My parents owned a pitcher water filter since it was introduced to the Maltese market. A relative of ours distributed them at the time. Since then they barely bought any bottled water. They only stock up on bottled water whenever their supermarket shopping total skipped the €100. In this case, the supermarket gifts the pack of water for free on purchases over €100. They take it just in case the tap water stops pouring out during maintenance done by the suppliers, etc. You know how it is in Malta sometimes with water and electricity.
Not sure if it is due to installation and maintenance but my parents never bothered to install the osmosis version. The pitcher seems to be a simpler solution next to the osmosis if not also cost-effective. Recently I have discovered a simpler and possibly more cost-effective solution than the pitcher. I am talking about the TAPP 2 Twist Water Filter, and I will tell you why.
As I like practicality, let’s start with the convenience part of the TAPP water filter:
- It attaches to your tap
If you have a small kitchen like me, space is a priority. Removing the pitcher water filter saves you more space on your kitchen cupboard or fridge. - Instant water supply
The only thing I did not like much about my pitcher water filter is that I have to wait for the pitcher to fill up until I can fill up my glass to drink. Ok, it’s kind of my fault as I did not set a routine to fill up the pitcher every time that I drink. However, if you are a bit lazy like I am, the TAPP water filters save you some time. - Longer cartridge life
A pitcher water filter company recommends changing your pitcher cartridge every two months. In the case of hard water (Maltese tap water is usually hard water), it suggests changing the filter more often. TAPP Malta recommends changing your cartridge every 3 months.
Moving on to costs:
- Lower annual cartridge cost
TAPP Malta shared a table comparing the costs. I thought of doing my own calculation as it seems that the costs listed are not based on Malta prices. Since it is suggested to change the pitcher water filter cartridge more frequently than two months for Maltese hard water, I am assuming that a one should change it monthly. This means that in a year you will be spending around €73.20 in pitcher water filter cartridges. Whereas with TAPP cartridges you will be spending only €60 as you only change the cartridge every 3 months. There are a lot of things you can do with €13.20 you save on filters.
Now we move on to the ethical advantages:
- Uses less plastic
This is more of a personal opinion rather than something backed by research. Size-wise the TAPP water filter seems to use less plastic than a pitcher water filter. - Biodegradable plastic
The size of both the pitcher water filter and the TAPP water filter cartridges is more or less the same. The only difference is that the TAPP cartridge is partially biodegradable. They mark the biodegradable part with an icon of a fully eaten apple. The new versions of the cartridges will have no biodegradable plastic. However, you will be only changing the charcoal block found inside. - 85% reduced plastic-waste cartridges
I let you in on a secret. In case you were not aware you can screw open the cartridge container. Inside you find a black cylinder block made out of activated coconut charcoal. This block is the actual part that filters the water. Right now when changing the cartridge, you need to dispose of the plastic and bioplastic parts of the cartridge container plus the block. However, I was told that TAPP is working on offering the option to dispose and replace only the charcoal block.
Lastly, I want to speak about the taste of the water filtered. As in Offenburg, you can get clean water from the tap, I did not buy or accept a gifted TAPP water filter. However, I had the chance to try the water from the TAPP water filter during last week’s Malta visit. As it was the beginning of my visit, I did find the water from the TAPP filter to taste different from the water I am used to. I was thinking maybe this filter is not as efficient as the pitcher one.
When I went back to my parents, after a day out in the hot sun, I filled up a glass of water. It tasted similar to the TAPP filter water. I realised that while I was tasting the TAPP filter water, I was comparing it to the Offenburg water. I have been used to drinking Offenburg’s water during this whole year away from Malta. In my opinion, both pitcher and TAPP water taste similar if not the same. It’s now up to you to decide whether any of the advantages I mentioned are a priority to you.
Should you be interested in investing in a TAPP water filter, use my coupon code CRUELTYFREEMALTA on checkout to save 20% without having to subscribe to the newsletter: tappwater.mt
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