The Berkey Water Filter is Expensive – Is it Worth It?
Yes, the Berkey water filters are expensive. But why, and are they worth it? I have always been a promoter of Berkey water filters. I write about it from time to time here on the blog because, from a survival and preparedness standpoint, safe drinking water is extremely important. The Berkey water filter is among the best, if not the best choice for a highest quality countertop drinking water filter.
In this post, I want to address its cost. It’s not cheap. Is it worth it?
Hey, I get it… the thresholds of how much money that someone is willing to spend are often relative to one’s income or ‘extra’ money on hand. That makes sense. There usually are alternatives that cost less. If they fulfill the need ‘good enough’, then great. No issue with that.
There are several sizes of the countertop/tabletop Berkey water filter. They range in price from the mid $300’s to the mid $400’s (as of this posting). Like I said, they’re not cheap. In fact, the Berkey may be the most expensive countertop water filter of its kind.
I tried to find the best price from well-rated sellers on Amazon:
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Travel (1.5 gl.)
Big (2.25 gl.)
Royal (3.25 gl.)
If someone is simply looking to buy a simple small good drinking water filter, they could spend about $25 and get a Sawyer Mini (for example). Although it’s a small portable filter, it will do the job. Unlike most cheaper filters, the Sawyer element is incredibly rated to 0.1 microns! Though it’s not a countertop stand-alone reservoir filter for higher volume household convenience.
The Sawyer Mini
(view on amzn)
Why would someone spend so much more for a Berkey water filter? Okay, let me try to answer that…
Convenience, Quality, and Longevity of the Berkey Water Filter
Convenience of the Berkey Water Filter
The purpose or intended use of the Berkey is for household convenience. It’s a holding tank for several gallons of safe purified drinking water with a spigot for quick access. Perfect for in the house or even an RV or “at the camp”.
Refilling is simple and easy. Lift the top cover, and dump in more water. Done. It doesn’t take too long for gravity to work the water from the upper chamber – through the filter elements – into the lower reservoir.
High-Quality Components of the Berkey
It’s not complicated. There are two stainless steel chambers (upper and lower), the filter elements, and a water spigot.
Stainless steel won’t rust. And it’s thick enough in this case to be solid and sturdy.
Obviously, the heart of any water filter system is the filter elements. The ‘Black Berkey’ purification elements are the core of the system.
They filter 99.9999% (a 6 log10 reduction ) of bacteria and 99.999% (5 log10 reduction) viruses. That’s incredibly good.
(Black Berkey purification elements test results source)
How Long Will the Berkey Water Filter Last?
Purification elements: Each filter element will purify 3,000 gallons. The smallest Berkey filter has two elements, so that’s 6,000 gallons! If you consumed two gallons a day, that’s 11 years before the filter element change!
Stainless steel chambers: My oldest Berkey is more than 10 years old. I can tell you that it looks as new as the day I bought it. Still shiny, with no rust whatsoever. Perfect.
Is the Berkey Worth It??
Personally, yes, I believe it’s worth it. General cost analysis for 6,000 gallons of water run through a Berkey is initially about 5 cents a gallon based on a $300 investment. Thereafter it’s less because you only have to buy replacement filters (works out to about 2 cents a gallon).
I cannot overemphasize the importance of safe purified drinking water. Even if your current water source is considered ‘safe’, the extra assurance of filtering it before it goes into your body is reassuring and important!
I have natural spring water on my homestead as my water source. The water is captured by a shallow well with an overflow outlet (which creates a bubbling brook). The associated well pump delivers water up to the house. I know there are some organics in it, so not only do I filter it when it comes into the house (inline filter membrane), but I filter ALL of my drinking water with the Berkey. The perfect solution.
For the sake of preparedness, in my opinion, it’s tough to beat it within its class.
Related articles on MSB:
5 Accessories for your Berkey Water Filter
Black Berkey – Red Dye Food Coloring Test
How to Clean Berkey Filter Elements
The Smallest Berkey Tabletop Filter