Customer Reviews

Brita 35530 Ultramax Dispenser

5 star:		(103)
4 star:		(42)
3 star:		(22)
2 star:		(20)
1 star:		(38)

 

 

I had been using the smarller Britta pitcher(holds 5 glasses). That works wonderfully by the way,just too small for larger families or serious water drinkers. The only complaint with that was the size caused me to have to fill it constanly as I drink a lot of water. So I decided to upgrade. First I purchased the faucet mount filter and was disappointed. The thing moves slower than molassas! I returned that and was going to get a standard pitcher filter setup but decided to go with this one because it was only four dollars more than a pitcher that held ten glasses of water. This provides 18 glasses of the best tasting water ever. I live in an area where our water is reputed to be among the best in the country(at least that what the local officials say) and this only improves on it!! Now I fill this up,put it on a shelf in the fridge and voila,I have great tasting ice cold water at my fingertips. I think this is much more cost effective than buying bottled water. The best part of it all? My kids have now become water drinkers!! It might be because of the easy to use tap,which by the way makes this much more convienant to use as opposed to the pitcher. Although they swear that they drink more water now because it "just tastes better".
I am, so far, very pleased with this sytem. I think it is a wise investment.
Great tasting water without the chlorine smell or taste at a great price! It doesn't get much better than that as far as I can see!!!!!!!

No, the title of this review isn't warning you about making kool-aid in a water purifier. Rather to tell the truth about carbon/charcoal filters. They don't go bad. I've been using this filter for 9 months now filling it up three times a day, but more to the point, I used to work with a large water filtration team in charge of cleaning up an EPA superfund site. They had great big tanks full of sand and carbon to filter out a bunch of little nasties that you and your tap water can't even imagine. When the flow was restricted they'd just shoot the water back the other way for a bit and then return to normal operation. The carbon (little black sand) in your filter does not go bad, no matter what the manufacturers tell you. That's how they make their money, by selling you a plastic cup filled with black sand every couple of months. The filter, over a very long period of time, may become clogged. If that happens, take it out, run water over it, turn it upside down, bang it on the counter, I don't care. Whatever you do, buy another filter only as a last resort.

Let me repeat this. These filtration people are selling you a cheap plastic tub with sand in the top and a nozzle on the bottom. The only high tech thing about this is the electronic filter-alarm doohickey that I've never even turned on. Use it until the water just won't go through it any longer. By that time you'll probably just want to buy a brand new one.

Edit: I was trying to make as simple a statement as possible about how infrequently you REALLY need to change your filter. The activated charcoal inside the filter can absorb so much more than the company would have you believe. If you use this for a city water source, the only thing you'll really need it to filter is chlorine. If you begin to taste chlorine in your filtered water, change your filter. I use mine for well water, so all I need is to filter any detritus that may come up from the ground. Therefore, as long as the water flows, I won't need to change my filter.

I hope this will satisfy the further questions.

I own a previous model that was just like this except without the electronic reminder. I keep mine in the fridge. It can be a pain to fill, and the water is susceptible to fridge odors since the cap is vented. I've noticed minor leaking from the spout's connection to the housing, and I'm keeping my eye on it. Had it for a year and a half. A couple of times when I've cleaned it (as I do every two months at filter replacement) I have noticed possible mildew/mold/suspicious-looking pink stuff.

This product is markedly inferior to its main competitor, the Pur 2-Stage Dispenser. Specifically, I found two main flaws:

1. The spigot draws water from at least an inch and a half up from the base of the dispenser. As a result, quite a lot of water is left inaccessible for drinking, even after tipping over the dispenser.

2. Even more infuriatingly, the spigot's connection to the main housing is so poorly designed that it eventually starts to leak water all over the place. The first dispenser I purchased started to leak after 1 week. I dutifully exchanged it for another one, which proceeded to leak after about 2 weeks. It appears that the "O-ring" that connects the spigot to the main housing shrinks when it gets cold. . . a rather fatal flaw for an item intended for use in a refrigerator.

Despite being a lifelong Brita user, I exchanged this product for a Pur 2-stage dispenser. I am now converted and will never go back. The dispenser is rock solid, and the water even tastes better!

With a product of this capacity I expected a better product. The current design had my common sense kick in to simply purchase a sink attachment filter after a few tests over a 90 day period. Well ok, the last 60 some odd days of use, the first thirty I mistakenly trusted the design to perform.

I like brita and filtered water, but I had to throw this out.

Mold, slimes, and a few other items that are hazardous to a persons well being are the main issue. Even with weekly cleaning there was some biological return. The worst was testing the filter after 58 days.
The filter itself contained a plethora of microscopic crawlies. Nothing fatal, but we cultured a bunch of varieties that cause bad breath, stomach, and throat issues. All of which were also found in the 'clean' water in the well below.

Three kinds of fungi had invaded a previously pristine, chef quality, fridge. All growing from the protected colony in this huge reservoir.

I'd have to recommend a smaller capacity pitcher or in a family sized home a faucet attachment. If you are going to pay for something to give you clean water, you might as well get clean water.

I think some people are distorting reality on this product based on another problem in their refrigerator and blaming it on the Brita. I've used the previous generation of this product in all different parts of the USA in various refrigerators, and I've never experienced mold. I can't see why this design is fundamentally going to be different. My guess is people have a mold problem in their house/refrigerator and like any mold, it is seeking the moisture. CLEAN YOUR FRIDGE... ;)

I don't wash this once a week, more like once a month. The water doesn't pick up weird tastes or smells, but then again, my refrigerator is clean. I find it convenient to use, not so much to fill, but it still works as intended. The version currently for sale may have a leak problem, I can't say yes or no, but the one I have has not leaked in all the time I've had it other then once when I determined the spigot needed to be tightened.

All in all, if you are tired of filling up pitchers constantly, and find the full pitcher heavy and spill prone when you use it, this product is for you. Also, because you don't have to tip it, you can fill it with water and get a glass almost immediately even as the rest of the water is still filtering. In a Brita pitcher, you must wait for all the water to filter before you can even have a glass. This feature has come in handy when doing things like filling pet water bowls, fish tanks, etc.

I'd give it five stars, but I find it a bit cumbersome to fill.

Many of the negative reviews that claim mold problems are actually authored by the same person. After viewing some of his/her reviews of other prodcuts, I noticed another "mold" review for an unrelated product. I think it's safe to say that the reviewer has issues with mold, and that it's not a result of the brita filter.

We've been using this product for 8+ years with no problems whatsoever. Only drawback (other than price - they should give these away for the amount of $$ you'll spend for filters) is that it's heavy when full and awkward to fill.

I just purchased a second unit today to use in our weekend house. Definitely would recommend if you like brita products and are tired of refilling the pitcher constantly.

We have been using the Brita 35530 Ultramax Dispenser for almost two years now, and we love it! We drink a normal amount of water, but we also prefer to use filtered water for making tea, cooking rice and other foods that absorb much of the cooking water. Our pitcher sits on the counter next to our fridge. My wife prefers room-temperature water, and I regularly fill up large glass bottles to refrigerate water for myself.

The good:

* Large size, holds a lot of water compared to pitchers
* Spout is easy to use, compared to lifting a heavy pitcher
* Easy to clean, no mildew or mold problems after nearly 12 months
* Water tastes great! We like it better than most bottled water.
* Brita filters are reasonably priced (we buy 3 at a time)

The not-so-good:

* Filter can be slow at times, you'll want to keep it full as much as possible
* Inner plastic part that separates the filtered and unfiltered water can be hard to remove from the main unit when it is time to clean. Patience is necessary.

That's it, I can't think of any other downside to this water dispenser. The filters are rated for 2 months of average use, and the electronic timer on the top shows one notch for every 2 weeks, so you can tell how much time your filter has remaining. But, even with our large water use, we often leave the filter in beyond the 2-month period. The water in our area is bad enough that we can taste the difference as soon as the filter is no longer working, plus we're just lazy sometimes, and I like to get the most use per filter as possible.

When it is time to replace the filter, I follow this process:
1. Put new filter in a glass with water to soak for 10-15 minutes
2. Empty dispenser, take it apart and wash everything (inside and out) with hot water and soap
3. Dry the dispenser with a clean towel and reassemble.
4. By this time, the 10 minutes are up and I can insert the new filter
5. Fill the dispenser completely with water (waiting for it to filter so that both the main compartment and the unfiltered compartment are full)
6. Drain the first batch of filtered water (we often keep it in plastic jugs for watering plants)
7. Fill the dispenser and place in desired location

This process can take up to 30 minutes depending on how quickly the filter works, so I usually do other household chores at the same time. If you try to replace the filter while doing nothing else, you may become impatient and frustrated, as a watched filter always works slower.

Bottom line: We love this dispenser and hope to enjoy many more years of use. Our average filter use is 2.5 months, and the dispenser is cleaned thoroughly each time, so we have had no mold or mildew problems.

I would recommend this to anyone who wants to save money on bottled water and/or avoid using plastic bottles.

I was initially happy with this product until I noticed some sediment forming in a ring underneath the filter itself. I figured it was a faulty filter and replaced it. Not too long afterwards it also started forming the same sediment ring.

My guess is that if you pour water into the basin too quickly, it can "rock" the filter from its base and allow some unfiltered water to leak in. Whatever the case, I've decided to try the Pur filter instead, which does have a lock-in seal as well as a barrier that prevents water from gushing over it.

I live in a rural area and use well water. The Brita dispenser works great to filter impurities from the water. Easy to fill and use. I process about a gallon a day.