filters if you want to know how to do it.