In this review, we tried out a Berkey Water Filter. We set it up in our kitchen and tested it for two months to put it through the paces.
Having a water filter on hand for your family is an essential part of emergency preparedness. Clean water is the first resource that will become scarce during a crisis, even before food.
Keep reading to find out how this filter performed and if it is a good choice for your family. If you’re still getting your emergency water plan together, check out our emergency water guide for step-by-step instructions.
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Berkey Water Filter Review
Berkey Water Filters are specifically made for families to use at home. They have different sizes depending on the frequency of use.
Essentially, they fulfil two purposes. They can be stored away and used when there is an emergency need for clean water. We not only filtered water from our tap but used rainwater and water from our nearby creek. We tested how it would perform in a real emergency when we lost our municipal water source.
It can also be used daily if you don’t care for the taste of your water source but don’t have the budget for bottled water.
Why Review a Water Filter?
Since a water filter is an essential component of emergency preparedness, we wanted to test the Berkey filter out. We have firsthand experience that water is the first thing that becomes scarce, often within 24 hours of a disaster.
When a tornado hit my neighborhood a few years ago, our water was shut off due to so many leaks from the damage. Within a few hours we realized how dependent we were on it. Even the emergency meals we have require water, and we couldn’t even flush the toilet!
By having a filter like the Berkey, we can filter water from nearly any water source.
Our Berkey Water Filter
The filter we selected was the Travel Berkey Water Filter. Berkey makes a few different sizes of filters, with the Travel version being the smallest.
All of the Berkey filters are gravity filters that do not require any type of power source. This is a big plus since I don’t have to worry about charging batteries or finding a backup power source.
They are super easy to use, just put the dirty water in the top, and clean water comes out the bottom spigot.
Here are the specs on our Travel Berkey:
- Capacity: 1.5 Gallons
- Size: 7.5” x 19”
- Material: Stainless Steel
- Weight: 6.13 lbs. (empty)
- Filter Rate: 2.75 Gallons per Hour
- See all of the Berkey Water Filter Specs here
While this is the smaller “travel” filter that Berkey makes, the name can be a bit deceiving. I wouldn’t classify it as a “travel” water filter exactly. It is a countertop filter that is 7.5” in diameter and 19” tall.
For transport or storage, the upper chamber fits inside of the lower. This results in an overall height of about 12”.It really isn’t something I would put in a backpack to take hiking with me.
It is the perfect size though for emergency preparedness since it doesn’t take up a lot of space in storage or on my countertop, but still has plenty of filter capacity for my family of 4.
Our Initial Impressions
As we unpacked the filter, I noticed that the two chambers are made from stainless steel. Stainless steel is obviously more robust than plastic, but it is also easy to clean. I also do not have to worry about it deteriorating over time like plastic does.
It also comes with two large filters. I noticed these are carbon activated filters, not just tiny paper-based filters. There is much more filter here than my other water filters have.
I also noticed that this filter is fairly large compared to other pump-based filters. It makes sense, this filter works strictly based on gravity but doesn’t require power. So there is a tradeoff in size vs no power needed here.
There was some assembly required, which we will step through next.
Setting Up The Berkey Water Filter
The Berkey water filter has an upper and lower chamber. The upper chamber includes the two filters, and the lower chamber has a spigot. We had to both assemble the spigot and the filters to their respective chambers.
Assembling the spigot was simple, I just had tightened the nut after I made sure the seals were in the correct place.
The filters were easy and attached to the upper chamber similarly. But, before installing them I noticed the instructions said they needed to be primed.
Priming them is basically forcing water into them so that they will filter water properly when the upper chamber is filled.
The filters come with a couple of different rubber “boots” I would call them to help the process. The idea is to create a seal between a faucet and the filter, so that water is forced through the filter.
I used the brown boot and held it against my faucet. It is a little bit tricky because if the boot loses contact with the faucet, water sprays everywhere. I found it is best to use two hands and have someone else turn the water on and off.
After priming and installing the filters, I simply put the upper chamber on top of the lower chamber and placed the lid on the top!
Using the Berkey Water Filter
Using the filter is super simple. Again, since it is a gravity system, there are no tubes, pumps, or batteries to worry about.
I simply filled the upper chamber with dirty water, waited for a few minutes, and got clean water from the bottom spigot.
Berkey advertises that the filter will clean 2.75 gallons of water per hour. We found this to be accurate. We measured right around 2.6 gallons in an hour.
What was surprising was how good the water tasted. My daughter does not normally drink water, as she doesn’t like the taste of the tap water. But she really likes the water from this filter. In fact, it has become a permanent addition to our kitchen, and she uses it every day.
We used both tap water and water from a stream that is on our property. The results were the same and we couldn’t tell the difference in the taste or the color of both after they were filtered.
We did not pre-filter the water from the stream, but it was clear and did not have any large debris in it. I would not want to put very silty water in the filter as it will collect on the bottom of the upper chamber.
In an emergency I suspect this would work for a while, but it is easy to pre-filter water through a cloth before putting it in the Berkey. I wouldn’t want to have to clean a bunch of muddy silt from the chamber and filters.
Once we filled the upper chamber, it becomes top heavy and is not moved easily. We found it is best to leave it in one place on a counter and bring the water to it in a separate pitcher or bucket.
What We Like
Here is what we like about our Berkey Water Filter.
- Robustness: I really like the construction of the Travel Berkey. It is robust and made from Stainless Steel.
- No Power Needed: I also like that I don’t need power to use the filter. It is simple and gravity fed, I just put dirty water in the top and clean water comes out the bottom.
- Filter Capability: I like that the carbon activated filters get rid of all the harmful threats in water including bacteria, pathogens, chemicals, and heavy metals. They filter out much more than a typical Lifestraw or Sawyer filter.
- Storage Size: I like when not in use the upper chamber nests inside the lower to reduce the storage space I need for it.
What We Don’t Like
There are a few things we don’t like.
- Price: The main thing I don’t like about the Travel Berkey is the price. At a little over $300, it is not cheap insurance. If you are on a budget, this could be a hard to consider over just storing the water that you may need. However, water storage containers are not cheap, and they take up a lot of space if you really store up what you need. The price is not that expensive after all. Especially since the Travel Berkey will filter 6,000 gallons of water before the filters need to be replaced.
- Portability: Once it is full, it is not easy to move since there are no handles on the side. We just made sure it was where we wanted it before filling it.
Our Experience with the Berkey Water Filter
So far, our experience with the Travel Berkey Water Filter gets a thumbs up. It is robust, easy to use, and the water tastes great.
We never have to worry about water boil advisories or losing our municipal water again. We don’t have to keep the battery charged, mess with a bunch of tubes, or wait for solar panels to work.
It is the easiest solution to one of the primary emergency preparedness concerns everyone should have – Clean Water.
Still deciding which water solution is right for you? Explore our Emergency Water Hub for guides on storage, purification, boiling, and emergency planning.
