Do you use a jug water filter?

[mojojomo]

Can you recommend one that uses cartridges that are easily and cheaply available?

Do you have to soak the cartridge first and if so, what's an easy way to do it?

Brita jugs are great. We buy cartridges when they are on offer for example in Robert Dyas. Just immerse one in water for a couple of seconds, put the filter in the jug, discard the first 2 filtered jug fulls and keep the 3rd.

I have a Brita kettle with the filter actually in it.

It's dead easy to change the cartridges. It tells you how on the packet.

Brita here too. Probably pay on average about £2-2.50 per cartridge, each one lasts for approximately 1 month if you filled it 3x a day. So obviously if you're only filling it 1x a day, it will last longer. Typically I change it every 1.5 months.

There is no pre-soaking according to to the Maxtra description (though I've no idea what pre-soaking entails as I've only ever used Brita/Maxtra), but you do have to prep it. Submerge it in water until there are no air bubbles (takes under a minute, maybe 30 secs?) then run 2 jugs of water that you discard. From the 3rd jug on it's good to go. There's a little guide on each cartridge.

I doubt the cartridges would change or disappear any time soon, I started using them 6 years ago (they've been around longer than that though) and the older classic cartridges are still readily available, my GPs still use their old Brita jug from yonks ago.

Oops x-post instructions - making sure you definitely know how it works

Thanks- that sounds easy.

Brita's my least favourite design for counter-top, cartridges seem to be £4-odd for Classic now, quite a bit more than Boots, which fit other brands too, including my favourite design (Kenwood). Bought 3-pack last week for £10, but they do recommend 10-minute soak before discarding first two, as Brita.

I have just started buying cheap, basics bottled water instead of using a water filter. I don't think it is much more expensive.
We use it to fill the kettle and coffee maker.

It must be worse for the environment though...

Thanks for your replies. My tap supply can taste odd unless I run the tap for a minute or two, so I need to do something.

I have a Brita and I think the cartridges are expensive, although easy to replace.

I have a BRITA too, and I'm with prettygreen. I think the cartridges are expensive too.
You have to have them though.

Approx £13.50 for 4 is the cheapest I have seen them. I usually buy them when they're on special offer, but you are looking at a few pounds for each one. I suppose over the course of a month, they are good value, but I still shudder when I buy the cartridges.

littlemiss Amazon usually have a better price, although it fluctuates over time. At the moment this is their best deal, works out at £2.40 per cartridge. I'd say that's quite typical of the Brita filter deals on Amazon.

do you live in an old house with lead or iron waterpipes? Is it rented?

it's about 10 years old and not rented.

pipes will be polythene and copper then, shouldn't have a funny taste, unless perhaps passing something hot, like the boiler.

You can also get a small "drinking water" tap which has a filter cartridge, someone at my commercial premises commented yesterday how much better it tastes than the plain tapwater. The cartridges last a very long time and usually go under the sink, they are surprisingly easy to change.

Thanks, I'll look into that. It sounds ideal.