BerkeyBig Berkey Water Filter System, 2.25 Gallon Gravity Filter
The signature 2.25-gallon Berkey, expandable to four elements for up to 7 gallons per hour.
$367
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Usability
Usability
The Big Berkey is the size most buyers should land on: enough storage for a household of up to four, and the option to double throughput later by adding two more elements. It is also the configuration nearly all the independent lab testing was run on, so it is the model where you know most about what you are actually getting.
- Expandable from two to four elements, taking flow from 3.5 to about 7 gallons per hour
- Runs on gravity alone with no electricity, plumbing or water pressure
- Tap Score lab testing on city water showed complete reduction of lead, chlorine, copper, barium, manganese and the PFAS compounds tested
- 6,000 gallons per pair of elements works out to years before replacement
- AISI 304 stainless construction with no plastic in the water path except the spigot
- Lifetime warranty on the stainless chambers and hardware when bought through the authorized dealer
- No NSF certification for any filtration claim; all performance data is manufacturer-commissioned lab testing
- Standalone Black Berkey replacement elements are out of stock industry-wide under an EPA stop-sale order
- 19.25 in. of height means it often will not fit under standard upper cabinets
- The four-element configuration is currently listed out of stock, so expansion is not immediately available
- Priming the elements at a faucet defeats a lot of first-time owners
- The seller's own pages give the height as both 19.25 in. and 21 in. and state the 2.25-gallon capacity as 12.3 liters, which is the Royal's figure
The Big Berkey is the size the brand is known for: 2.25 gallons of storage in two AISI 304 stainless chambers, filtering by gravity with no electricity, plumbing or line pressure.
It ships with two Black Berkey elements and accepts up to four. Two elements deliver up to 3.5 gallons per hour and four take that to roughly 7, so throughput is something you buy rather than something you are stuck with. Up to four PF-2 elements can hang below for fluoride and arsenic reduction.
At 19.25 in. tall and 8.5 in. across it is a countertop appliance that needs real vertical clearance under upper cabinets, and it is generally sized for one to four people.
Additional information
Specification: Big Berkey Water Filter System, 2.25 Gallon Gravity Filter
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Compared in
Questions answered from our data
What does Berkey filter out?Across the 11 Berkey systems we list, the makers claim reduction of 20 contaminants.
Do water filters remove fluoride?82 of the 296 systems we list claim to reduce fluoride.
Does Berkey remove PFAS?Nine of the 11 Berkey systems we list claim to reduce PFAS.
Do water filters remove lead?120 of the 296 systems we list claim to reduce lead.
