Review: RKIN U1 Reverse Osmosis Hot & Cold Water Dispenser
Written by: Gene Fitzgerald // Expert Fact-Checking: Buddhini Dolapihilla, MBSS // Last Updated: Nov 05, 2023
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The RKIN U1 is not only a reverse osmosis water filter, it is also a hot and cold water dispenser.
Sounds promising? Well, the system also has a few shortcomings that you should know about and that might make few specific users reconsider. Let’s see who this dispenser is best suited for!
Contents
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RKIN U1 Reverse Osmosis Hot and Cold Water Dispenser |
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| Price: | $$$ |
| Filter Process: | Sediment Filtration, Activated Carbon, RO, Remineralization, Hydrogen Infusion, UV |
| Filter Life: | 0.5-2.0 Years |
| NSF: | 58, 372 |
| Water Temp: | 59-212 °F |
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Overall Rating: 4.0/5.0 ⓘRating based on filtration performance, filter life, water temperature settings, price and yearly cost, NSF testing/certification, customer support, product warranty, our testing/experience, user feedback, and other factors.
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RKIN U1 Reverse Osmosis Hot & Cold Water Dispenser – All Specs
- Model: U1
- Annual Maintenance Cost: ~$145-290
- Filter Media/Process: Sediment Filtration, Activated Carbon, RO, Remineralization, Hydrogen Infusion, UV
- Filter Stages: 5 + UV
- Recovery Rate: 50%
- Filtering Capacity: 6-24 Months
- WxHxD: 9.5″x17″x19″
- Tank Sizes: 0.66 gal Pure Water Tank
- Input Water Temperature: 68-78 °F
- Output Water Temperature: 59-212 °F
- NSF Testing: Standard 372, 58
- Warranty: 1 Year Limited
RKIN U1 – Key Features
The RKIN U1 is a countertop reverse osmosis system that combines RO filtration with integrated cooling and heating of the filtered water!
Filtration relies on five stages:
- Sediment filter, which can capture sediment, sand, and rust.
- Activated carbon, for harmful chemicals like VOCs, THMs, pesticides, foul odors, and taste.
- Reverse osmosis – extremely effective filtration stage which removes most contaminants that don’t get picked up by the first 2 stages, including salts, heavy metals, and more.
- Alkaline post-filter, which remineralizes water by introducing calcium and magnesium, and raises the pH level to 7-8.
- Hydrogen infusion – this creates hydrogen-enriched water, with a negative ORP of 340. Note that this can be disabled if you don’t want to use it.
Finally, while it’s not technically listed as a separate filtration stage, this device also utilizes a UV light inside the filtered water tank to kill microorganisms and keep water fresh when the system is not in active use.
What’s more, the RKIN U1 comes with a sleek touch control panel, which not only adds to its aesthetics, but also allows you to pick from a variety of water options, including cold filtered water, room-temperature filtered water, instant hot filtered water with customization options, as well as filtered negative ORP water with antioxidant properties. You even have specific presets for things like baby formula, coffee, and tea, and can set your preferred default temperature. On that note, you can also dispense water in custom cup sizes, including 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14, or 16 ounces – or all of the water available.
The panel also shows you the current hydrogen content and TDS of your water.
By the way, cold water comes out at 59°F. Maximum hot water temperature is 212°F.
And the unit comes with one year of warranty, and a 1-year satisfaction guarantee.
RKIN U1 Water Filter Pros
One noteworthy advantage of this system compared to many other reverse osmosis water filtration solutions is its speed – it can filter half a gallon of water in just seven minutes, which is quite fast by reverse osmosis standards.
Also, the system has a wastewater ratio of about 1:1 – that is, you get about 1 gallon of wastewater for each gallon filtered. This is really good compared to other reverse osmosis systems, which frequently waste water in ratios of 3:1 or even 5:1. And while you can’t use the wastewater for drinking or cooking, you can still clean your home or water your plants with it.
Thanks to the instant-hot technology, you don’t have to wait for hot water to be dispensed. You can expect hot water to be dispensed instantly. And while the water cooler uses electricity to keep your water chilled, you’re not required to use it if you don’t want to – simply hold down the cold water button for five seconds to turn it off/on.
More pros:
- Zero installation
- Lots of customizable settings, such as cup size, default temperature, and temperature presets
- Integrated rinse cycle to clean the system and flush everything
- Child safety lock to disable hot water
- Removable, magnetic drip tray
- Filter life indicator
What Contaminants Are Being Removed?
Thanks to the comprehensive filtration setup, the RKIN U1 Reverse Osmosis Hot & Cold Water Dispenser can effectively deal with a large number of contaminants. The reduction for some of them has been tested against NSF standard 58 by the IAPMO:
- Chromium-6: 99%
- Fluoride: 93-98%
- Lead: >99%
- PFOA and PFOS: 97-99%
- TDS: 91-94%
The RKIN U1 – learn more on Amazon.com
Installation
This system requires no installation before using – simply take it out of the box, place it on your countertop, and you’re good to go! To use the system for the first time:
Please consider these instructions as a general guideline. Always make sure to check and follow your user manual before getting started.
- Fill the tank to max, place it back, and close the lid.
- Plug in the electrical cord.
- Press and hold the power key for 2 seconds.
- Place a 1-gallon or larger container under the dispenser.
- Wait while the system primes its filter elements and flushes.
- Once display says “Fresh Water”, press and cold the “Rinse” button for 3 seconds. Wait for the process to finish in about 6 mins.
- Fill tank and flush again 1-2 times.
The Package (Parts)
- U1 System
- Water drip tray
- Pre-installed filters
- System manual
Maintenance
The system comes with a convenient rinse cycle feature that can automatically drain it and flush the filters – this is a good solution when you notice that things aren’t running as smoothly as expected and you’re not sure why.
Other than that, you’ll have to remember to replace all filters on a regular basis – don’t worry, it’s simple! The replacement frequency and price differ for each stage. Here are some estimates to keep in mind:
- For the first two filter stages, you need the RKIN 2 in 1 Sediment and Carbon Filter QT Series (MPN: RC-QT-PAC). These should be swapped out every 6-12 months, sometimes more often if your water is more heavily contaminated. One cartridge costs $35.
- For the third stage, you need an RKIN 200 GPD Encapsulated Reverse Osmosis Membrane QT Series (MPN: RC-QT-RO). The membrane needs to be replaced every 12-24 months, or more often with heavier contamination. Each membrane costs $70.
- For the fourth stage, you’ll want an RKIN AlcaPure Alkaline Post Filter QT Series (MPN: RC-QT-CF), which you’ll need to replace every 6-12 months or more often with heavier contamination. It costs $35.
- Finally, for the fifth stage, you’ll need an RKIN U1 Hydrogen Module (MPN: RC-HGPEM), replaced every 6-12 months or more often if your water is more heavily contaminated. Each one costs $40.
In total, we estimate ~$145-290 in annual maintenance cost.
As mentioned, there is a filter life indicator integrated into the system’s display that’ll tell you when it’s time to replace one of the filters (yellow light means 80% capacity reached, red light means replace now.)
Manual
Here is a link to the official manual:
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0012/7349/5599/files/RKIN_U1_Manual.pdf?v=1679587310
NSF and Other Certifications
While the RKIN U1 is stated to be tested against NSF standard 58, it doesn’t have an official certification.
What we have is an NSF 372 certification for low lead content.
Earlier Product Versions
There are no earlier product versions that we could find.
Cons
- Higher price, both upfront and for long-term maintenance.
- Can only use room-temperature water as input (68-78°F).
- May occasionally develop minor leaks.
- No official NSF certifications for contaminant reduction rates and only few contaminants tested.
RKIN U1 Review: Our Verdict + Best for
The RKIN U1 Reverse Osmosis Hot & Cold Water Dispenser is not the cheapest product, but its features justify the price for the most part. The overall filtration process is very thorough, especially thanks to the reverse osmosis membrane. The unit wastes less water than many other RO systems on the market, and is very easy to set up and maintain. The only thing we’re really missing are official NSF certifications – for this reason, we give it 4.0 out of 5 stars.
Our Rating in Detail:
- Filtration Performance: 4.0/5.0
- Filter Capacity (Life): 4.5/5.0
- Purchase Price: 4.0/5.0
- Annual Cost: 4.0/5.0
- Overall: 4.0/5.0
Comparison to Other RO Hot and Cold Water Dispensers
As an alternative option, we recommend looking at the Waterdrop A1. It’s a similar product in many regards, although it offers a slightly different approach to filtration in terms of pre and post-filters, and has some differences in its settings and customization.
Waterdrop A1 |
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| Price: | $$$ |
| Filter Process: | Sediment Filtration, Carbon Block, Scale Inhibition, RO Membrane, UV |
| Filter Capacity: | 6-12 Months |
| NSF Standards: | 42, 58, 372 |
| Water Temp: | 41-203 °F |
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Overall Rating: 4.5/5.0 ⓘRating based on filtration performance, filter life, water temperature settings, price and yearly cost, NSF testing/certification, customer support, product warranty, our testing/experience, user feedback, and other factors.
Get 10% Off! Use Code: |
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RKIN U1 |
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| Price: | $$$ |
| Filter Process: | Sediment Filtration, Activated Carbon, RO, Remineralization, Hydrogen Infusion, UV |
| Filter Capacity: | 6-24 Months |
| NSF Standards: | 58, 372 |
| Water Temp: | 59-212 °F |
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Overall Rating: 4.0/5.0 ⓘRating based on filtration performance, filter life, water temperature settings, price and yearly cost, NSF testing/certification, customer support, product warranty, our testing/experience, user feedback, and other factors.
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If you’re concerned about wasting water, you’re probably going to gravitate towards the Waterdrop A1, as it has a better wastewater ratio than the RKIN U1. While the RKIN U1 wastes about 1 gallon of water for each purified gallon, the ratio is about 2:1 (purified water:wastewater) for the Waterdrop A1. On the other hand, the RKIN U1 is more customizable overall, with more settings for cup sizes, power saving options, and other bells and whistles.
In terms of contaminants removed, both systems offer an excellent overall performance, thanks mainly to the reverse osmosis membrane doing all the heavy work. The RKIN U1 additionally offers a remineralization stage and a hydrogen infusion stage, which you don’t get with the Waterdrop A1 – although it does offer some additional filtration stages that are not found in the RKIN U1 in comparison. In particular, you get a scale inhibitor and a non-woven fabric filter.
Like the RKIN U1, the Waterdrop A1 doesn’t have any official NSF certifications related to water filtration. However, the A1 is tested against about a dozen of substances (including lead, chromium 6, arsenic, and chloramine), whereas the RKIN U1 is only tested against 5.
The RKIN U1 is probably a better choice for users concerned with saving power and making the most of their unit. While the Waterdrop A1 does have some nifty features like the night mode and off-home mode, we appreciated the fact that the RKIN U1 allows the user to disable the water cooler. We’re not sure if the Waterdrop A1 offers that feature.
You can expect to spend around $130 per year maintaining the Waterdrop A1, which is reasonable in comparison to the costs attached to the RKIN U1.
Finally, you get a better deal with the RKIN U1 in terms of the satisfaction guarantee, as the Waterdrop A1 is only covered for 30 days, compared to the 1-year guarantee that the RKIN U1 comes with. Both models have a 1-year warranty.
So, which system to choose? Personally, we prefer the Waterdrop A1 mainly because it’s more affordable, easier to maintain, tested for more contaminants, and wastes slightly less water.
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This completes our review of the RKIN U1 Reverse Osmosis Hot and Cold Water Dispenser. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!
About the Author Gene Fitzgerald
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