Does it work? Is it easy to assemble? Do you need to buy a new stainless steel spout? Is it big or small on the kitchen countertop? So many unanswered questions! What do to? Well, read on...Like you, I was curious about water...just ordinary drinking water. We know it well. We bath in it, we all drink it, we water our lawns with it. It is unlimited...just turn on the faucet and it's there. It's clean, it's fresh and it's pure! The elixer of life...Or is it?Yes and no.All of our cities are proud to supply fresh water that meets or exceeds the national cleanliness requirements. But these requirements allow a limited, but unharmful quantity of impurities & chemical as a matter of economics...it is not worth the price to the city water department to increase the filtration. Zerowater filters out 100% of these whereas Brita does not...but more on the Zerowater versus Brita debate later in the updates.The package is huge. Well protected from breakage of the crystal clear glass vessel that is completely open at the top...which will get 2 layers of coverage as you do not have an open vat of water sitting on your countertop. 1 layer from the water filtration reservoir pot that sits into the top of the glass vessel. And a 2nd layer from a bright, new shiny lid with a button handle.Assembly is easy. Rinse out the glass water tank and plastic white strainer thingy...looks like a white plastic pan with a lip to keep it from falling into the tank and a big donut hole in the middle into which to screw in the filter.You open the filter bag and remove the filter...a 3 inch diameter, long white cylinder with threads to engage the strainer thingy.. simply screw the filter into it. The packaging advises you to exercise caution when screwing in the filter so as to not cross-thread the fragile plastic threads. Just take a bit of care. If you're like me, you didn't screw it more than hand tight and it leaked a bit. Simply tighten a bit and the seals snug up and the leak will stop. So, pour only enough water to check for leaks...easy does it. Same for checking the (optional) stainless steel spigot for leaks.Next comes the controversial spigot. Don't even get me started. Buy a new stainless spigot when you buy the Zerowater. Don't fret. Just do it!The assembly is way to big to easily move. Remember that the glass tank only sits on the top of the bright shiny metal base. Place it on your countertop where you will want it's permanent location in your kitchen...of course, after you drink the water and the tank is empty, then it's easier to move. It sits fairly tall...I measure 2 extended thumb to pinky which for me is 8 inches...so 8 x 2 = 16 inches from countertop to metal lid...plus you need clearance to remove the metal lid each time that you add more water. So, it needs a dedicated piece of countertop real estate. If this is too big, then buy the pitcher sized units.The optional (you have to buy it on your own) stainless spigot has 2 seals, 2 washers and 1 stainless nut. Simply slide a washer (the washers are beveled and colored blue on one side...and I think their purpose is to capture & compress the silicone-like translucent water seals) and seal onto the spigot, carefully slide the treaded pipe through the hole in the glass tank... then from the inside of the tank. slide the seal & then the washer ahead of hand turning the nut until it's snug. The nut continues to turn until you've touched the silicone-like seal. That is not enough to create a water tight seal. You must compress both silicone-like seals...so carefully continue to hand rotate the nut. I would caution against using a wrench as you may crack the glass.Continue hand turning the nut to squeeze the seal a bit. Just keep turning...it will feel snug...but don't crack the glass.(Note: there are multiple photos...more than the 2 that you see...scroll with your finger to view).See the photo...as you will see the water exiting the upper chamber as a tiny stream exiting at the bottom of the filter. How fast? Not very. It is akin to watching a hole in a paper cup made by just the tip of a pen. Just a tiny stream. Pure and clean. Nobody needs water that urgently...patience is a virtue.The glass water tank has a circular reduction (a 1/8 inch lip underneath the bottom) of the outside tank diameter which mates snugly into the top of the new shiny metal (chromed tin or steel?) base. Nice. The purpose is to provide enough room under the spigot to allow you to slide a glass under the spigot.Now pour water into the upper chamber and wait for the 5-Stage Filter to do its magic. (Brita has a 2-Stage Filter) Careful to fill enough to check for the water integrity of the spigot seals. No leaks, then fill away. If you need to...tighten the stainless steel spigot by squeezing the seals and tightening. I do not want to expound about the standard plastic spigot which the reports say "will delaminate". Don't bother. Order the stainless spigot straight away.There is a TDS or Total Dissolved Solids meter included. It is about the size of a rectangular magic marker or one of those old time square carpenter's pencil...but I digress. The 2 batteries are pre-installed and it's ready to go. The batteries are typical flat disk batteries that you can buy on Amazon. When it reads 006, it is time to change filters. Mine cost $10 each on Amazon. Usually they cost $13 each. Buy in bulk when on sale. There is a buyback program in which you mail back 2 used filters and you get a $10 coupon to buy at the Zerowater website. 4 filters cost $40. So, with the coupon 4 filters cost $30 plus the price of MAILING and the price of boxing and the price of gas to the post office. Leonardo Di Caprio would be proud of you. Oh and the price of shipping as it isn't Amazon Prime. Seems like saving up filters would be optimal...we'll see.I am experimenting. My purified water from the local neighborhood water store costs almost nothing...5 gallons for just a couple bucks. If I continue to use the Water Source corner store instead of my tap water, then I should get the maximum filter life that exceeds the suggested filter life. The filters bag has a map of the USA with the estimated filter life for each state. Additionally, Zerowater wants you to help build their data base by testing your tap water's TDS and then sending that TDS to them. Poor local water will fill up a filter in only 15 gallons according to the literature. My guess is that I will get 200 gallons per filter by using my bottled Water Source corner store as the water supply.How does it taste?Crystal clean. Pure as a mountain stream.But don't mineral impurities add flavor?Well, I think if you want Fiji Water then go out and buy it. Otherwise, this is pretty darned delicious water. Flavor is subjective, but this water sparkles.The water tank is glass rather than plastic. See the photo. The metal lid loosely fits on top and there is no airtight seal to obstruct flow (create a vacuum) out the "new stainless steel spigot". Glass gives the water a cleaner look over plastic I think! It looks more professional somehow.Buy it. Buy it with confidence. A 5 Gold Star appliance! Love it.UPDATE 29 January 2019My bottled water from the corner water store reads 003 on the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) electronic meter. 006 is the recommended reading when it's time to replace the filter. My Zerowater glass of water reads 000! Life is good.It just came to mind that if my source is 003, then the drinking water should never exceed the source. That would mean that my starting reading of 000 should slowly increase to a maximum of 003. Which to me would mean that my filter should never ever reach 006. This, ignoring reality, would mean that my expensive $10 filter should last until infinite. Hey, that cannot be true! Huh? That would mean that low, medium and high regions of the USA have starting TDS of about 150, 250, and 350. Then, these locales have filters which last inversely 35 gallons, 25 gallons and 15 gallons...approximately. So, this small action of using the local corner store should save me a lot of money, but of course there comes a point where it has collected enough minerals and bacteria that any person would want to change out the filter. The filter packaging says that if the water tastes like citrus, then it is time to replace the filter. Easy.What does that mean?To me, it means that Zerowater is in the business to sell you filters. Kind of, sort of like copy machines and replacement ink cartridges. The copy machines could be free and they'd still make money.Note that although Zerowater is a Pennsylvania company, their manufacturing location is in Mexico. So, the replacement filter come in a 2-pack nondescript cardboard box from a company called Zero Technologies in Mexico.So, my advice is that our goal is to get the most bang for the buck! Buy dirt cheap bottled water at your corner Water Source and then you will save $$$$$$$$$.Also, taste comes from minerals. Let me repeat that...taste comes from minerals. That's why Fiji Water tastes so good...go buy some and try it for yourself. Zerowater filters out everything. Thus, I have read that Brita water tastes a bit better because it leaves in both the good minerals and the bad minerals. You will have to decide.These minerals do not affect the clarity of the water in a glass. Organic substances are what makes the water less sparkling. So, both Brita & Zerowater look clear.I will be making some cold brewed coffee...come back to read about it.And lastly, ORP or Oxidation Reduction Potential. The USA standard is +650. Ionization water purification machines are used to clean computer chips and boards. They are used to mix medicines. They are used in nearly every industry from food to nearly everything else. It is a 3-step process, 1.) Eliminate sludge, and organics to get clear water, 2.) Eliminate bacteria and other small things that are alive to get clear water with no bugs...and 3.) Eliminate all minerals & chemicals by IONIZATION REPLACEMENT. When using resin balls, then the minerals & chemicals are captured by IONIZATION REPLACEMENT and flushed. When using electrolysis, then each of the 2 plates (one positive & one negative) removes the minerals & chemicals BY IONIZATION REPLACEMENT but also does something else...inadvertently. Something completely separate from clean water (Steps 1, 2 &3) is pH. High pH is alkaline (drinking water) and Low pH is acidic (non-drinking water). And these machines for the home can separate the water from each electrode to create alkaline (for drinking) or acidic water (for cleaning).So here's the catch. Those minerals can cause oxidation. So, these manufacturers market that the lack of minerals = antioxidation = biological antioxidant. This is a scam. But buy Zerowater and enjoy fresh clean water.UPDATE FEBRUARY 13, 20191. Keto Diet Users: the "keto flu" is caused by a.) The body having a bad reaction to the actual transition of changing from carb-based fuel (gasoline) to fat-based fuel (jet fuel). The body is not yet burning jet fuel and it is burning the last of the gasoline...but the last gas is impure and this creates nausea, 2.) Increased urination empties the body's supply of minerals, including salts and magnesium. The water purifier eliminates all minerals. So, Keto Users must be aware to find other sources to replace these minerals. Salts would not normally be in your tap water so they wouldn't have been eliminated but Keto Users need to replace it anyway. Magnesium is the next mineral which is eliminated but it is not clear to me whether it would have been in tap water either "to a significant enough quantity". Bottom line is this water is great for Keto Users who need to significantly increase their mineral and salt intake elsewhere!2. When the water level is only 2/3 full, the water in the upper "tap water basin" does not drain dry. This makes no sense to me as gravity should be sufficient to empty the basin. This tells me that the force in pressure of those six or so inches of water is GREATER than the pressure coming out of the tiny teensy itsy bitsy exit hole at the bottom of the filter itself. No big deal. HOWEVER, if you discount the couple inches of water that isbelow the level of the spigot and the water above the filter tiny hole pressure level.. THAT MEANS YOU ONLY GET ABOUT 1/3 THE TOTAL VOLUME OF THIS HUGE GLASS WATER TANK AS AVAILABLE WATER TO DRINK.The tank can be tipped forward to cause the water below the spigot to flow out. But consumers should know this before making a purchase. I wholeheartedly endorse this product. The water tastes great and pure...it is hard to go back once you have tasted this clean & fresh water. Buy it.