Review: Great Value 10-Cup Water Filter Pitcher
Written by: Gene Fitzgerald // Expert Fact-Checking: Buddhini Dolapihilla, MBSS // Last Updated: Nov 24, 2023
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Calling a product “Great Value” may already raise some eyebrows among potential buyers. And yet, there are plenty of examples of similar brand names that do hold up. Is that also the case with the Great Value Water Filter Pitcher, or are you better off looking elsewhere? Time to find out!
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Great Value 10-Cup Water Filter Pitcher |
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| Price: | $ |
| Filter Process: | Particle Filtration, Ion Exchange Resin, Activated Carbon |
| Filter Life: | 40 Gallons |
| Storage Volume: | 10 Cups |
| Annual Cost: | ~$45-60 |
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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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Great Value 10-Cup Water Filter Pitcher – All Specs
- Model: HS530
- Last Price: $25.97
- Annual Maintenance Cost: ~$45-60
- Filter Media/Process: Particle Filtration, Ion Exchange Resin, Activated Carbon
- Filtering Capacity: 40 gal or 2 Months
- Storage Volume: 10 Cups
- WxHxD: 3.9”x10.6”x10.8”
- NSF Certifications: Standard 42, 53
Great Value 10-Cup – Key Features
The Great Value 10-Cup Water Filter Pitcher is a 4-stage filter system offered at a very low price, and with relatively inexpensive ongoing maintenance. The four filtration stages are:
- Particle mesh filter: captures floating particles.
- Ion exchange resin: removes salts, heavy metals, as well as some other contaminants from your water.
- Coconut activated carbon: removes contaminants like fuel oil, solvents, dioxins, and improves the smell and taste of water by reducing chlorine.
- Micro-mesh filtration: an extra layer that captures floating particles.
The pitcher has been certified against NSF standards 42 and 53 for a few contaminants (more on this below). It comes in two color schemes – black and blue – and can hold up to 10 cups of water, which should be enough for most households. The pitcher’s body and all parts are made of BPA-free materials. One interesting feature is that you can use regular Brita filters with this pitcher without having to make any adjustments.
You can return the Great Value 10-Cup Water Filter Pitcher during the initial 90 days after your purchase and get your money back.
Filter life: 40 gallons.
Great Value Pitcher Filter Pros
- Comes with NSF certificates 42 and 53.
- Flip lid design for simplified filling and dispensing.
- Easy installation.
- Very low price, both upfront (around $25) and in the long term (around $45 to $60 per year).
What Contaminants Are Being Removed?
The Great Value 10-Cup Water Filter Pitcher can address a limited range of contaminants, mostly:
- Chlorine
- Zinc
- Cadmium
- Mercury
- Copper
The Great Value 10-Cup – learn more on Walmart.com
Assembly and Filter Priming
Preparing the Great Value pitcher for first use is an easy task. 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.
- Soak the filter cartridge in water – ideally upright – and keep it soaked for at least 10 minutes.
- Rinse the filter cartridge under cold water for 10 seconds.
- Insert the cartridge into the funnel opening of the pitcher.
- Install the inner tank into the pitcher, making sure to keep the tall part aligned with the front.
- Put the lid on the pitcher.
- Fill the pitcher with cold water, and let it filter through completely.
- Discard the filtered water.
- Repeat steps 6 and 7.
The Package (Parts)
- Great Value Pitcher
- Filter Cartridge
Maintenance
Other than making sure to replace the filter cartridge on a regular basis, there isn’t much that you need to do in order to keep your Great Value filter pitcher working properly. When it’s time to swap out the cartridge, give the pitcher a good wash as well.
Cartridges last for up to 40 gallons or 2 months, whichever comes first. They will cost you about $45 – $60 a year to maintain, which is very reasonable. If you want to, you can even use Brita cartridges instead – although at that point, you might as well just get a Brita pitcher in the first place.
Manual
Sorry, we couldn’t find a manual online.
NSF and Other Certifications
The Great Value pitcher comes with two NSF certificates: 42 and 53.
- NSF 42 is related to the removal of chlorine and zinc, and general improvements in taste and odor.
- NSF 53 is about the removal of cadmium, mercury, and copper.
Earlier Product Versions
We couldn’t find any earlier versions of this product.
Great Value Pitcher Cons
- No official contaminant reduction rates provided by the manufacturer.
- NSF certifications don’t cover more important contaminants and instead focus on a small set of easy to remove ones.
- No information about warranty.
- May occasionally clog up.
Great Value 10-Cup Review: Our Verdict + Best for
The main thing this pitcher has going for it is its price. It’s hard to find a more affordable product on the market, both in terms of the upfront price as well as long-term maintenance. However, if you’re concerned with removing more serious contaminants from your drinking water, this probably isn’t the best choice. It may be good enough for removing bad taste and odor, but that’s about it. 3.5 stars.
Our Rating in Detail:
- Filtration Performance: 3.0/5.0
- Filter Capacity (Life): 3.5/5.0
- Purchase Price: 5.0/5.0
- Annual Cost: 5.0/5.0
- Overall: 3.5/5.0
Comparison to Other Water Filter Pitchers
What are some viable options worth considering if you are interested in an alternative to the Great Value water pitcher? In our opinion, the Clearly Filtered and the Epic Pure are probably the top contenders.
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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Great Value 10-Cup |
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| Price: | $ |
| Filter Process: | Particle Filtration, Ion Exchange Resin, Activated Carbon |
| Filter Capacity: | 40 gal |
| Storage Volume: | 10 Cups |
| Annually: | ~$45-60 |
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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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With Clearly Filtered, you get a premium experience through and through. This is the number one pitcher on the market in terms of contaminant removal. With NSF standards 42, 53, and 401, and extensive laboratory testing, this pitcher can get rid of more than 350 contaminants with ease, making it much better than the Great Value. Some of those contaminants include:
- Water disinfectants and their byproducts
- Heavy metals (lead, chromium-6, arsenic, and more)
- Pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and other organic chemicals
- VOCs and semi-volatile compounds
- PFAS
- Fluoride
- Radiologicals
Filter cartridges can last for up to 100 gallons of water or 4 months, making the pitcher more effective in this regard than the Great Value. Storage capacity is pretty equal. The removable lid makes refilling the Clearly Filtered Pitcher very easy, and its whole body is made of 100% BPA-free materials, all in the USA. You get a limited lifetime warranty, as well as a 30-day money-back guarantee. But remember what we said earlier – this is a premium product with a premium price tag.
The Epic Pure is slightly more affordable, although it’s still quite expensive compared to the Great Value. It also uses proprietary filter media that can capture more than 200 water contaminants, and has been tested against NSF standards 42, 53, and 401. Here are some of the contaminants you can expect this pitcher to deal with effectively:
- Chlorine, chloramine
- Fluoride, nitrate, sulfate
- Arsenic, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, lead, mercury
- VOCs
- Pharmaceuticals
- Disinfection byproducts
- Pesticides
- PFOA
- PFOS
Filters can last for up to 150 gallons of water – you’ll also know when you need to replace the cartridge thanks to the built-in timer. And when that happens, make sure to not throw the old one out! If you collect four expired cartridges, you can swap them for a brand new one for free.
The Epic Pure Pitcher is made of 100% BPA-free materials and its filters are manufactured in the USA. The jug can hold 14.8 cups of water total. You even get a lifetime warranty + return guarantee to back your purchase. And on top of all that, you can get a discount if you fall into one of those categories:
- First responders
- Medical staff
- Teachers
- Students
- Seniors
- Employees and owners of non-profit organizations
In the end, we recommend going with Clearly Filtered if you can afford it. If not, consider the Epic Pure – and only go for the Great Value if you have no other option available or your budget is very limited.
More Reviews:
This completes our review of the Great Value 10-Cup Water Filter Pitcher. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!
About the Author Gene Fitzgerald
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