My Big Berkey Water Filter Review – 2026
Is the Big Berkey water filter worth it? Read on for my honest review of this water filtration system after trying it out in our own home.
Big Berkey Water Filter Review for 2026
Our family recently moved into a new home. We love so much about it, however, the one thing that we didn’t love about this new home is the switch from well water to public water. Because we aren’t used to it anymore, we could immediately smell the chlorine in our tap water.
My husband and I started researching water filters, so when Berkey reached out to me and invited us to try out one of their gravity fed water filters, I couldn’t believe our luck!
Berkey filters were recommended to us by a family friend, but they are an investment so we definitely wanted to do our research first. Since I’m sure you do too, I’ll try to help break it down for you and let you know how everything works for us.
Note: We were gifted a Big Berkey water filter and accessories to facilitate our review; however, all opinions are my own.
Big Berkey Specs
We received the Big Berkey filtration system, which is one of the brand’s mid-sized offerings. Here are some of the specifics for this model:
- Capacity: 2.25 gallons
- Filtration rate: 3.5 gallons per hour
- Dimensions: 21 inches tall, 8.5 inches wide
- Made with: Food-grade 304 stainless steel
How It Works
The Big Berkey filtration system consists of a top and bottom chamber. The top chamber is where you install the filtration elements (two were included). You fill the top chamber with water from the tap, and then the water filters down to the bottom holding chamber, where it’s ready when you need it.
It’s easy enough to set up for the first time – I think it took me about 20 minutes.
When you want to get water, simply place your cup under the spigot and lift or turn the handle (depending on the type of spigot you have).
Is It Worth It?
The Big Berkey is an investment, but you really do get what you pay for here.
I’ve tried several different types of water filtration systems in my adult life, from pitchers to under-the-sink reverse osmosis systems. Pitchers are too small and too slow for a family of 5 like ours, so that’s a non-starter. And while I liked the water quality with the RO system we had in a previous home, it was expensive to maintain.
The Big Berkey is a nice compromise between the two. It’s large enough to provide drinking water for our family, yet it’s also portable and easy to set up and maintain. You don’t need electricity to run it or a service call to fix it.
But what really sets the Big Berkey apart for me is that it removes over 200 contaminants that could be in your tap water. Many other systems remove chlorine and bacteria, but not other harmful particles such as PFAS and heavy metals. That alone makes it worthwhile to me!
A Few Tips
We’ve had the Big Berkey in our home for several weeks now, so we’ve really had a chance to thoroughly test it out.
Pros:
- The water quality is unmatched! You can immediately smell and taste the difference between tap water and water that’s been filtered by the Big Berkey. The filtered water is clear, clean, smells like nothing, and tastes like water should taste. We LOVE it!
- The size of the filter is great for a family, while not being to obtrusive in the kitchen. Since the Big Berkey is portable, you can move it to different places until you find the spot that is most convenient. We have a family of 5 and refill our Big Berkey 2-3 times a day. However we are big water drinkers and use the filtered water to make ice too. There are smaller and larger sizes of Berkey filters that can meet different budgets and needs.
- It looks beautiful in the kitchen! The stainless steel tank is eye-catching, and when you have it all set up in the kitchen (we made a “water bar” area), it really adds to the aesthetic.
Cons:
- It can be tricky to tell exactly how much water is in the bottom chamber. The Big Berkey does offer a “water view spigot,” which shows you the water level in the bottom tank. It is an extra accessory not included with the filter itself, but I highly recommend it. Otherwise, you’ll want to lift the top tank and peek inside the bottom tank to check the water level before refilling the system. If you overfill it, the water WILL leak…ask me how I know.
Overall, our family absolutely loves our Big Berkey water filter. In fact, we love it so much we are thinking about getting a second one for our home gym!
Is there anything else you’d like to know that I didn’t mention above? Leave me a comment below and I’ll do my best to answer your questions!
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