Stefani Terracotta

Scammed but the the price should have been a red alert – At first glance this appears to be a well- made glazed terracotta vessel you would be proud to have on your kitchen bench. The clay vessel might be terracotta but it is not glazed, rather painted with a thin water- based paint that easily rubs off or soaks off. We rinsed and refilled it several times but the reservoir continues to stink faintly of… Read more

some aromatic hydrocarbon - I thought perhaps the filter might be filled with recycled activated charcoal from the chemical industry but no, it is only the deteriorating presumably acrylic paint. After a couple of gentle washes hoping to remove the smell, the paint is almost worn off the bottom of the top reservoir which will soon begin leaking as terracotta is not waterproof. The bottom vessel does not smell as bad but the supposedly filtered water is still slightly turbid with paint particles (which will be microplastics), has a stale smell and tastes musty like mildew. And so this Stefani product has transformed perfectly good town water into something you wouldn't offer to people or animals. After persevering a week I am returning it as unfit for purpose.

Would not recommend – I've seen these types of water filters for many years and always wanted one. I thought this type of water filter system would be the most organic and non toxic in terms of materials. Unfortunately it has a very strong toxic smell inside the terracotta water chambers. Both top and bottom. It appears the terracotta has been painted with something… Read more

the same colour and could be the source of toxic smelling odour. Otherwise it might be the filter candle itself. I'm very dissappointed in it. Definitely wouldn't recommend. The whole point of filtering water is to REMOVE toxins not add them:/

Muddy smell, warped lid – Bought the unit from Bunnings. After trying out for a couple of weeks because our tap water has a salty taste. The filtered water tasted very muddy. The lid of the unit is also made of very thin plastic and was warped - it did not sit properly on the top. I contacted the company Stefani asking for a replacement lid and explained I live far from a… Read more

Bunnings (I live in the country), but they just said to take the whole unit back to Bunnings for exchange. I asked about how to get rid of the muddy taste, the person said will get their engineer to call me back, but I never heard from them. On their website was a FAQ answer that says soak unit in vinegar and water, but it didn't say proportion of vinegar to water. I tried soaking the unit in a mix of vinegar and water but it didn't really work. So I've had to eventually take it to a Bunnings (luckily they were good about the return). I wished there had been better support, and wonder how they could design a unit that makes the water taste worse than before filtering. There should have been a warning about the muddy taste on the unit.

Stefani Terracotta Great Product – The water purifier consists of a separate upper chamber that sits on top of a lower chamber. At the base of the top chamber there is a hole that takes an easily replaceable ceramic filter known as a “candle” which has an activated charcoal core and colloidal silver cover internally to prevent any build-up of bacteria. According to Stefani, based… Read more

in Western Australia, the water purifier was tested by an Australian university. Their report showed the removal from ordinary tap water of:-

• 99.9% of bacteria

• 99.9% of amoeba

• 98.5% of chlorine

• 99.4% of iron

• 99.7% of copper

• 99.6% of lead

• 99.4% of manganese

• 99.4% of zinc

• 94.5% of aluminum

• 87.0% of lindane

• 92.0% of dieldrin

• 93.0% of chloroform

• 95.0% of dichlorobromomethane

• 97.0% of bromoform

The purifier candle lasts between 3 to 6 months depending upon the amount of use and quality of the water. The water drips slowly from the upper chamber as it passes through the candle into the holding chamber. Replacement candles cost me just over $20 from Bunnings which gives a lot of water filtering. My electric kettles have always had a build-up of lime scale in them but using filtered water, it looks like brand new inside.

Each week or so I wash the inside and outside in the sink and at least once a month the candle is removed and scrubbed with a nylon scourer to remove a surprising amount of scum build up that most people are normally drinking in their water every day. Regular candle scrubbing extends its life and washing the terracotta ensures no build-up of mould on the outside that some people have reported (which does not affect the water inside apparently).

This water purifier is made of terracotta, used for water storage since before Roman times. This has the advantage of the terracotta absorbing some of the water through to the exterior to make it slightly damp which cools the water inside as the moisture evaporates taking the heat with it.

I keep the Stefani out of the sun and exposed to a slight breeze from a window or fan to help the evaporation. The water does not get as cold as that from a refrigerator but it does get quite cool. When Brisbane experienced dry 39C temperatures in December 2012, the Stefani was giving almost cold water without any electricity cost, mechanical parts, motors or other things that can malfunction. It cools best when the bottom chamber is kept fairly full since this prevents the terracotta from drying out and preventing the evaporative cooling.

For the first three weeks, there was a taste of clay in the water which made it undrinkable. Stefani reports it is caused because of the dry and dusty nature of terracotta when it is new but is not dangerous to health.

I soaked the terracotta for 24 hours in water without the candle, adding 10ml of bleach for every 1 litre of water, then gave it a thorough rinsing as per the Stefani directions. This did not remove the taste but with daily changing of the water the clay taste was gradually leeched out of the terracotta starting from the second week. After four weeks there is only the taste of fresh, clean, cool water. If the water is left in the chamber for too long there is a return of a very slight clay taste but because it is used so often this is no longer a problem.

It is a shame that people have given bad reviews to terracotta filters due to the clay taste when they are new. There are glazed models and those with plastic liners that give no clay taste but they do not have the cooling properties of the terracotta.

The ability to cool the water saves me from using an electric model water cooler that can wear out or break down and has the added cost of electricity and filters. The Stefani terracotta only costs me a replacement cartridge a couple of times a year, has no running costs, cannot catch fire, keeps my water cool and, apart from the replaceable tap, the terracotta can last a lifetime, longer probably with the proper care since it doesn’t wear out. This makes good economic sense to me. I buy no bottled water anymore because the water from the Stefani is preferable and there is more room in the refrigerator.

If I want the water to be colder, then a few ice cubes added to the bottom chamber works a treat and it stays cold for longer than I expected. Just pressing on the tap dispenses cool water so easily that my tea and coffee consumption has reduced in favour of the fresh taste of purified water.

By persevering with changing the water for a few weeks, this has become one of my most used items in the house. Better tasting water that cools without electricity or mechanical parts. Clay taste lasts about four weeks before the water is great.

Excellent – Over the years i've tried and tested many differant systems of water purification,and many are fine for certin people .no other can compare and i'll allways have one as long as there made The absolute best you can get i love it.Allways cooler than room temp water yet not to cold,sometimes you like a really icy cold glass sometimes you don't.The… Read more

taste is supreme almost sweet in a way.Not a cent on electricity.The easey cleaning is great pull it all apart and scrub leaving only the tap in place reassemble all up five mins max After ten years of owning one i would love to own two more. The best find i ever made i stumbled on it at a market.I only paid fifteen dollars for the little beauty. They could be a little taller,the space below the tap is sometimes a little short for my sons sports bottle's therefore they need to sit close to the edge of the bench,that then becomes a hazard for small children.After ten years it can get a little surface mould and mildew,But you give it a good scrub and its good to go

The best water filter system in the world – Is the beste water filter system in the world according North American scientists and was published in the book "The Drinking Water Book: How to Eliminate Harmful Toxins from Your Water". I love this terracotta filter. Show details

Good old school water filter – This is an old school filter (my grandma had one). Works fine and it is quite reliable but it requires some work to get it going. The takes more than 4 weeks for the clay taste to clear (took around 6 for us). You need to fill it out every might and clean it completely very 3 months. Once you replace the unit (every 6 months) it will also take… Read more

some time to clean the charcoal taste. Once you get it going the water tastes good and it will be saving you quite a lot on bottled water (around $750 in our case) in addition to all the plastic waste you don't produce anymore.

Great product, outside mould an issue – My terracotta water reservoirs were lying idle for 20 years, I retrieved, and clleaned them, and am using boiled water as the feed stick. The water is great but I get white and black mould on the outside of the terracotta, I have been scrubbing, soaking in a bi-carb solution and leaving in the sun for 12 hours but the mould returns. the water still tastes great, any suggestions on how to reduce or eliminate the mould.  Show details

Taste like terracotta – If you like the taste of terracotta this is the filter for you. Taste gets worse the longer you use it. The instructions say 2 days of flavor. Reality is a taste that lasts much longer. Waste my time and money with this item. Returned. Show details

Terrible Filter! – Absolute rubbish. Very disappointed. This leave a terrible taste. It leaks. It is super heavy. The cartridge has blocked already and have only had it for 4 weeks. No water is being filtered at all now. $90 plus filter cartridges down the drain . Show details

Ceramic unit leaks – Water leaches all over the bench, not happy with this product taking it back Should have read reviews before buying. Looks good but not a very good product, would not recommend Show details

Returning for Refund – Purchased the Terracotta model, previously had the white ceramic. Shocking! Every time I wipe down the unit with a wet cloth, my cloth is red from the Terracotta coming off the unit. Show details

Not for drinking! – I bought a ceramic unit off Bunnings clearance stand - without researching the reviews. I won't drink the water - muddy taste and sits in a plastic bucket which holds the candle. So will use the water for my hair only - NOT FOR DRINKING. When the candle is obviously on its way out I will just use it for storage, until the tap gives up. LOL! Early reviews praise the water taste. Has the quality dropped off? The reviews certainly have! Show details

Leaking problem – We've had our Stefani water filter for some forty years. Although it's covered in mold and salt seepage from the Adelaide mains water we fill it with, it continues to supply us with reasonably good drinking water. Lately it has been leaking badly from around the tap which itself drips continuously. I fitted a new and outrageously expensive… Read more

replacement tap, but water still leaked from around the filter body outlet. The tap is a very poor design, with its flat flange making poor contact with the curved surface of the filter body. Obviously, even pressure cannot be obtained between these two incompatible surfaces and Stefani tries to improve the contact with the use of soft neoprene or rubber washers. These eventually break down, and leaking occurs. I have fixed this particular problem after a fashion by fitting double washers and ensuring the tap is tightly screwed in. The dripping tap is a problem and stems from an inefficient neoprene plunger used to close and release flow. The plunger can be removed and cleaned, but it doesn't help much. Regarding the clay taste of new candles, my advice is to soak them for two or three days in a bowl of frequently changed clean water before installing them in the filter. The filter body will always become moldy after years of use. It permeates through the terracotta, and there's not much you can do about it.

Two new pots for plants – As somebody already suggested, you can use it only as a pot, it's a piece of junk, I know several people with the same problem, the water taste and smell terrible, I did follow the instructions, changed 2 brand new filters but nothing changed. No customer service and no scientific tests or facts that this thing is actually good for you. On the… Read more

website, they say the bad taste can last up to 4 weeks and they advise you to wash the inside with bleach, not vinegar but bleach! This is so insane.

Not sure what to do next – I was given a Stefani Terracotta water purificer for xmas I did what the booklet said to do following instructions but still has a bad smell & taste to the water as well not very enjoyable to drink I will give it one more wash out after that If that doesn't work i'm taking it back to Bunnings  Show details

Not This One – Bought from Bunnings Warehouse. Thought it looked nice and I could claim some benchtop space back with this sitting in the corner. Read the instructions, did what it said, had the bad taste in the water, I soaked it overnight as suggested, I ran so much water through this thing and still a bad taste. I called the number provided on the… Read more

instructions and the girl said "What seems to be working lately is rubbing lemon juice on it and putting out in the sun to dry". I did this and let it sit in the sun for two days, filled it up again, two days later a bad taste, I put Lemmon juice in the water and let it soak for a day, emptied and filled again, two days later a bad taste again. No more with this product. This should have been addressed by the maker before sending these out to the world. I'll be returning it back to Bunnings. Good luck with it if you purchase one.

Love the stephani terracotta unit – We have had ours for 25 years and after the taste of Perth's water we invested in our stephani terracotta. Yes it does need the outside to be cleaned plus cleaning or replacing the filters but it has been a small price to pay for good tasting healthy water. Highly recommend and if one perseveres the result is worth it.  Show details

Great water filter! – Unit was a bit smelly at first, an eartlhy smell. It needed a few runs through before it settled down. Otherwise it is a great filter system and copes well with our very hard town water. Cartridge will need cleaning every month or so, depending on the quality of your water supply. Bunnings has the best price on the replacement filter candles.  Show details

Don't Bother – Bad taste to the water went to faq tried everything still a bad taste went to stefani contact us page 2/3 weeks ago and asked for help still waiting for a reply. Would not recommend this water purifier as you can't get after sales help. I just can't understand why it is so easy to make a dodgy product but so hard to get in contact with the buyer to help solve the problem.  Show details

ceramic v terracotta – I first had the terracotta unit , it continually tasted bad with the taste from the terracotta ... eventually i returned it and got a ceramic unit , this was far better , so I dont understand the preference to the terracotta one here as I found the unglazed interior to leech a bad taste ... the ceramic one is a much better choice for me .  Show details

Stefani Filter Candles - Were Good, Now Bad – I bought a WaterCo unit many years ago. Then they changed to Stefani. It was a great unit, but the last 2 times I replaced the filter candles the water immediately tasted like mud. At $50 per replacement (2 filter candles), this is not good. Avoid these Stefani filter candles.  Show details

Very very bad water filter! Avoid at all cost!!! Don't waste money! – Extremely bad product 0 out of 5 stars! Lets start poor design, it is heavy, extremely slow to filler water. The water cartridges do not last very long are easily blocked. Its made of fragile breakable terracotta material, water will start to taste of clay. Prone to mold, bacteria build up inside bottom container. The unit smells real bad for some… Read more

reason probably due to the paint. Avoid this garbage product as if your life depended on it. I hope this review is helpful.

Terracotta Water Filter – To clean a terracotta water filter, only clean water and a clean brush or cloth can be used, as any other product used to clean it may damage the filter since the product may get into the microporous wall and contaminate it. Frequent cleaning ensures the smooth operation of the filter to drink clean and healthy water.

same Unit...but the MOLD :( – I was Given This Water Vessel :) Just When I was Debating to Buy 1! I Bought the Fluoride Filter & LOVED IT! The Water Was Sooo YUMMY!!! I Stopped Using It for awhile because a House I Lived In Had a Water Filter. Ive Moved Got Stefani Out & noticed She was Really Dirty & Dusty. I Cleaned It w/Bicarb, Viniger, a Scruby Brush(Filter/Out) & Put… Read more

Water Through a Few Times Before Drinking It.

The Water Now Doesnt Taste so Good from When I First Got my Unit? & Now...It Has MOLD!!! MOLD OUTSIDE...MOLD INSIDE :( I Clean It, Viniger, Bicarb...but it Keeps Coming Back??? :/ The Mold Grows on The Inside Brim of The Bottem Section of the Vessel! Ive put Viniger Around It Bicarb around am Trying Lemons Now...I Just Want 2 DRINK GOOD WATER AGAIN!!!

If Any1 has Had This & Found a Way to Fix It! Id Love Love Love your Advice, Please! Thank You!!!

Terrific product and the water's great – We have the 8 litre capacity No. 3 model, it's an old one with a brass tap that you turn. I was lucky enough to get it at a fete/sale for $5 eight years ago. We use water from our small rain water tank, so are getting great water with no fluoride. The only drawback is the mould, but I find wiping it down weekly and then wiping again with lemon… Read more

juice keeps it at bay a bit. Down here is Tasmania it's hard to stop it forming, but it doesn't affect the water taste. Even our cats and rabbits prefer the filtered water.

I've seen a lot of complaints that the ceramic version has plastic inside, but this one is only terracotta, so safe and environmentally friendly.

I buy my candles from bomborasupplies.com.au - $60 for 2 including postage.

Plastic compartment inside filter – Hi there I just bought a ceramic unit thinking that ceramic is clean and neutral only to find the water sits in plastic! Im not happy because the plastic has a very strong smell and am now worried that the plastic chemicals will outweigh the benefits of the water purification. Any suggestions? Thx for reading. Worried.

Excellent Product – I searched all types of water filters and, after reading the reviews here, I went ahead and bought a unit from Bunnings. It didn't disappoint. I let the water go through the filter a few times before I started drinking. I am a convert, the difference in taste and clarity is very obvious. It tastes like spring water, clean, clear. I am very pleased with it. The clean, fresh taste Absolutely nothing.

Stefani - Top Draw Water Filter – I’ve used a Stefani water filter for 15 years and recently purchased one for each of our sons, however they haven't had the patience to run the water through it enough times to get rid of the clay taste it has to start with. I’ll do it for them. Filters are coal based which is what nature uses to clean water and they are easy to replace, keeps the… Read more ·  3

water cool without using any power and the only real maintenance is to wash the outside down occasionally as it mildews as any damp thing will do. I am allergic to most moulds but have no trouble with this one. Keeps water cool by absorption, coal filter is natures way and it's made of clay. Mildrew could be a problem if not attended to as needed.

Great Unit – I purchased three of these for my accommodation business which runs off tank water. One unit however has a plastic smell and taste, has anyone else found this? I also brought a 8 lt white ceramic unit for my use and have found this one excellent with storage. I would highly recommend these units. Terra cotta color One had a plastic taste and smell

great unit! – To Sandra-Beach, and others. Can't tell you how to PREVENT mould, bit if you spray the upper chamber with diluted vinegar after you've wiped it down, and leave to dry, it takes a fair bit longer for mould to start again. This transformed our rainwater from very dodgy and variable to lovely sweet water ALL the time, as mum feeds pigeons, pigeons… Read more

fertilise roof, enriching tankwater.

Wouldn't be without one, or the float valves for the candles. simple, straightforward, easy to clean, certain of great-tasting water EVERY time. the mould problem on the upper chamber - this improved when we put the unit into a brightly lit spot with better airflow. We built a sturdy, low box to sit it on, so we could put a jug or bottle under to fill.

Good – If anyone can suggest how to stop the film of mould gathering I would appreciate very much. However it is great to have filtered water on tap especially when our water supply gets cut off. It is great to drink filtered water, and I have only just cleaned my water filter by using the recommended diluted bleach soaking method! My water purifier… Read more

seems to get mouldy and a film gathers all around it, I have to constantly wipe it down and wonder if this affects the water inside!

OK – Refilling is a pain. Once the water gets to a certain level below tap spout it will not dispense water. Extra filters spare parts are easier to find now than when it was first released but still not readily supplied. Unable to chill water - it is the temperature it is and it varies with your room temperature which affects the overall enjoyment… Read more

of the purification. Water is cleaner. Looks pretty. Does not hold much water. Do not like the temperature (like you have had a glass of water sitting out on a table for hours. Got ome of these when they first came out and getting replacement filters was a pain but they are easier to get now.

Excellent – Overall, this is a great 'must have' addition to every kitchen. With the addition of all the government approve "nasties" in the water, at least we can eliminate some of them. Awesome Absolutely love it, works well, water tastes so fresh and cool and it saves on electricity too which is great. hard to fill up a larger water bottle with water for my husband to take to work, have to do this by filling jugs and then filling the water bottle.