Review: ZeroWater Stainless Steel Water Filter Pitcher
Written by: Gene Fitzgerald // Expert Fact-Checking: Buddhini Dolapihilla, MBSS // Last Updated: Sep 14, 2023
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At first sight, the ZeroWater Stainless Steel Water Filter Pitcher seems like a good buy for people who don’t want their filtered drinking water to get in contact with plastic and being stored in it – well, only at first sight…
Let’s take a closer look at the ZeroWater Stainless Steel Water Filter Pitcher and see where its strengths and weaknesses lie.
Contents
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ZeroWater Stainless Steel Water Filter Pitcher |
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| Price: | $$ |
| Filter Process: | Carbon, KDF, Ion Exchange Resins, Sediment Filtration |
| Filter Life: | 20 Gallons |
| Storage Volume: | 11 Cups |
| Annual Cost: | ~$190-225 |
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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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ZeroWater Stainless Steel Water Filter Pitcher – All Specs
- Model: ZS-011RP-2
- Annual Maintenance Cost: ~$190-225
- Filter Media/Process: Carbon, KDF, Ion Exchange, Sediment Filtration
- Filtering Capacity: 20 gal
- Storage Capacity: 11 Cups
- WxHxD: 5.5”x11.25”x10.88”
- Weight: 3.0 lb.
- Warranty: 90 Days
ZeroWater Stainless Steel Pitcher – Key Features
Some people are interested in stainless steel water filter pitchers because they don’t want their drinking water stored in a plastic jug in order to prevent plastic particles and other chemicals to dissolve into it. As the name suggests, the ZeroWater Stainless Steel Water Filter Pitcher uses an outer shell made from stainless steel, which also increases the pitcher’s durability. However, the approach doesn’t really work to prevent plastic leaching, but more in this in a bit.
For now, the ZeroWater uses a 5-stage filter process. The stages are:
- A coarse filter: This first stage eliminates fine particles and sediments.
- Carbon and KDF media: This stage removes organic pollutants and prevents bacteria growth in the filter.
- A distributor: This step maximizes contact time for the next filter stage.
- An ion exchange resin: This is a combined anion and cation resin bed. It removes inorganic contaminants, including metals and non-metals.
- A non-woven membrane: It has tiny pores to remove tiny particles.
In all, the pitcher aims to reduce water TDS level to zero. That’s why it comes with a free TDS meter to check this after filtration.
It has a 90-day warranty, a filtering capacity of 20 gallons, and a storage capacity of 11 cups which is enough for family use.
ZeroWater ZS-011RP-2 Pros
Most importantly, the water filter pitcher comes at a fair price.
And although it is not directly NSF-certified, it uses the same filter cartridge as other NSF-certified ZeroWater pitchers, so you can trust its filtration ability.
Lastly, the ZeroWater Stainless Steel Water Filter Pitcher is easy to assemble and use. And even while it’s still filtering, you can push the spigot at the bottom to dispense water.
What Contaminants Are Being Removed?
The ZeroWater stainless steel pitcher removes up to 99.6% of all total dissolved solids (TDS). It has the following reduction rates:
- 94.9% PFOA/PFOS
- 99% antimony
- 98% arsenic 5
- 99.9% barium
- 97% cadmium
- 99.6% chromium 6
- 95.9-99.7% lead
- 96.0-96.7% mercury
- 99% asbestos
- 97.5% chlorine
- 99% fluoride
- 98% nitrate
- 99% nitrite
It also reduces a few other metals and non-metals.
The ZeroWater ZS-011RP-2 – learn more on Amazon.com
Assembly and Filter Priming
This filter is easy to set up. Here’s all you need to do:
- Remove the cover and reservoir.
- Wash all components except the filter cartridge.
- Unwrap the filter.
- Connect the filter to the bottom of the reservoir. Make sure it seals correctly.
- Put the reservoir back into the pitcher.
- Add water.
- Cover the pitcher and enjoy filtered water.
The Package (Parts)
- ZeroWater ZS-011RP-2 Stainless Steel Water Filter Pitcher
- ZeroWater Filter Cartridge
- TDS Meter
Maintenance
The ZeroWater ZS-011RP-2 requires a lot of maintenance work. That’s because it has a short filter life of 20 gallons. The company also recommends replacing the filter whenever the TDS exceeds 6. So, you’ll have to change filters frequently and spend a lot of money, too.
Be prepared to spend about $190-225 annually on filter replacements (depending on if you buy in bulk or not).
Here’s how to replace the filter:
- Take off the pitcher’s lid and reservoir.
- Unscrew the old filter from the reservoir.
- Secure the new filter by twisting it to the reservoir’s base.
- Reinsert the reservoir into the pitcher and resume using the filter.
Manual
Here is a link to the official manual:
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/B1QBKzMni0S.pdf
NSF and Other Certifications
As mentioned before, this specific pitcher system is not NSF-certified but uses the same filter cartridge as other NSF-certified ZeroWater pitchers. So you can apply their certifications to this filter as well.
We have NSF 42 and 53 certifications here. NSF 42 confirms that it removes chlorine taste and odor, while NSF 53 affirms that it removes chromium 6, lead, mercury, PFOA, and PFOS.
Earlier Product Versions
The ZeroWater Stainless Steel Water Filter Pitcher has no earlier versions. However, it also seems like it is no longer officially sold by ZeroWater in the US.
ZeroWater ZS-011RP-2 Cons
This system’s major con is that it doesn’t fulfill the needs of most of its target audience. For us, it’s meant to be for people looking for stainless filter pitchers so that the water doesn’t touch any plastic parts. But the inner part of this ZeroWater pitcher is NOT made of stainless steel. Quite the opposite: It’s made of what they are running from — plastic! — with only a little stainless steel on the outside. Many customers find that highly disappointing.
So again, if you are looking for a stainless steel water filter pitcher to prevent your water from being stored in a plastic container, this pitcher does not serve that purpose. However, if you want a stainless steel pitcher for its durability and/or looks, the ZeroWater might be just what you are looking for.
Then, the filter life is no good — twenty gallons is just too short. Some disappointed users also complained that their filters only lasted 10 gallons, which is even worse. If this plays out, you may spend twice the estimated annual maintenance cost ($195-$225).
We also found complaints that the filtration is slow. Some users also experienced a weird taste in their water shortly after use. Others had issues with the filter’s design, saying it was difficult fixing the lid to the pitcher. Also, the filter has only a 90-day warranty, which is too short.
In our opinion, one more con is ZeroWater’s method of gauging water quality using the TDS level. The thing is, TDS covers both the good stuff (like calcium and magnesium) and the harmful pollutants. It doesn’t differentiate between them. Your high TDS level may be because your water contains healthy minerals like calcium and magnesium. More importantly, some harmful contaminants are not dissolved solids. What if your water has them? Your TDS reading will be low while your water still hosts dangerous stuff.
ZeroWater Stainless Steel Pitcher Review: Our Verdict + Best for
Bottom line: This water filter pitcher is not really what it claims to be (a stainless filter pitcher). It’s just a plastic pitcher with a partial outer shell made from stainless steel. It may be more durable than regular plastic, but plastic/chemicals can still leach into your water. If that’s what you want to avoid, you’ll find this filter useless.
Another thing is the low filter life, which makes it expensive to maintain. Then, the questionable “0” TDS marketing approach.
What we like is the combination of solid filter media like activated carbon, KDF, and ion exchange resin. Contaminant reduction rates are promising. We’d give it 4 stars.
Our Rating in Detail:
- Filtration Performance: 4.0/5.0
- Filter Capacity (Life): 2.0/5.0
- Purchase Price: 5.0/5.0
- Annual Cost: 3.5/5.0
- Overall: 4.0/5.0
Comparison to Other Water Filter Pitchers
We’ll now compare the ZeroWater stainless steel pitcher to the Clearly Filtered and the Epic Pure/Nano. Note that these two pitcher models are plastic.
Clearly Filtered |
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| Price: | $$$ |
| Filter Process: | Carbon + Composite Shell |
| Filter Capacity: | 100 gal |
| Total Storage: | 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: | $$$ |
| Filter Process: | Carbon Block, Ion Exchange |
| Filter Capacity: | 150 gal |
| Total Storage: | 14.8 Cups |
| Annually: | $90-135 |
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Overall Rating: 4.5/5.0 ⓘRating based on filtration performance, filter life, price and yearly cost, NSF testing/certification, customer support, product warranty, our testing/experience, user feedback, and other factors.
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ZeroWater Stainless Steel Pitcher |
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| Price: | $$ |
| Filter Process: | Carbon, KDF, Ion Exchange, Sediment Filtration |
| Filter Capacity: | 20 gal |
| Storage: | 11 Cups |
| Annually: | ~$190-225 |
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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 Clearly Filtered Pitcher is the leading model tested against NSF standards 42, 53, 401, and protocol P473. It’s confirmed to remove 365+ contaminants — the highest testing we’ve ever seen with a filter pitcher (and the results are amazing!).
It eliminates contaminants like chlorine, DBPs, lead, arsenic, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, VOCs, chloramine, semi-volatile compounds, PFAS, chromium-6, fluoride, radiologicals, and many more. The system uses granular activated carbon and various proprietary media to remove all this. It’s also made in the USA with BPA-free materials.
The Clearly Filtered has a long filter life (100 gallons or 4 months). It also has a total storage capacity of 17 cups and 10 cups filtered volume. The company offers a 30-day satisfaction guarantee and a limited lifetime warranty (ZeroWater has only 90 days).
The system’s major con is its high price tag. But it’s more affordable to maintain than the ZeroWater long-term.
The Epic Pure/Nano pitchers are less expensive than the Clearly Filtered and still effective. ZeroWater seems better at removing most TDS, but the Epic removes a lot more contaminants, including those that don’t count as dissolved solids. By the way, the Epic Pure (read the full review here) is designed for tap water with fluoride, while the Epic Nano is for (well) water that may contain bacteria, cysts, or viruses.
Epic pitchers use a blend of proprietary media and activated carbon to reduce over 200 water contaminants. They have been tested against NSF standards 42, 53, 401, P473 (and P231 for Epic Nano). Some of the contaminants removed include fluoride, nitrate, chloramine, sulfate, arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, VOCs, pharmaceuticals, disinfection byproducts, chlorine, pesticides, PFOA, PFOS, hexavalent chromium, and more.
Filter life is 150 gallons, which is longer than with the Clearly Filtered and ZeroWater. Other good features are a BPA-free and USA-made design. There’s also a lifetime warranty and smooth return policy, and a recycling program that gives you one free filter in exchange for four used and mailed filters.
The downside is that the Epic filter pitchers are more expensive than the ZeroWater to buy, but they are much more affordable in the long run.
In a nutshell, the Clearly Filtered pitcher is the best pick but also the most expensive. The Epic Pure/Nano is more affordable and still powerful. The ZeroWater Stainless Steel Water Filter Pitcher removes the least number of contaminants.
More ZeroWater Reviews:
This completes our review of the ZeroWater Stainless Steel 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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