I've just begun researching under sink filtration as well, so I know very little. The link below describes different types, and might be helpful to you. I'm specifically looking for: cold water, no additional faucet required, and easy to change filter. I don't know if such a thing exists, but will be on the lookout!

Here is a link that might be useful: description of different types of water filtration system

I purchased the American Plumber WLCS-1000 and had the plumber connect it to a Kohler faucet. It was pretty highly rated by Consumers and reasonably priced. The flow rate is pretty good and after a year of using it, I still haven't had to replace the filters. The Pentek 1500 is the same product.

http://www.freshwatersystems.com/p-5930-pentek-us-1500-monitored-drinking-water-system.aspx

I did some research on water filtration for our remodel. I think the first thing you want to know is details about the water going to the house. I think that info. is usually available from the municipal source. Then, depending on what you need to correct in the water - that will "narrow the universe" of filtration choices.

In our area, the water is very, very hard, so everyone has a water softener to deal with the hardness. We are then limited on the types of filtration that will address the high sodium levels created by the water softeners. You may not have those kinds of issues in your area, but just thought I'd mention it. Good Luck! Will be interested to hear what you decide.

I'm looking at the ones by Insinkerator... Just started that search!

Have you tried searching past threads? It seems this comes up quite a bit. For some reason, I could never sort it out in my heads how all the plumbing stuff works--filters, chillers, faucets, gauges, etc.. I went simple and put an inline filter on the cold water line under my sink.

I would NOT get the hot water dispenser if you are particular about your tea. I want my water "boiling" for my tea and coffee (french press coffee is what we use) not "near boiling". I find hot water from the undersink not hot enough for my taste.

In a similar venue, I find MW water for tea completely unpalatable.

I use electric kettle to get my water "boiling". This is the preferred method in England where everyone drinks tea. No brit will be caught drinking tepid tea.

You have to weigh the convinience versus the taste. (this is true for everything else we do in kitchen.)

Update--

Every now and then my dh makes up his mind on stuff that surprises me. He wants to install a whole house filtration system and water softener.

Go figure.

thanks everybody

Bee we did the same thing. Whole house filtration and water softener. If you don't already have a water filter source, check out Martins, we got ours there and they were very nice and knowledgeable about providing options and the price was reasonable. They're in Myerstown kind of near DW. We worked w/ Dwayne.

We did an instant hot/chilled water at the sink anyway and just didn't use a separate kitchen filter, because I still wanted hot water and chilled water and we don't have a chiller in the fridge. We used the one from Amazon.com that came in a kit w/ tanka nd faucet. Quik n Hot but w/ a Westbrass faucet. I think it was like $200 for the kit for the instant hot and faucet w/ dual controls and then we bought the chiller tank separately. I have had a Quik n Hot for several years already and it has been great. I would never live w/o an instant hot now!

beagles - Could you give me more information on exactly what you bought? I want the chilled water and my husband wants the instant hot. I thought combining that might be a good thing to do.

beagles, Martin's is my "go-to" appliance place. I use the one in Quarryville. The water softener man called me today and we chatted.

I have been to the one in Myerstown too. I've been to them all actually looking for floor models!

Bee

dekeoboe I got:

1) A Waste King kit w/ faucet from Amazon for $135.00. See here.
2) A faucet w/ hot and cold dispenser b/c I didn't like the faucet the kit came w/ and I wanted one to do hot and cold. (I bought the kit b/c it was cheaper than just the tank and it was the same one I'd been using for 1+ years and I liked it- so I didn't care that I wasn't using the faucet that came w/) I chose a Westbrass victorian for my faucet b/c it went w/ my kitchen. Any Westbrass should work w/ the Waste King but they don't necessarily make that clear. Waste King ones obviously work too.
3) A Westbrass instant water chiller from The Great Indoors when it was on sale w/ a coupon.

bee, I got all my appliances from Martins too and mostly floor models!

kaismom - not to tell you what you should like or how it should be made but, in tea circles it generally acknowledged that only black teas get steeped with "boiling water" with the exception of "bagged" black tea.

Most of the others get bathed in much cooler water, especially green teas which generally get steeped in 175 degree water or thereabout. Well below boiling.

SO, these hot shots could even be fine for tea snobs not making a pot from loose black teas. Some of the heaters even get real close to boiling, too so they'd be fine for non purists wanting a fast cup, which is pretty much the point of an "instant hot water heater" !

A much bigger variable in a good cup is the water quality and the steeping time.

Besides, people use these for instant cider , hot chocolate, filling the pasta pot for a quicker boil, gassing up the hot water bottle, and a few other things.

I'll agree with you that these things are not really for the ritualistic tea connoisseur. (S)he is probably not going to to even consider this anyway as a cup is just as much about the "process" and the vessels as it is the nectar.

Thanks beagles.

We went with a Pelican whole-house filter for a couple of reasons. In my old age I have developed some dry skin problems that I am sure are exacerbated by the chlorine in the water. And I want to be able to get a drink of water in the bathroom at night instead of going to the kitchen where we kept the Britta. We haven't had it long enough to assess the skin problem but so far we are very happy with it.

fouramblues, I am looking for the same thing: "cold water, no additional faucet required, and easy to change filter." Have you found one you like? I see Filtrete makes one and it has very good reviews on Amazon. But I'd like to see what else is out there before I make a move.

Roxy--I'm not Fouram, but my cleanup sink has an inline water filter as you describe. I bought a GE system similar to the Filtrete she linked above at my local HD. It cost about $50 for the system and first filter. The filters, at a replacement cost of about $20 each, supposedly last about 6 months. I'm into month 4 now so can't comment on the filter life. The water tastes great, and I'm happy not to have a filter pitcher in the fridge anymore.

I didn't notice a dip in the cold water pressure for months until I had both my cleanup and prep sink faucets, which are identical, running cold simultaneously. The cleanup sink flow was just slightly diminished, but not appreciable when working at the sink.

I'm very happy with this setup. It is cheap, low-tech, and I don't need a separate faucet. I'm not sure why more people don't do this.

Roxy, shortly after posting here I got sidetracked, so have done no more research on filtration. But I might have just found the filter for me, after reading about breezy's experiences -- thanks, breezy! (That GE filter looks to fulfill two more important criteria: inexpensive and readily available filters.)

Nee, how do y'all like your whole house filtration system and water softener??? Does it seem to work well? Any problems? Which ones did you get? We need to do something about our hard water - thanks!

hey guys as i am planning to move out, so can anyone tell me about a good water distiller which solves all my problems. please don't suggest Reverse osmosis and carbon filters as i am fed up with them. Also one more thing some water distiller are very difficult to clean, specially from the inside. I m not able to find the right solution for my water cleaning problems ..!!
Please help
suggestions are welcome..:(