23 Oct 2025

Benchtop Water Filter Kits: What to Look for

You’ve done it. We’ve all done it.

Filled a glass from the tap, took a sip, and noticed that slight swimming pool taste. Not terrible, not unsafe – just not quite as refreshing as you’d like. So, you reach for bottled water instead.

Here’s the thing: many Kiwi households spend hundreds of dollars annually on bottled water. And your tap water? It could taste just as good, or even better, for a fraction of the cost.

Introducing the benchtop water filter. No plumbing nightmares. No drilling holes in your pristine countertop. Just refreshing, better-tasting water whenever you want it.

But with dozens of options out there, how do you pick one that actually works? Let's break it down.

Why Perfectly Safe Water Can Still Taste… Meh
 

While New Zealand’s tap water is treated and safe to drink, it doesn’t always mean it tastes delicious. Treatment processes use chlorine to keep water safe as it travels to your tap, which can leave behind that distinctive taste some people notice. Depending on your area, your water might also pick up natural minerals or sediment along the way.

Rural properties on bore water have their own considerations, natural minerals and sediments that vary based on your local geology.

A benchtop filter simply polishes what's already safe water. It uses carbon filtration to reduce chlorine taste and filter out sediment, while keeping the beneficial minerals your body needs. Think of it as the final step that turns safe water into great-tasting water.

Benchtop Water Filters: No Tools Required

The biggest selling point of benchtop filters? You don't need to be handy.

No plumber. No tools. No YouTube spiral at 11 PM, trying to figure out what a "pressure valve" is.

Our Standard and Advanced Benchtop Filter Kits connect directly to your existing tap through a simple diverter valve. If you can screw on a bottle cap, you can install this. We're talking minutes, not hours.

Each kit includes everything: filter housing, suction cups so it doesn't slide around, a tap adaptor, and that diverter valve. The fittings work with most standard kitchen taps, so you can start enjoying filtered water immediately.

Seriously, watch how easy this is.

What Actually Matters When Choosing a Filter

Micron Rating (Yes, This Matters)

Think of micron rating as the size of a net that catches the bad stuff. Smaller microns = tinier holes = catches more contaminants.

A 10-micron filter stops the obvious stuff: larger particles, chlorine, and that odd taste.

A 0.5-micron filter catches much finer impurities: sediment, chlorine, chemicals, asbestos fibres, cysts, and bacteriostatic particles.

Standard vs Advanced: The Real Difference

Standard Benchtop Filter Kit — $149.95

The Standard Kit uses a 10-micron carbon filter. It handles the everyday annoyances: chlorine taste, sediment, and provides great tasting water.

If your main issue is "my water tastes like chemicals," this does the job. Simple, effective, affordable.

Quick install. Annual filter changes.

Advanced Benchtop Filter Kit — $174.95

The Advanced Kit drops down to 0.5 microns. That's 20 times finer filtration than the Standard model.

This means it catches bacteriostatic impurities, chemicals, asbestos, cysts, and all the stuff the Standard filter handles. If you're on bore water, dealing with questionable pipes, or just want the most thorough filtration available, this is your kit.

The Benefits Beyond Taste

Beyond better-tasting water, there's this:

When water actually tastes good, you drink more of it. You stop reaching for sugary drinks. Your kids stop complaining. You feel better and more hydrated.

And the convenience? No more storing those giant packs of bottled water that take up half your pantry. No more "Oops, we're out of water" moments. No more plastic waste guilt.

Do the math: if you're spending $10-15 weekly on bottled water, a benchtop filter pays for itself in about three months.

How to make a decision:

Go with the Standard Benchtop Filter Kit if:

- Your main gripe is chlorine taste and sediment.

- You want affordable, effective filtration without overthinking it.

Go with the Advanced Benchtop Filter Kit if:

- You want a more thorough filtration available.

- You’re concerned about bacteria, cysts, or chemicals.

Both options absolutely crush the ongoing cost of bottled water. Both install in minutes with zero plumbing skills required. Both give you a year between filter changes.

Looking for something different?

Want chilled or hot water on demand without assembling and packing away a filter unit?

Check out our home water cooler systems. Same great filtration, with the option to Fill-Your-Own or get filtered water delivered to your door. Less countertop clutter, even more convenience.

Ready to Make the Switch?

A benchtop water filter is a straightforward investment in better-tasting water. Pick the system that suits your needs, install in minutes, and enjoy filtered water on tap for the year ahead.

Your future self (and wallet) will thank you.

SHOP BENCHTOP WATER FILTER KITS