There's a reason so many water jugs take BRITA filters as standard – BRITA have cornered the market, and their experience shows. Sustainability ranks high with this Swedish-designed water filter; there is no plastic anywhere, and the stainless-steel filter can be used repeatedly, with the granules reducing limescale, heavy metals and chlorine. Unlike many plastic water jugs, which tend to look a little clunky, this model has a classic rounded design, making it one of the best-looking jugs we tested.

If you choose a coloured lid, you'll have to wash it regularly to avoid limescale build-up, and it can't be thrown into the dishwasher along with the body of the jug, thanks to an electronic indicator which tells you when to replace your filter in either litres or weeks. We love the simplicity of the tall 31cm glass carafe, which sits neatly inside a fridge door, or is pretty enough to put directly on the table. We compared filtered water against tap water in a hard-water area to see if there was a noticeable difference. Using Argos own-brand filters, we couldn't really taste any difference between filtered water and tap, but there's always the option of choosing slightly pricier BRITA filters, which result in a marked taste difference, and those also have the advantage of being recyclable.In these eco-conscious times, many of us who aren't keen on tap water – especially in hard water areas – are making the shift from bottled to filtered water at home. Not only do they make for a refreshing glass of water, but filtered water is favoured by coffee experts and used to fill up espresso coffee machines, bean to cup coffee machines and pod coffee machines. The Pitcher Pro is an instant filtration water filter, so it filters as you pour and delivers water that has not been standing in a jug, but is freshly cleaned. If your attempts to grapple with the instruction leaflet (which for some reason is designed like a giant, unwieldy road map) are unsuccessful, fitting the filter is fairly intuitive: instructions for prepping it are printed on the packet, and it’s very easy to install.

The lid of this smart-looking jug is available in muted tones of blue, grey or green, the body is made of good-quality, sturdy materials, and it's simple to use.Also, while some come with accurate indicators telling you when it's time to change your filter, with others it's a bit of a guessing game. Its eco-credentials are impeccable, thanks to its policy of sourcing as much of its manufacturing, packaging, design and distribution within a 50-mile radius of its office in Glasgow as possible. The jug and handle are glass, and the lid, filter and reservoir are high-quality stainless steel; the jug resembles a cafetière rather than a water filter. Whether that's strictly necessary is up for debate, as dissolved solids can include naturally occurring minerals such as calcium. We tested the clean filter and were delighted with the soft, clean, lovely mouthfeel of the water it produced – it was easily one of the best on our test.

It would have been nice to be able to see inside the reservoir to see how water filtering is coming along, but as the jug is larger than most, you won't need to refill it quite so often – although that also means it won't fit in an average fridge door.

There was a distinct difference in taste after filtering, with the water sparklingly clear with a soft, rounded taste. litre capacity that fits in a fridge door (a 12-cup model, with a handy pouring tap at the bottom, is also available) There's also the option to pour water even when the filter is in use, which is useful as it's quite slow – although it's also a little top-heavy when there's water in the tank. The parts are easy to remove and there's a handy tab to make sure the filter tank doesn't come out with the lid when you remove it. Screwing the top back on tightly is essential for an even flow when pouring; we did struggle a little with this, but after a few goes, it became easier and the water flowed quickly and evenly.