Review: BWT Penguin Water Filter Pitcher (2.7 L)
Written by: Gene Fitzgerald // Expert Fact-Checking: Buddhini Dolapihilla, MBSS // Last Updated: Sep 14, 2023
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In this review, we’ll be analyzing the BWT Penguin Water Filter Pitcher (2.7 L).
It cleans water using a four-stage filtration process.
Let’s see how sophisticated it really is…
Contents
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BWT Penguin Water Filter Pitcher (2.7 L) |
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| Price: | $$ |
| Filter Process: | Carbon, Ion Exchange, Silver, Particle Filtration, Mineralization |
| Filter Life: | 31.7 Gallons |
| Total Storage Volume: | 11.4 Cups |
| Annual Cost: | ~$65-100 |
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Overall Rating: 3.5/5.0 ⓘRating based on filtration performance, filter life, price and yearly cost, NSF testing/certification, customer support, product warranty, our testing/experience, user feedback, and other factors.
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BWT Penguin Water Filter Pitcher (2.7 L) – All Specs
- Model: Penguin 2.7 L
- Last Price: €29.90
- Annual Maintenance Cost: ~$65-100
- Filter Media/Process: Activated Carbon, Ion Exchange, Silver, Particle Filtration, Mineralization
- Filtering Capacity: 31.7 gal or 4 Weeks
- Total Storage Volume: 11.4 Cups
- Filtered Water Capacity: 6.3 Cups
- WxHxD: 4.4”x10.9”x9.9”
- Warranty: 2 Years
BWT Penguin Water Filter Pitcher – Key Features
The BWT Penguin Water Filter Pitcher (2.7 L) removes contaminants from water using a four-stage filter process:
- Stage 1 is a particle filtration stage, which removes suspended solids larger than 200 microns.
- Stage 2 applies ion exchange. During this phase, calcium (limescale) is exchanged with magnesium ions or a combination of magnesium and zinc, depending on the type of filter cartridge you use – there are 2. This stage also reduces the concentration of heavy metals in your water (primarily copper and lead by over 95%).
- Stage 3 makes use of activated carbon and focuses on reducing unwanted odor and taste-altering substances like chlorine (more than 99% reduction). It also targets some organic impurities.
- Stage 4 involves fine sediment filtration.
- Each filter cartridge also contain small quantities of silver, in order to suppress the growth of germs
All in all, filtration is rather basic and more suited to improve how your drinking water tastes and smells than removing harmful contamination. That said, the BWT Penguin Water Filter Pitcher is affordable.
What’s more, it has a generous storage capacity of 11.4 cups – enough for families – and automatically opens the filling flap as soon as the water jet hits it (this makes refills mess-free).
The “Easy-Control” feature accurately counts each filling and monitors the filter’s lifespan. It alerts you when it’s time to change the cartridge by flashing on the display. Max filter life is 31.7 gallons (120 liters).
Finally, the BWT pitcher is backed by a 2-year warranty and a 30-day return window for a full refund.
BWT Penguin Pros
What are some of the pros of using the BWT water filter pitcher?
- First, the filter cartridge releases magnesium into your water. Magnesium improves the water’s taste and provides health benefits like muscle regeneration.
- If you choose to use a ZINC + Magnesium filter cartridge, the zinc can boost your immune system.
- The filter has a space-saving design and can conveniently fit into any standard refrigerator door.
- The Penguin is dishwasher safe (except the lid with the electronic counter).
- It’s BPA-free and manufactured without softeners in the EU.
- As mentioned before, thanks to the filter life indicator, there is no need to remember the date of last/next filter replacement.
What Contaminants Are Being Removed?
The contaminants removed are fine and large particles, lead and copper, limescale, chlorine, and a few organic contaminants.
Assembly and Filter Priming
This BTW pitcher is super easy to assemble. You don’t need to call any professionals. Simply follow these instructions:
Please consider these instructions as a general guideline. Always make sure to check and follow your user manual before getting started.
- Wash the jug, lid, and funnel with soap and rinse it off with warm water (avoid using abrasive cleaning products or rough scrubbing sponges to prevent scratch marks).
- Put the new filter cartridge under tap water for 5 minutes and dispose of the used water.
- Afterwards, gently press the new filter cartridge into the system’s funnel until it fits well.
- If your BWT pitcher has the “Easy-Fill” automatic system in the lid, you don’t need to remove the lid for refilling.
- Remove the first filtered water filling and refill the pitcher.
- Flush out the fine black activated carbon particles by refilling and emptying the jug several times till the water is clear and particle-free.
- Your BWT Penguin is now ready for use!
The Package (Parts)
- Penguin pitcher water filter
- 1 Magnesium mineralized filter cartridge
- 1 ZINC + Magnesium mineralized filter cartridge
Maintenance
Although filter life is short, the BWT Penguin pitcher is easy to maintain. Most importantly, you need to replace cartridges after about 32 gallons or four weeks of use (or when the filter life indicator tells you to).
Yearly maintenance costs fall between $65-100, depending on the cartridge type you use and if you’re purchasing in bulk.
You can maintain the pitcher by following these steps:
- Clean the BWT pitcher weekly using detergent and thoroughly rinse with warm water. Avoid using abrasive cleaning agents or scrubbing sponges.
- Wash the funnel and jug in the dishwasher.
- If the lid develops limescale from dried water droplets, remove the limescale using a commercially available decalcification agent.
- Do not clean the lid with the “Easy Control” in the dishwasher.
Manual
Here is a link to the official manual:
https://www.bwt.com/media/1d/51/75/1654063798/bwt-wasserfilter-penguin-bedienungsanleitung.pdf
NSF and Other Certifications
To our knowledge, there are no NSF certifications.
Earlier Product Versions
The BWT Penguin Water Filter Pitcher has a few older versions. They used a single filter cartridge with a capacity of 26.4 gallons. However, the current upgrade includes two cartridges combined that collectively produce a filtering capacity of 31.7 gallons.
The filter life indicator has also evolved, moving from manual and 28-day countdown signals to electronic exchange.
BWT Water Filter Pitcher Cons
This pitcher definitely has its downsides.
- For one thing, it has pretty basic filtration only. It will only eliminate sediment, calcium, chlorine, lead, copper, and a few organic elements.
- Additionally, we couldn’t find any NSF testing/certification to back the contaminant reduction claims. There is no testing data provided.
- BWT suggests boiling the filter cartridges once a week for hygienic reasons. We assume this will shorter the already short filter life even further.
- Some customers complained that some parts of their system broke after using it for a while. And there were complaints about bad customer service since most of the emails customers sent to the company were left unanswered.
BWT Penguin Review: Our Verdict + Best for
The BWT Penguin Water Filter Pitcher (2.7 L) is budget-friendly. However, we miss NSF certifications or even testing data. This pitcher is only a good choice if you’re focused on enhancing water taste and odor. You shouldn’t rely on it for removing stubborn water contaminants.
Our Rating in Detail:
- Filtration Performance: 3.0/5.0
- Filter Capacity (Life): 3.0/5.0
- Purchase Price: 5.0/5.0
- Annual Cost: 5.0/5.0
- Overall: 3.5/5.0
Comparison to Other Water Filter Pitchers
Let’s compare the BWT Penguin water pitcher to two of its competitors: The Clearly Filtered and the Epic Pure/Nano.
Clearly Filtered |
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| Price: | $$$ |
| Filter Process: | Carbon + Composite Shell |
| Filter Capacity: | 100 gal |
| Total Storage Volume: | 17 Cups |
| Annually: | ~$150 |
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Overall Rating: 5.0/5.0 ⓘRating based on filtration performance, filter life, price and yearly cost, NSF testing/certification, customer support, product warranty, our testing/experience, user feedback, and other factors.
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Epic Pure |
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| Price: | $$$ |
| Filter Process: | Carbon Block, Ion Exchange |
| Filter Capacity: | 150 gal |
| Total Storage Volume: | 14.8 Cups |
| Annually: | $90-135 |
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Overall Rating: 4.5/5.0 ⓘRating based on filtration performance, filter life, price and yearly cost, NSF testing/certification, customer support, product warranty, our testing/experience, user feedback, and other factors.
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BWT Penguin |
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| Price: | $ |
| Filter Process: | Carbon, Ion Exchange, Silver, Particle Filtration, Mineralization |
| Filter Capacity: | 31.7 Gallons |
| Total Storage Volume: | 11.4 Cups |
| Annually: | ~$65-100 |
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Overall Rating: 3.5/5.0 ⓘRating based on filtration performance, filter life, price and yearly cost, NSF testing/certification, customer support, product warranty, our testing/experience, user feedback, and other factors.
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The Clearly Filtered Pitcher is a top-tier model that has undergone rigorous third-party testing against NSF standards 42, 53, 401, and protocol P473. Its test reports show that it eliminates over 365 water contaminants. This is the most comprehensive testing we’ve seen in a water filter pitcher, and the outstanding results speak for themselves.
The Clearly Filtered effectively removes contaminants like chlorine, chloramine, DBPs, chromium-6, arsenic, VOCs, semi-volatile compounds, pesticides, PFAS, fluoride, lead, pharmaceuticals microorganisms, and radiological substances.(The filtration process includes granular activated carbon and various proprietary filter media.)
Each filter cartridge lasts about 100 gallons or approximately four months, so considerably longer than the BWT’s. Total water storage capacity is around 17 cups, with 10 cups of filtered water – also significantly more than with the BWT. The removable lid makes refilling easier, and the pitcher is 100% BPA-free and manufactured in the USA. Additionally, it comes with a limited lifetime warranty and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
The only downside is that the Clearly Filtered is more expensive.
Let’s move on to Epic’s water filter pitchers:
The Epic Pure (full review) is designed for tap water containing fluoride, heavy metals, and other common contaminants, while the Epic Nano (full review) is intended for well water that contains microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, and cysts. But regardless of which one you choose, the filter cartridges are designed to be exchangeable, so you can switch later on.
Both filtration processes combine activated carbon with proprietary filter media (Epic Nano is also enhanced with submicron filtration) to remove over 200 water contaminants. We have NSF testing against standards 42, 53, 401, and P473. Additionally, the Nano has been tested against P231 for microorganisms.
All in all, various types of contaminants will be removed from your water, including sulfate, hexavalent chromium, nitrate, cadmium, lead, mercury, arsenic, PFOA, PFOS, chlorine/chloramine, disinfection byproducts, VOCs, fluoride, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and more.
Filter life is 150 gallons, surpassing both CF and BWT. There also is a built-in filter life countdown timer that reminds you when it’s time to replace cartridges. Also, Epic runs a recycling program: You get a free replacement filter for every four used filters you return. Total storage is 14.8 cups, which is more than the BWT has. The pitchers are BPA-free, and the filters are produced in the USA. Lifetime warranty and user-friendly return policy? Check!
Initial purchase cost is higher than with the BWT Penguin Water Filter Pitcher, but lower than the Clearly Filtered. Maintenance cost of BWT and Epic is about the same.
Bottom line: You will get the best filtration results with the Clearly Filtered water pitcher. Epic Pure/Nano are more affordable and yet still effective. The BWT Penguin is by far the weakest choice.
More Reviews:
This completes our review of the BWT Penguin Water Filter Pitcher (2.7 L). If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!
About the Author Gene Fitzgerald
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