Berkey Alternative Water Filter – The British Berkefeld
The British Berkefeld system. It is a Berkey alternative countertop gravity-fed water filter. It costs less and is a worthy Berkey alternative. Especially true if looking for a more budget-friendly drinking water filter, and/or having difficulty sourcing a Berkey. My very first countertop water filter (many years ago) was the British Berkefeld. I still have it today (along with my Berkey’s).
Keep reading for my recommendation where to buy the British Berkefeld.
British Berkefeld Water Filter Berky Alternative
What’s the difference between the British Berkefeld and the Berkey?
Basically, the filter elements are different. The British Berkefeld uses ceramic Super Sterasyl™ water filtration elements (details below). The Berkey uses Black Berkey®️ filter elements. While the British Berkefeld and the Berkey will provide safe drinking water for most all typical water filtration needs, they each have unique specifications.
What are the similarities between the alternative British Berkefeld and the Berkey?
They each have quality stainless steel upper and lower canister chambers. The form, look-and-feel, and ease of use are quite similar. Either brand should provide a lifetime of use.
British Berkefeld Super Sterasyl™ Water Filtration Element
The Berkey alternative British Berkefeld does have different water filter elements. Is one better than the other? One might say that the Black Berkey filters are better to an extent. However, given the main purpose of providing safe, clean drinking water from the most common and likely organic nasties that may be in the water, I would not feel hesitant to drink water from the Berkey alternative British Berkefeld with its ceramic Super Sterasyl™ filters. Here’s why…
The Sterasyl™ ceramic is the ceramic shell used for the Super Sterasyl™ filter element. The bore of the ceramic shell is filled with granular activated carbon. This enables the filter to reduce chlorine and organic chemicals. It also improves the color, taste, and odor of the source water.
The re-cleanable Super Sterasyl™ filter elements remove suspended solids, parasites, cysts and pathogenic bacteria (>99.99%). They will reduce organic chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, organic solvents, trihalomethanes, SOCs, VOCs and foul tastes and odors.
The Black Berkey alternative filter, the British Berkefeld Super Sterasyl™, will remove or reduce the following:
- Remove Pathogenic Bacteria: Cholera, Typhoid, Salmonella, Serratia, E.Coli, Fecal Coliform > 99.99% removal.
- Remove Cysts (>99.999%): Cryptosporidium Parvum and Giardia Lamblia – 100% removal (based on tests by Arizona State University).
- Reduce Organic Chemicals: Pesticides, herbicides, organic solvents, SOCs, VOCs, trihalomethanes.
- Reduce Chlorine > 90% Reduce Turbidity, Sediment and Particulate: @ 0.9 micron > 99.99% @ 0.5 – 0.8 micron > 99.9% @ 0.2 – 0.3 micron > 98% (based on tests by Spectrum Laboratories, Minneapolis, MN). Maximum working pressure: 125 psi Maximum working temperature: 100º F Minimum working temperature: 40º F
Super Sterasyl™ ceramic filters are manufactured to the following international standards and have been tested and approved by the following independent bodies or agencies:
- ISO-9000: 2000, Hyder Labs – UK Spectrum Labs – UK WRc – Mednenham UK Clare Microbiology – UK Loughborough University – UK University of Arizona – USA Thresh, Beale, and Suckling – UK and WRc Gwent – UK.
Where to buy the British Berkefeld
Without a doubt, buy it from ‘the Berkey Guy’, who also distributes the British Berkefeld water filter system. They have been with us here on the blog for (let me think…) right around 14 years. Wow time flies.
[ Read: How To Clean Berkey Filters The Right Way ]
( Similar method to cleaning the British Berkefeld filters )