Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

We replaced the Brita pitcher that we have used for several years with this one. One thing that bothers me about the Brita filters is how the carbon particles keep escaping into the top compartment of the pitcher. It doesn't hurt anything, but it looks bad to me. Mavea's filters haven't had that problem so far. However, their claim that you don't have to soak the filter is not quite true: you have to run two pitchers of water through a new filter to activate it. This is even more trouble than soaking. The self-opening and closing lid works well. You never have to remove the lid or flip it up. The only catch is that you have to stop pouring water in when it first starts to close. If you keep filling until it closes completely, water leaks out the top of the lid down the handle and interior sides of the pitcher. We wanted a larger capacity pitcher than the 40 ounce Brita slim pitcher we were replacing. The 3.5 liter Elemaris XL size fits the bill. Be forewarned that the fully filled pitcher is quite heavy at 9 pounds. The contoured, rubberized grip makes it easier to deal with.