Brita UltraMax Large Water Dispenser with 1 BritaPlus Filter, 27 Cup, Black (Package May Vary)

Replaced an aging ultramax brita with this one and have mixed feelings about this one. The dispenser control is quite a bit more rigid than the last one, often causing it to spring back to a locked open position when dispensing. I think the force to transition from open to closed on this unit is about double the old unit and when your glass is nearly full and you try to close it, sometimes it springs back, requiring a quick response to try again or the glass you are filling will quickly run over. As an adult, this presents a light challenge, but as a child, this could mean the difference between over dispensing 2 oz or a half-gallon of water. The filling lid is hard to open. There is really no definable place to grip the lid. While it looks sleek and makes for proper fitting in the fridge, I find myself “looking for the door handle on the tesla” every time I open it. My brain says lift it from the front lip, but the proper way seems to be palming the opening like a basketball and lift it (easy, but odd user experience). Once you get it open, filling is easy, but what I’ve noticed is that condensation that has accumulated under the lid drips down on to the top of the pitcher, requiring me to wipe it off before stowing it back in the fridge. Not a huge problem, but kind of annoying. Lastly, it’s way easier to spill water out of the top of it after filling than the old unit. The old unit snapped in place and you could slosh the water around in the top with the lid on pretty aggressively and not spill any water. This one doesn’t seal the top, so you really need to let the water drain into the bottom before moving it to avoid creating a sneaker wave inside that will shoot out of the filler door back at you (perhaps this is how I should open the top?). What I do like is the leaner and taller form-factor of this unit vs the old unit. It seems to take up less space in my fridge, or at least give the impression that it does. It might be smaller than my old unit, as I feel like I am filling it more frequently. It seems well constructed and even though the dispenser mechanism is sometimes firmer than desired, it gives a feel that it is a quality product. The last one lasted far longer than it should have (maybe 15 years), so I have high hopes for this one. Honestly, the entire unit should probably be replaced about every 4-5 years (filters more often obviously) – not because it the quality degrades, but for sanitary reasons and it’s relatively inexpensive.