Kenmore Single Undersink Drinking Water System —
We live in an area with otherwise excellent water- no nasty bugs or chemicals - but our tap water still tastes like tap water, if you know what I mean.
We wanted to eliminate the weekly trips to the store for distilled water. Our municipal water is very clean, so we ruled out more complex filters. We also live in a dry area, so we ruled out reverse osmosis, which wastes 4 or more gallons for every gallon filtered. We just wanted a simple filter that would remove the chlorine and "off" tastes.
We bought this unit based on a recent Consumer Reports review. It took me one hour to install, and I didn't swear once! The plug-in fittings are very secure and easy to install. You need to push them in about 1/2" to 3/4", farther than you'd think, for them to fully engage. This might be the reason other people had problems.
Build quality is excellent, except for the plastic dispenser head, which feels cheap. That's a shame; the other parts are very well made, but the head is the one part that's visible above the sink. Come on, guys; I associate Sears with quality, that's why I buy so many Craftsman tools!
We used the recommended #34373 "Premium Taste & Odor" filter. It's an extra $18, and it is sold separately. It would be nice to have it bundled. Water quality out of the unit is excellent; it has the same "neutral" taste we were used to having with our bottled distilled water. It saves us about $170 per year, and is much more convenient than driving to the store every week.