Review: Santevia MINA Alkaline Water Filter Pitcher
Written by: Gene Fitzgerald // Expert Fact-Checking: Buddhini Dolapihilla, MBSS // Last Updated: Nov 01, 2023
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At first glance, the Santevia MINA Alkaline Water Filter Pitcher doesn’t seem to shine with anything special, while coming with rather hefty long-term maintenance cost. Does this filter offer anything to justify the extra costs, or are you better off looking elsewhere? Let’s find out!
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Santevia MINA Alkaline Water Filter Pitcher |
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| Price: | $$ |
| Filter Process: | Activated Carbon, Ion Exchange, Mineralization |
| Filter Life: | 80 Gallons |
| Storage Volume: | 9 Cups |
| Annual Cost: | ~$120 |
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Overall Rating: 4.0/5.0 ⓘ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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Santevia MINA Alkaline Water Filter Pitcher – All Specs
- Model: MINA 2
- Annual Maintenance Cost: ~$120
- Filter Media/Process: Activated Carbon, Ion Exchange, Mineralization
- Filtering Capacity: 80 gal or 2 Months
- Storage Volume: 9 Cups
- WxHxD: 5”x10”x8.5”
- NSF Testing: Standard 42, 53, 401
- Warranty: 90 Days
Santevia MINA – Key Features
This pitcher claims to produce clean, mineralized alkaline water to help you improve your well-being. While the health benefits of alkalized water are questionable in terms of existing scientific proof, the filter still does a good overall job at reducing and removing contaminants, so you can at least expect decent performance on that front. The Santevia MINA Alkaline Water Filter Pitcher uses a two-stage filtration process, combined with a mineralization stage:
- Granular activated carbon targets chlorine, VOCs, as well as other organic chemicals and several heavy metals, while also improving the taste and smell of water.
- Ion exchange resin, which is very effective at removing metals, salts, and some of the fluoride contained in water.
- A mineralization filter, which adds calcium, magnesium, potassium, and other trace minerals, and increases the pH level of your water.
According to the manufacturer, this pitcher can raise the pH level of your water by up to 2.0 points – at least 1.5, depending on the quality of the original water.
Santevia is very confident in the quality of its product, offering a “Great Taste Guarantee” – if you’re not satisfied with how your filtered water tastes, you’ll get your money back, as long as you make the claim within 30 days. However, the product doesn’t come with a lifetime warranty, and you’re instead only covered for 90 days.
Filter life is 2 months or 80 gallons. We estimate around $120 in annual filter replacement cost.
The pitcher can hold 9 cups of water.
Finally, you can pick from two simple color schemes: White or black.
Santevia MINA Water Pitcher Pros
- Relatively inexpensive upfront.
- Doesn’t just filter water, but mineralizes it as well.
- Improves smell and taste of water.
- Verified production process using local manufacturing facilities.
- It’s made locally in Canada, using a manufacturing facility in Vancouver, BC.
- The company donates 100 days of clean drinking water to impoverished Ugandans for each purchase of one of its pitchers.
- The pitcher comes with a convenient pour-through lid.
- 100% BPA & BPS free Tritan plastic.
What Contaminants Are Being Removed?
The Santevia MINA water pitcher comes with NSF standards 42, 53, and 401, although it’s worth noting that it hasn’t actually undergone any official certification. Still, if the manufacturer’s claims are true, the filter is capable of removing/reducing the following contaminants, among others:
- Chlorine: 99.9%
- Lead: 99.0%
- Fluoride: 40.5%
- Cadmium: 98.2%
- Chloramine: 98.2%
- Chromium 6: 98.0%
- Copper: 98.0%
- Iron: 93.0%
- Manganese: 96.1%
- Mercury: 99.0%
- PFAS + PFOS: 99.9%
- VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds): 99%
The Santevia MINA – learn more on Amazon.com
Installation
Assembling the Santevia MINA alkaline water pitcher and priming the filter are both straightforward:
Please consider these instructions as a general guideline. Always make sure to check and follow your user manual before getting started.
- Wash the pitcher, using a mild detergent – it’s also dishwasher safe, as long as the cartridge is removed of course.
- Under running cold water, shake the filter cartridge left and right for several minutes, gently tapping the sides to get rid of any excess carbon that’s accumulated. Do this until the water coming out of the filter is clear.
- Push the filter cartridge down into the pitcher firmly to ensure it fits tightly. Turn the pitcher upside down to verify it’s securely locked in place.
- Fill the pitcher with water, let it filter through, and discard it. Repeat that process three times. You can use the discarded water for your plants, if you have any.
- Done! You’re now ready to use your pitcher.
Video
The Package (Parts)
- Santevia MINA Alkaline Water Pitcher
- Filter Element
Maintenance
There’s not much in the way of maintenance requirements for the Santevia MINA. When it’s time to replacing your filter cartridge, simply take it out and repeat the steps we outlined in the “Assembly and Filter Priming” section above. This includes the first step – use the opportunity to give your pitcher a good washing while you’re replacing the cartridge.
Filter cartridges last for about two months or 80 gallons of water. You can expect to spend around $120 on new filters annually, which is a bit expensive compared to other models on the market with similar filtration capabilities.
Manual
Here is a link to the official manual:
NSF and Other Certifications
The pitcher is allegedly capable of dealing with contaminants covered by several NSF standards – however, it has no official certifications for any of them. Still, according to the manufacturer, these are the NSF standards relevant to this filter:
- NSF 42 – reduction of chlorine and nominal particles, as well as improvement of taste and odor.
- NSF 53 – reduction of contaminants with health effects.
- NSF 401 – reduction of emerging contaminants.
Earlier Product Versions
There is apparently at least one earlier version of the Santevia MINA pitcher, and the improvements in the current model are mostly focused on improving the lid with a pour-through design, as well as rethinking the filter formula to add a 99% reduction of lead on top of the other contaminants already removed.
Santevia MINA Pitcher Cons
- Only 90 days of warranty.
- No official NSF certifications.
- Long-term maintenance gets expensive: around $120 per year.
- Filter might become dislodged and fall out during pouring.
- Some users claim to see no increase in pH after testing samples.
- Claims about filtration capabilities raised an eyebrow – for example, reducing PFAS by 99.9% is extremely high, as is the reduction of many VOCs by 99.0%. We’re not saying these claims are false, however, you should probably investigate them further if you’re specifically buying this pitcher for those contaminants.
Santevia MINA Review: Our Verdict + Best for
All in all, the Santevia MINA is not a bad alkaline water filter pitcher – provided, of course, that all claims made by the manufacturer are correct. It has a good list of removed contaminants and an okay upfront price, although it can get a bit expensive to maintain it in the long run. That, combined with the 90-day warranty and the lack of official NSF certifications, prompts us to give it 4 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: 4.5/5.0
- Overall: 4.0/5.0
Comparison to Other Water Filter Pitchers
Interested in alternatives? Given the specifications of the Santevia MINA Alkaline Water Filter Pitcher, you should probably consider either the Seychelle Gen 2 pH2O or the Clearly Filtered. Let’s take a look at how they compare!
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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Seychelle Gen 2 Dual pH2O |
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| Price: | $$$ |
| Filter Process: | Activated Carbon, Ion Exchange, Mineralization |
| Filter Capacity: | 150 gal |
| Storage Volume: | 8 Cups |
| Annually: | ~$120-180 |
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Overall Rating: 4.5/5.0 ⓘRating based on filtration performance, filter life, price and yearly cost, NSF testing/certification, customer support, product warranty, our testing/experience, user feedback, and other factors.
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Santevia MINA |
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| Price: | $$ |
| Filter Process: | Activated Carbon, Ion Exchange, Mineralization |
| Filter Capacity: | 80 gal |
| Storage Volume: | 9 Cups |
| Annually: | ~$120 |
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Overall Rating: 4.0/5.0 ⓘ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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The Seychelle Gen 2 Dual pH2O Water Filter Pitcher is a great alternative if you’re specifically looking for an alkalizing water filter. It can raise the pH level of your water up to 9.5 with the use of mineralization, and additionally filters your water using an ion exchange resin as well as activated carbon media. The filter has been tested against NSF standards 42 and 53 for the following contaminants, among others:
- Many VOCs: 99.8%
- PFOA and PFOS: 98-99%
- Chlorine: 90.91%
- Arsenic: ~90%
- Aluminum: ~95%
- Chromium: 95-96%
- Lead: 93.5-96%
- Fluoride: 98.6%
- Nitrate: 97.7%
- Nitrite: 85.5%
You might notice that the reduction rates for some of those contaminants are lower than what’s offered by the Santevia MINA – provided that test results of the MINA are real.
The Seychelle Gen 2 Dual pH2O can be used longer than the Santevia MINA before it needs a cartridge replacement, lasting for around 150 gallons. It’s made from non-BPA leaching plastics, and filter cartridges are made in the USA. The main drawbacks of this model include its short 90-day warranty (which is the same as that of the Santevia MINA), its high annual maintenance costs ($120- 180, depending on your water usage and quality), and the low 8-cup storage capacity. Some users have also reported their filters clogging up faster than expected.
Then we have the Clearly Filtered pitcher – a model without any alkalizing capabilities, but a very high-end water filter pitcher in pretty much every other aspect. It holds NSF certifications 42, 53, and 401, and can effectively reduce more than 300 water contaminants. Clearly Filtered is one of the most reputable companies on the market in terms of taking its product testing seriously, and this pitcher has undergone all kinds of tests to verify its capabilities. Some of the contaminants it can remove include:
- Chlorine
- Chloramine
- DBPs
- Lead
- Chromium-6
- Arsenic
- Pharmaceuticals
- Pesticides
- VOCs
- Semi-volatile compounds
- PFAS
- Fluoride
- Radiologicals
Filtration relies on granular activated carbon and several proprietary filter media which can target many types of water contaminants. Even though this pitcher’s filters don’t last as long as those of the Seychelle, they can still filter up to 100 gallons of water or last for 4 months, both of which are better than what the Santevia MINA provides. You can store up to 17 cups of water total, and refilling is easy thanks to the removable lid. The model is made of 100% BPA-free materials and is built in the USA.
We also have a limited lifetime warranty and 30 days satisfaction guarantee. Only con really is higher cost.
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This completes our review of the Santevia MINA Alkaline 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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