Product Description

Though most tap water in the United States is considered good there may be chlorine and mineral deposits that can effect the taste or odor. You can haul bottled water from the supermarket or you can use the Brita water filter pitcher to filter, store and pour your drinking water. Additional filters may be purchased as BIR 35501 or BIR 35503

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1994 in Home Improvement
• Brand: Brita
• Model: 42556
• Dimensions: 6.00" h x 11.10" w x 11.30" l, 3.73 pounds

Features

• Save on money and waste in the long run with a water filter pitcher
• Reduces sediment and chlorine for improved taste and odor
• Reduces copper, mercury and 98-percent of lead
• Designed with flip top lid for easy refilling
• Includes convenient filter change indicator

Customer Reviews

Don't buy this pitcher
First, I will share with you who I am, so you don't think I work for PUR or sell PUR products in a store or something. I am a college student and I live on campus, where my tap water tastes terrible. As a result, I was in the market for a filter pitcher. I decided on this pitcher because of the large capacity. I share this Brita "not so Grand" pitcher with 3 other dudes, so needless to say, it gets lots of usage since we are all athletes that drink lots of water. At first, this pitcher seemed like a perfect fit because it has a large capacity and a "simple" electronic thing that tells you when to change the filter. Here is my attempt to persuade you, the consumer, not to buy this product.
In the relatively short (3 months) amount of time that I have had this pitcher, I have spilled enough water on my floor, counter and fridge to fill a medium size pond. Now, you may be sitting there thinking to yourself, "well, that's just because you are a clumsy/drunken college student." How wrong you are. The overall design of this pitcher is flawed for a few reasons:
1. When filling this pitcher, one must wait for the water to completely filter into the lower, clear portion of the pitcher, as the top does not fit tightly enough to prevent leaks when the pitcher is slightly tipped while being returned to the fridge. This is simply unacceptable considering this is one of Brita's most expensive pitcher models.
2. I encourage you to compare Brita's products one of its competitors, such as PUR. At home, my family has been using an entry level PUR pitcher and this "leaking from the top basin phenomenon" has never been a problem for us, in fact, I can pour a glass of water almost immediately after filling the top basin with un-filtered water, assuming there is still filtered water left in the lower half of the pitcher.
3. The spout on the "Grand" pitcher is completely flawed. This tiny flaw causes water to spill all over everything if two hands are not used to pour. (One hand to hold the pitcher, one hand to lift the spout cover). This is annoying as I have to set the cup down, instead of being able to hold the cup in one hand, and pour with the other. The problem with the design is explained here:
The white spout covering the clear portion of the pitcher that the water comes out of has groves in it to make a better seal when the pitcher sits in the fridge. I suppose this is to prevent the entrance of foreign bacteria or mold spores into the pitcher, however, this greatly inhibits the usability of the pitcher itself. For instance, if the pitcher's filtered water reservoir is too full (something that should not be an issue since the reason I purchased this particular pitcher was because of its large capacity) when one attempts to pour a delicious glass of chilled filtered water, the cap on the pourer winds up sticking and one receives two feet full of delicious chilled filter water.
Had I known of this flaw, I would have put on my flippers and snorkel before getting a glass of water. I also never would have wasted this much money purchasing one of Brita's so called "higher end" pitchers when I could have bought a cheaper, higher quality pitcher from one of their competitors. Don't buy this pitcher. Happy Hunting.
Sincerely,
Kevin M.

A Rebuttal
I was a victim of the Brita "Drink Responsibly" advertising campaign (summer 2008) and I bought the pitcher before I read the reviews here. Reading these (1 star) reviews allowed me to look for the problems described and I have not experienced them. I did not note a leaky top, although this may have been because I was being careful thanks to K.M. aka Squishy's review. I was more concerned about the spout cover problem which I read in a couple of reviews, but I discovered (no pun intended)that the spout cover "floats," that is if you just pour the pitcher the cover lifts and water comes out. Mine did not leak. (this may be a redesign since the old reviews). I was perfectly able to pour water with one had into a glass sitting on the counter (didn't have to hold the glass either) with no leaks.

Amazon defines 4-stars as "I like it" which I do. It ain't a cure for cancer. It's a water pitcher and mine seems to work fine.

Flawed, but good.
I haven't had the problems the other reviewer (as of this date) has had, but I do agree the design of the Brita Grand isn't perfect.

The main problem I have is with the pitcher cover, specifically where the lid is pressed, raising it to allow the pitcher to be filled. To make room for the pressed lid, an indent (and thus a small reservoir) was included and this is a perfect place for undesired water to collect and spill. I have spilled water from this spot several times and although it's certainly possible to avoid allowing water into this spot, one wonders why a fairly large pitcher designed for alot of use (especially for a family with children) requires so much care to engage in the simple act of filling it.

The only other complaint I have is with the timer. Although the literature accompanying this pitcher doesn't specifically state how this timer is calibrated, it's pretty clear that after 2 months, the timer needs to be reset and the filter needs to be replaced. O.K. This may work for the average family of four, but what if I'm a single guy who doesn't use this pitcher nearly as often? Do my filters need replacing every 2 months? I think not! A better design would have been to decrease the time on the 'timer' whenever the pitcher is poured, i.e. tipped to such an angle that indicates pouring or whenever the lid to the spout is opened and water is passed through. This would have made for a more complicated and more expensive but more accurate design. I understand that Brita wants to sell as many replacement filters as possible, but I don't intend to succumb to this not-so-clever bit of marketing. (It's rather like the 'moisturizing' strips on razors telling you when you need to insert a new razor blade.)

Other than that, I like this pitcher. My tap water actually isn't too bad to begin with, but the water from this pitcher is a definite improvement. Tasteless, odorless, colorless and deliciously refreshing!

Recommended.