Products · Water filters · AquaTru
AquaTru Carafe Countertop Reverse Osmosis Purifier
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A smaller, cheaper countertop reverse osmosis unit that IAPMO R&T lists for lead, fluoride, PFOA/PFOS, arsenic and nitrate. It wastes about 0.6 gallon per gallon made and makes only 35 gallons a day.
Best for One or two people, renters, or anyone who wants fluoride, arsenic or nitrate reduced without plumbing, and has space for a 13-inch-tall unit.
- Our quality rating
- Good (4 of 5)
- Price range
- Premium
- Verified marks
- IAPMO R&T: NSF/ANSI 42, 53, 58, 372 and 401
- Size
- Countertop unit with a 64 oz glass carafe and a 0.66-gallon tap tank; rated 35 gallons a day; plugs in, no plumbing
approx. $375 with the VOC carbon filter
See it on AquaTru’s site →We are not affiliated with AquaTru. This link goes to the maker’s own page, with no tracking code. How we're funded.
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Your review
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How we evaluated it
Why we chose it What put it on our list
- IAPMO R&T’s public listing covers the Carafe models AT100 to AT140 under NSF/ANSI 42, 53, 58, 372 and 401, all active. The 58 listing names TDS, arsenic, nitrate/nitrite, cysts, chromium, copper, perchlorate, fluoride, barium, radium, selenium and lead; the 53 listing names VOCs and PFOA/PFOS; the 401 listing adds microplastics and 15 drugs and chemicals.
- AquaTru’s data sheet (rev. 09.25.R5) gives lead reduced 99.2% on average (98% minimum), fluoride 96.4% from an 8 mg/L challenge, PFOA and PFOS 99.9% from a 1.5 µg/L challenge, pentavalent arsenic 98.8% and nitrate 98.3%.
- The filter schedule and prices are published: pre-filter every 6 months or 300 gallons, VOC filter every 12 months or 300 gallons, reverse osmosis membrane every 24 months or about 600 gallons.
- A two-year filter set costs $259.65, about $0.43 a gallon if you use the full 600 gallons.
- It costs $100 less than the AquaTru Classic and sits on a counter with nothing to install.
Trade-offs What to weigh before you buy
- It wastes water. The data sheet gives 63% efficiency, so about 0.6 gallon goes to the drain for every gallon of purified water. The Classic’s figure is 75%.
- It is small and slow: rated 35 gallons a day, 0.042 gallons a minute, with a 0.5-gallon clean-water tank. It suits drinking and cooking water, not volume.
- It takes minerals out along with contaminants: the data sheet shows dissolved solids down 94%. AquaTru sells a mineral-boost VOC filter for $49.95, against $39.95 for the plain one. The Carafe costs about $395 with the mineral-boost filter and $425 as the Carafe Smart.
- Water harder than 10 grains per gallon (171 mg/L) will scale the membrane unless it is softened first, and the data sheet limits inlet dissolved solids to 1,500 mg/L.
What to know Details worth knowing first
Reverse osmosis is the broadest home option for lead, PFAS, fluoride, arsenic and nitrate, as our guide to choosing a filter explains. The Carafe is AquaTru’s smaller countertop version: you fill a tank, it filters into a glass carafe, and nothing connects to your plumbing.
IAPMO R&T’s own listing shows the Carafe certified for all of those, which is the record to check. That includes fluoride under NSF/ANSI 58, which our article on fluoride alternatives names reverse osmosis for. The cost is waste water and minerals: about 0.6 gallon is rejected for each gallon you drink, and the water is low in minerals. See is reverse osmosis water too pure for the evidence.
If you want more water or less waste, the Classic is the larger model. Look up what’s in your water before choosing either.
Quality & testing How it measures up against our checklist
- Third-party tested
- Yes
- Tested by
- IAPMO R&T
| What we checked | What we found |
|---|---|
| Certified standards Verified | IAPMO R&T lists models AT100, AT110, AT120, AT130 and AT140 (Countertop RO System) under NSF/ANSI 42-2022 (W-10188), 53-2021 (W-10193), 58-2022 (W-10194), 401-2020 (W-10195) and 372-2022 (W-14617), all active. The data sheet names the same models and standards. We found no WQA listing. |
| Lead, PFAS and fluoride Verified | IAPMO’s 58 listing names lead and fluoride, and its 53 listing names PFOA/PFOS. The percentages come from AquaTru’s data sheet: lead 99.2%, fluoride 96.4%, PFOA and PFOS 99.9%. |
| Flow and waste Maker’s claim | 35 gallons a day, 63% efficiency, about 0.6 gallon of waste per gallon of purified water (data sheet). |
| Replacement cost Maker’s claim | Pre-filter $29.95, VOC filter $39.95, membrane $59.95. One-year combo pack $99.85; two-year pack $259.65 (maker prices and schedule). |
| Matched to your water Not verified | Not something we can check for you. Look up your utility’s water report or get a lab test first. |
What the labels mean
- Verified We opened an independent record that confirms it: a certifier’s listing, a regulator’s list or a lab report. It is linked under Sources.
- Maker’s claim The maker says so on its own page or label. We read it but found no independent record.
- Not verified We looked and could not confirm it, or the maker does not say. Treat it as unknown.
Sources Where our facts come from
- AquaTru Carafe: AquaTru product page. Maker’s page. Shows prices, dimensions and tank sizes. Open ↗
- AquaTru Carafe performance data sheet, rev. 09.25.R5. Test report. Published by AquaTru. Models AT100 to AT140; results by standard; filter schedule. Open ↗
- IAPMO R&T listing W-10194: NSF/ANSI 58, AquaTru, LLC. Certifier or regulator listing. Countertop RO System section lists AT100 to AT140 with lead, fluoride, arsenic, nitrate and more; 35 gallons a day. Open ↗
- IAPMO R&T listing W-10193: NSF/ANSI 53, AquaTru, LLC. Certifier or regulator listing. AT100 to AT140: VOC and PFOA/PFOS; 300 gallons. Open ↗
- IAPMO R&T listing W-10195: NSF/ANSI 401, AquaTru, LLC. Certifier or regulator listing. Open ↗
- IAPMO R&T listing W-10188: NSF/ANSI 42, AquaTru, LLC. Certifier or regulator listing. Open ↗
- IAPMO R&T listing W-14617: NSF/ANSI/CAN 372 lead-free, AquaTru, LLC. Certifier or regulator listing. Open ↗
Alternatives Other options to compare
- AquaTru Classic Larger, about $100 more, wastes less water (75% efficiency) and makes 54 gallons a day.
- Culligan with ZeroWater 10-cup pitcher About a tenth of the price and certified for fluoride and nitrate, but not arsenic, and filters cost far more per gallon.