<p>Costco had the pitcher and 2 filters for $20.99 today. Considered getting one either for at home or at our cottage (which doesn’t have the best tasting water). Curious how you like yours, if you prefer a different brand and most importantly, how often do you find you have to change the filter - I have no idea - once a week? once a month?</p>
<p>Bought the same one about a month ago from Costco and we really like it. It is still nowhere near ready for a new filter. I like that it tells you when its time to replace the filter rather then relying on me to remember how long its been in.</p>
<p>I think how often you have to change it depends on your water source.
We have pretty soft water, but old pipes- probably change it every couple months.</p>
<p>My mom used hers religiously. She lived in CA and complained the water had too much calcium in it and that it “had a funny taste”. I bought one after visiting her, used it for a while, but concluded it wasn’t making any difference; our water was already good.</p>
<p>I think you’d need to change the filter depending on the problems with your water and how much you use. The filter has charcoal pellets that look like pepper. The number of those black speckles increased with more water filtered. I’m guessing the range in changing filters varies from 1x a month to 1x every-other month or more.</p>
<p>We did a blind taste test and preferred Brita … it has cut back on our purchasing of bottled water in a big way!! The filters are not cheap…but if you drink more water because it is so easily kept at the ready, nice and cold, then Brita is the way to go!!</p>
<p>I find it hard to keep track of when I change the filter so have been doing it when DD leaves for school or just before she comes home for a break, and sometime during the summer, so that’s every 2-3 months. Guess I’ll need a better system when she graduates.</p>
<p>The one thing that keeps happening, and I know others with the same issue, is that the grains of charcoal never really stop escaping the filter into the top compartment, although that’s supposed to stop after a couple of fillings. My sister called the company and they said that’s safe and normal, but it’s not what the instructions say.</p>
<p>The main thing is to prep them right when you first put the filter in or the thing won’t work efficiently. How often depends on how much you use it.</p>
<p>Love ours. I got it because I noticed my hot tea (which I bring from England or buy here at ridiculous prices when I run out) had a nasty taste and would have a film of something on it. The filtered water makes all the difference to the taste of my tea. I even pour filtered water it the cats water fountain (they love the running water, they don’t care about it being filtered but it stops the mineral build up on the pump).</p>
<p>I am a little lackadaisical about changing the filter - if my tea starts tasting funny I change it.</p>
<p>I have been using Brita for quite a few years. I like the newer models that have a pointed spout. One of mine has a square spout and its a stupid design; it doesn’t pour well. Maybe I’ll replace it with a Costco model for that price.</p>
<p>Both of mine indicate with a dial thingie when the filter needs to be changed.</p>
<p>I seldom buy bottled water; just fill up my metal coffee cup with water from home.</p>
<p>Sounds like I should give it a try! Just wanted to make sure on how often the filter had to be changed - if it was too frequent it would be kind of expensive.</p>
<p>We never buy bottled water anymore after using Brita. It has this neat little digital bar thing on the cap that tells you approximately when you should change the filter. </p>
<p>We usually change it once every month or so, but it really doesn’t make that much of a difference. I’d say it’s well worth your money :]</p>