The 6 Best Countertop Water Filters if the Fridge is Full

Best Overall

Aquasana Clean Water Machine

Smell5/5
Taste5/5
Ease of Use4.7/5
Design5/5
Value4.8/5
It’s lightning fast and can filter eight ounces of water in just eight seconds.

It’s lightning fast and can filter eight ounces of water in just eight seconds.

The unit itself is compact and the water tank only holds 64 ounces of water at a time.

The unit itself is compact and the water tank only holds 64 ounces of water at a time.

It’s not the cheapest on our list, but it’s an investment worth the cost. The Aquasana Clean Water Machine is our pick for "best overall" due to its solid performance. Its one-button design is intuitive, it takes up minimal counter space, and it’s faster than any other machine we tested—you can fill up your Stanley tumbler in 40 seconds.

You’d only have about a soda can’s worth of water left afterward, as the water tank only holds 64 ounces at a time. But given how lightning-fast this appliance works, you’d have a full pitcher again in less than a minute.

The removable pitcher is sleek and modern and doesn’t look like an eyesore on the countertop. As for filtration, the tap water we tested was noticeably cloudy and had a faint chlorine smell. The filtered water was clear and odor-free. We had friends over while evaluating and were impressed by how much everyone loved the water.

The best part about the Aquasana is its easy upkeep. Some water filters require multiple different cartridges with varying replacement times. That’s hard to remember and more expensive to maintain. The Aquasana only uses one proprietary filter and each filter lasts for 300 gallons or about six months.

BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / MICHAEL NAVARRO

BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / MICHAEL NAVARRO

Best Budget

Brita Countertop Water Filtration

Smell5/5
Taste5/5
Ease of Use5/5
Design4/5
Value4/5
The price is right and the auto fill feature makes it a more high-tech option than you’d expect for the cost.

The price is right and the auto fill feature makes it a more high-tech option than you’d expect for the cost.

It’s loud and it splashes.

It’s loud and it splashes.

This unit doesn’t have a sleek glass carafe or cool digital displays, but it is less than half the cost of other systems. And the replacement carbon filters are cheaper than other systems-though they don’t last as long as some, with just a 120-gallon filter capacity.

Still, this unit has a high-tech feature we didn’t expect for the price: auto-fill. You can press and walk away and the Brita Hub will fill up your glass or bottle. That’s a nice perk if you hate standing around and mashing a button. But be warned: The water comes out fast and furious and we noticed we had more splashes to clean from this unit.

We loved how simple and easy assembly was, and if you’re short on counter space, you’ll love the vertical design, too. It shores up more space compared to other water filters that hold around the same amount of water.

One thing we didn’t like: the noise. When water is running through the filter, it’s as loud as a Nespresso machine. So if you live in a small space or your bedroom is right off the kitchen, this is not the best filter for your middle-of-the-night glass of water as you’ll likely wake up the whole house.

BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / ELENA GARCIA

BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / ELENA GARCIA

Best Reverse Osmosis

AquaTru Countertop Water Filtration System

Smell5/5
Taste5/5
Ease of Use4.7/5
Design4.5/5
Value5/5
The tank is removable so you can store it in the fridge for colder water.

The tank is removable so you can store it in the fridge for colder water.

It creates more water waste than other picks.

It creates more water waste than other picks.

One of the biggest complaints about countertop water filters is that you can’t drink the filtered water right away if you want chilled water, as most of these appliances use room-temperature water. However, this AquaTru model features a removable tank that you can pop right into the fridge.

This is a nice option if you try to hit most of your water goals in the morning and want to chill the tank overnight.

The AquaTrue produced some of the best-tasting and odor-free water in our test. The water went from cloudy to crystal clear and truly tasted refreshing. But assembly was a bit tricky, and it does take up a lot of counter space.

Due to its size and reverse osmosis design, that also means it produces a lot of waste water so this may not be the best filter or filtration style if you’re trying to conserve water and limit your home’s gray water.

BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / TRACY ALLISON

BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / TRACY ALLISON

Best Large

Big Berkey Water Filter

Smell5/5
Taste4/5
Ease of Use4/5
Design3/5
Value4/5
It can hold more than two gallons of filtered water, making it great for large, busy households.

It can hold more than two gallons of filtered water, making it great for large, busy households.

The design is a bit clunky because it hangs over the lip of the counter.

The design is a bit clunky because it hangs over the lip of the counter.

This viral filter is beloved by homeowners and office managers alike because it can hold 288 ounces of filtered water. And it lives up to the hype. It’s perfect for larger households—especially those with kids in sports—where you’re filling up lots of water bottles for work, school, and travel.

We noticed a massive difference in smell with the Berkey. Before filtration, the tap water had a noticeable metallic scent. After filtration, it was odor-free. The taste, however, still had a slight metallic bite. It was far better than the unfiltered tap water, but not as tasteless as bottled water.

One thing to note about the Berkey design is that the spigot isn’t as countertop-friendly as other models. It hangs off over the counter like a party decanter which means you can’t push the filter back against a wall or backsplash and it could also potentially hang over a drawer, which is awkward as you likely don’t want anything brushing up against it.

BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / KIM SOUZA

BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / KIM SOUZA

Best Small

Bluevua Reverse Osmosis Countertop Water Filter

Smell4/5
Taste5/5
Ease of Use4.5/5
Design4.5/5
Value5/5
The filtered water carafe is attractive and durable borosilicate glass instead of plastic.

The filtered water carafe is attractive and durable borosilicate glass instead of plastic.

Removing the water reservoir isn’t that easy.

Removing the water reservoir isn’t that easy.

Looking to make the switch from a water filter pitcher? The Bluevua features a pitcher-like water reservoir without the pouring. Plus, the amount of filtered water you get per run is about the same as a pitcher filter. We thought the water tasted more refreshing, too, than water from a Brita pitcher.

It also filters faster than a pitcher and doesn’t require filter replacements as frequently. However, it’s important to note that the Bluevua features three different proprietary filters which are replaced at different times, so the maintenance isn’t as simple as others with one-and-done filters, and it results in additional costs.

The water reservoir was also a bit sticky for us to remove and put back—we had to wrestle with it. While the water carafe isn’t large enough for big families or multiple athletes with really high daily water goals, it’s perfect for couples or singles as it's about the size of a coffee pot.

And we love that, unlike so many plastic water tanks we’ve tested, the carafe is glass and wouldn’t be an eyesore on the table for entertaining.

BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / MEGAN WOOD

BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / MEGAN WOOD

Best with Faucet Connection

Brondell Countertop Water Filtration System

Smell5/5
Taste5/5
Ease of Use4.6/5
Design5/5
Value4.5/5
No refilling necessary, as it connects to your kitchen sink.

No refilling necessary, as it connects to your kitchen sink.

Multiple filters are required for this unit and they have different timetables for replacement.

Multiple filters are required for this unit and they have different timetables for replacement.

Faucet-fed filters can be clunky eyesores, but not the Cypress. It’s less than four inches wide and super sleek. This is a huge bonus because if you’re going to have to drill a hole in your counter, it should be for an appliance that looks nice. And the water tastes nice, too.

We noticed a huge difference in the chlorine-smelling tap water compared to the tasteless and odorless filtered water. If you have a wet bar or beverage bar, it would be a great addition for entertaining, as it’s smaller than a Keurig and provides filtered water for better-tasting coffee, tea, or that splash of water to open up whiskey notes.

While the Cypress claims to fit 99 percent of kitchen sinks, it wasn’t compatible with our test sink and we had to order an additional adapter valve from the manufacturer for about $20.

Once the part was delivered, we found the setup to be relatively straightforward, though, it did take about 30 minutes to install. However, at less than half the cost of some of these filters, it’s worth half an hour of DIY.

BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / DIANA WEESNER

BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / DIANA WEESNER