In my review of the best reverse osmosis system for 2015, it is mainly for undersink water filter systems. If for some reason there is no space under your sink, then it is best to look for countertop RO systems instead. These are smaller sized reverse osmosis filtration system that are easier to set up but has no water tank to store the filtered water. There are pros and cons in owning one of these but it ideal for small apartments. If you are looking for such a countertop system, here is what I think is the best.
APEC countertop reverse osmosis review
There are just 2 well known brands offering countertop reverse osmosis water filter systems: APEC countertop system and Reverse Osmosis Solutions. Between the two, there is really no competition in terms of water quality. The APEC produces water in the realm of 10 PPM while the Reverse Osmosis Solutions is in the range of 30 PPM. That is a huge difference and bends the result heavily towards the APEC.
Besides producing cleaner water, the APEC is also more water efficient. It has a 2:1 water wastage ratio, which is much higher than the usual 3:1. The time which it cleans the water is also something worth mentioning. It takes only about 5 minutes to fill a 2 liter jug so you don’t need to waste too much time waiting for the filtering to take place.
One of the best feature for this APEC countertop reverses osmosis system is the ability to add minerals back to the water. We called this process remineralisation. Why do we need to do this? It is because the RO process strips outs all the minerals, including the ones we need but don’t take enough through other food. To maintain our intake, it is best to add the useful minerals back to the water we drink. Most reverse osmosis systems don’t have this feature so I am very glad the APEC did.
Finally, the installation is also dead simple. Much simplier than the undersink version that I reviewed a few weeks back. All you need to do is to hook up the faucet to the sink and you are done. There is no other pipes to hook up or things to join.
Disadvantage of a countertop reverse osmosis system
Having said all the good things, there are 2 issues which I should highlight.
One is the price. While the APEC system is good, it comes with a price tag of more than USD200+. This is higher than the Reverse Osmosis Solutions brand and probably the reason why some folks might buy that instead.
Another issue is not with APEC per say but with all countertop systems. There are no water tanks. It means everytime you want filter water, you need to on the RO system and wait for it, just like waiting for hot water. The solution is store the filtered water in a third party tank or storage so that you can drink it whenever you want.
Conclusion
When it comes to the best water quality, the APEC countertop reverse osmosis system is your best choice. Yes, it is more expensive than the competition, but you are getting cleaner water, the remineralisation process and an low water wastage ratio. All these makes the APEC worth the money in my view.