It doesn’t take much convincing anymore to encourage people to use a water filter. It’s understood that tap water is great but it’s worthwhile to put your drinking water through an additional filter before drinking. When I think water filters I’ll probably always think of Brita. I remember when we bought our first Brita filter way back in the 90s (that might seem funny, but it’s 2010 smart guy), I can remember my Mom taking it out of the box, putting it together “like Legos” and running her initial test. We even hosted a little Brita challenge at the dinner table that night — yep, 4 out of 5 Stackers agree that the Brita water is better. What about number 5? I suspect my father is adverse to change, even when it’s a good thing. Perhaps, especially when it’s a good thing.

Luckily, my mid-90s nostalgia is easy to reconcile, and now there are three different types of Brita filter: the classic Brita pitcher, the Brita dispenser (or jug) and the Brita faucet filter (aka Brita on Tap).

The Classic Brita Pitcher

The Brita Aqualux Pitcher fits easily and efficiently into the fridge (small footprint), fills easily under the faucet (though I recommend using the hose because it’s fun), and now it even tells you when to change the filter. It’s a tried and true design that’s lasted all these years, with some quality refinements.

The Brita Dispenser (or jug)

If you like your water room temperature, the jug/cooler/dispenser is the Brita for you. You can leave the fridge out of the equation entirely. I have one of these hanging off the end of my desk these days. I fill it once every two days or so and I don’t have to worry about anybody placing my room temperature, fully filtered, life promoting beverage in the tooth-freezing, headache-inducing refrigerator. It’s just better that way.

The Brita Faucet (aka Brita on Tap)

Some people have beautiful, fancy kitchen sinks that they could never imagine altering, but most of us just want a faucet that’s filtered. If you think you’ll ever want to use filtered water for cooking (think pasta, rice, quinoa, etc), this is your best bet. The filters are a little more pricey than the other Brita filters but hey, you’re getting an endless supply of real-...