Review: Target 10-Cup Water Filter Pitcher by up & up
Written by: Gene Fitzgerald // Expert Fact-Checking: Buddhini Dolapihilla, MBSS // Last Updated: Nov 24, 2023
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The Target Water Filter Pitcher is among the most affordable water filter pitchers on the market.
But is it also effective? And what are its pros and cons?
Find out in our review below!
Contents
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Target 10-Cup Water Filter Pitcher |
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| Price: | $ |
| Filter Process: | Activated Carbon, Ion Exchange Resin |
| Filter Life: | 40 Gallons |
| Storage Volume: | 10 Cups |
| Annual Cost: | ~$30-40 |
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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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Target 10-Cup Water Filter Pitcher – All Specs
- Last Price: $14.99
- Annual Maintenance Cost: ~$30-40
- Filter Media/Process: Activated Carbon, Ion Exchange Resin
- Filtering Capacity: 40 gal or 2 Months
- Storage Volume: 10 Cups
- WxHxD: 10.5”x10.75”x6.0”
- Weight: 2.43 lb.
- NSF Certifications: Standard 42
up & up Pitcher – Key Features
The Target Water Filter Pitcher by up & up is one of the cheapest models we’ve seen on the market, with an initial price of just around $15. This is very hard to beat if you’re looking for a budget water filter pitcher above all else. It uses a two-stage filtration process:
- Activated Carbon: this deals with mercury, chlorine, and other contaminants which can worsen the taste and/or smell of water.
- Ion Exchange Resin: mainly removes/reduces copper, benzene, cadmium, and zinc.
You get two filter elements included in the package, and the pitcher comes with an integrated lifetime indicator. It can hold up to 10 cups of water, which is pretty much okay for most households. And if you want to, you can even use Brita cartridges instead of the ones sold by Target!
Target Filter Pitcher Pros
- Extremely affordable at just $15 for the initial purchase and $4-5 per replacement cartridge.
- Very easy to install and set up.
- Built-in indicator alerts you when it’s time to replace the filter.
- BPA-free materials.
What Contaminants Are Being Removed?
Some of the contaminants removed or reduced by the Target Water Filter Pitcher include:
- Copper
- Benzene
- Cadmium
- Zinc
- Chlorine
- Mercury
Assembly and Filter Priming
Setting up your Target Water Filter Pitcher is straightforward:
Please consider these instructions as a general guideline. Always make sure to check and follow your user manual before getting started.
- Take the filter cartridge and submerge it in cold water.
- Swirl the cartridge around a bit until bubbles stop coming out and it’s completely soaked.
- Push the cartridge down into the pitcher to install it.
- Fill the pitcher with water.
- Hold down the button on the filter timer for a few seconds to reset it.
The Package (Parts)
- Pitcher
- Instruction Book
- 2 Filters
Maintenance
You will need to replace the filter cartridge in your up & up Water Filter Pitcher every 40 gallons or 2 months, whichever comes first. New cartridges are sold for just $4-5 apiece, so you can expect to spend around $30-40 per year for maintenance. That’s really cheap, and we appreciate that Target offers an affordable option for those on a tight budget.
As an added bonus, you can even use Brita cartridges instead of the ones provided by Target. Whether you want to do that is up to you.
Manual
Sorry, we couldn’t find a manual online.
NSF and Other Certifications
According to the manufacturer, this pitcher is certified against NSF 42, but we couldn’t find any information on that. In any case, covering this standard alone is not really impressive in the first place.
Earlier Product Versions
Target has been steadily improving on previous iterations of their pitcher water filter. The current model comes with an improved filter design that prevents clogging and makes your water flow more smoothly. In addition, new filters are designed to prevent air pockets from forming, which further assists in preventing clogging.
Target Pitcher Cons
- We assume filtration not to be the most powerful.
- No official information about contaminant reduction rates.
- Company claims the pitcher is certified against NSF 42. We couldn’t find any details on that matter.
- No information about warranty.
- May occasionally leave residue in water.
up & up Pitcher Review: Our Verdict + Best for
While this pitcher doesn’t offer any impressive contaminant removal properties, we have to hand it to Target for releasing what’s probably the most affordable model on the market. Still, if you’re concerned about more than just affordability, you should probably look at other models with better contaminant reduction. This pitcher may be good for improving how your drinking water tastes and smells, but that’s it really.
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
If you’re in the market for something more powerful and capable of dealing with a wider range of contaminants, we recommend looking at the Clearly Filtered and Epic Pure pitchers.
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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Target 10-Cup |
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| Price: | $ |
| Filter Process: | Activated Carbon, Ion Exchange Resin |
| Filter Capacity: | 40 gal |
| Storage Volume: | 10 Cups |
| Annually: | ~$30-40 |
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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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Clearly Filtered is one of the best-known brands on the market. Their pitcher is extensively tested and comes with NSF standards 42, 53, and 401. It can remove/reduce more than 350 contaminants – this has been verified through extensive testing. Some of those contaminants include chlorine/chloramine, lead, arsenic, chromium 6, pesticides and herbicides, trace pharmaceuticals, volatile and semi-volatile compounds, PFAS, fluoride, and many more.
Filtration is done with the help of a combined approach that utilizes granular activated carbon and several proprietary filter media. Each filter element can last for around 100 gallons, so much longer than what Target’s pitcher offers.
The Clearly Filtered Pitcher (reviewed here) comes with various extra goodies as well, such as a removable lid for easy refilling, 100% BPA-free production handled in the USA, and a limited lifetime warranty / 30-day satisfaction guarantee. The major downside is you’ll have to pay a premium price both to purchase and to maintain the pitcher.
Then we have the Epic Pure, which is a bit more affordable, but still more expensive than the Target pitcher. Its main purpose is treating water contaminated with fluoride, which it accomplishes with a mixed-media approach. Filtration capabilities have been tested against NSF standards 42, 53, and 401. All in all, the Epic Pure can address more than 200 contaminants.
The pitcher can hold 14.8 cups of water. Cartridges can last for around 150 gallons, which is quite impressive, even compared to the Clearly Filtered. You also get a countdown timer to remind you when it’s time for a replacement, and you can collect four expired filters and exchange them for a brand new one if you send them to the manufacturer. The entire body is made of BPA-free materials, and the pitcher is backed by a lifetime warranty and a simple return policy.
You can get a discount if you belong to one of the following groups:
- First responders
- Medical staff
- Teachers
- Students
- Seniors
- Non-profit owners/employees
Bottom line is: The Clearly Filtered is a great pitcher, all things considered. The Epic Pure comes in a close second if you’re looking for something slightly more affordable. We don’t really recommend getting the Target Water Filter Pitcher compared to the two, unless you really can’t afford anything better.
More Reviews:
This completes our review of the Target 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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