Holiday Gift Guide 2009: Cuisinart CleanWater® 2-Gallon Countertop Filtration System Review

Christmas day is this Friday – can you even believe it?! I know many of us are still scrambling to get everything done in time for the big day, and you likely still have a few people to shop for. Some people are hard to buy for, so if you find yourself searching for a gift that will truly be put to use and appreciated, you need to check out Cuisinart’s CleanWater Countertop Water Filtration System. And there’s still time to get it for the holidays!

About Cuisinart CleanWater:

Here are the full product specs on the Cuisinart CleanWater Countertop Water Filtration System from their website:

“The most convenient way to enjoy cleaner, fresher water anytime you want it – chilled, hot or room temperature. The Cuisinart® CleanWater® Countertop Filtration System dispenses refreshing filtered water right from the kitchen countertop, and eliminates the need for costly bottled water alternatives. It’s healthier, smart, and simple – CleanWater® is the future of drinking water!

Product Features

* 2.0 gallon tank capacity
* Dispenses hot (194°F), cold (44°F) and room-temperature filtered water
* Blue/red LED lights indicate when water is ready
* Energy Saver reduces energy usage by more than 50%
* Green LED lights up when Energy Saver feature is activated (hot water is off)
* Brushed stainless steel housing
* Removable water tank
* 2 spigots
* Fast water flow
* Filter included
* GF-80 filter reduces contaminants including (for pH level 6.5):
– Lead 98.7%
– Chlorine (taste and odor) 97.5%
– Mercury 92.8%
– Benzene 84.1%
– Cadmium 96.6%
– Copper 85.0%
– Tetrachloroethylene 92.5%
– Toluene 89.8%
* Filter life is 3 months’ average household use (up to 48 gallons)”

My Take:

I never drink enough water. I often set a goal of drinking 8 8-oz glasses a day, but it doesn’t last long. I don’t like the taste of tap water, and I don’t want to buy bottled water all the time. I recently decided that I should get some sort of water filtration system, because I thought it might help motivate me to drink more H20. So the timing could not have been better when Cuisinart sent me one of their CleanWater units to review!

You know those water coolers that most offices have? Picture a miniature version of that which you can keep on your counter. The Cuisinart CleanWater system has a 2-gallon tank and outputs water in three options – cold, hot, and room temperature. This appliance exceeded my expectations and has quickly become a staple in my kitchen. One of the prime benefits is that I am drinking much more water since setting up the CleanWater system. It’s definitely going to help me in my goal to be more hydrated, and it’s great to have pure, ice-cold water on hand to drink after my workouts. It’s also reduced my temptation to buy other beverages – one night, we got takeout, and I didn’t order a soda because we had filtered water at home. I used to hate drinking water, so for me to pass up another drink in favor of water is amazing to me.

I can also see that this will come in very handy when I have guests. People often ask me if I have bottled water, but I don’t buy it unless I have coupons because it’s such a waste of money (not to mention resources). Now, I can offer my friends cold, clean water straight from the Cuisinart water cooler! The hot water option will also be useful during parties, because it will make it a little quicker to prepare tea or cocoa. The maximum output temperature is 194 degrees Fahrenheit – not quite boiling, but can still be used for hot drinks. Purists will probably prefer a brew from the kettle, but I have to say that I was impressed with how well it did; it’s great for making hot drinks in a hurry.

I think this would make a fantastic present – it’s a practical item that I think a lot of people would be thrilled to have. Also, this could be especially useful for people who have a home water delivery service. I don’t know what the cost of a subscription like that is, but it would be interesting to compare and see if this is cheaper.

Cuisinart CleanWater® 2-Gallon Countertop Filtration System is available on Amazon for 129.00, and there’s still time to get it for the holidays: Today, Monday the 21st, is the last day to order with standard shipping for Christmas arrival. After that, you can order through the 23rd with two-day and overnight shipping – click here for a list of all holiday shipping options. The Cuisinart CleanWater system can also be found at brick and mortar outlets like Bed, Bath & Beyond and Macy’s – click here for a full list of retailers.