Welcome to AWMS, in today’s article, I investigate the Cuckoo water purifier to decide whether it’s a legit countertop alkaline water filter option for your home.
The Cuckoo water filter is not a typical alkaline water machine or water ionizer, it relies on mineralization to make alkaline water.
By the end of this review, you’ll know for sure if the Cuckoo water dispenser is worth the money.
What is the Cuckoo Water Purifier?
The Cuckoo (CP-MN031BK) water filter is a direct flow countertop water filtration system, meaning it’s tankless. It features a three-stage water filtration system, and it makes its home on your countertop near your sink or refrigerator.
Cuckoo is a popular water filter brand in Asia and manufactures its water purifiers in South Korea. A lot of premium alkaline water brands manufacture their ionizers in South Korea as well.
You have two installations options (parts included for both installations):
- Use a diverter valve to connect directly to your sink faucet
- Use a T-valve adapter to run the water hose from under your sink to the back of the Cuckoo water purifier
Once you install the Cuckoo water dispenser, you have several options at the control panel. You can choose whether you want a single cup or a continuous flow.
The control panel also has a filter replacement indicator to alert you when it’s time to replace one of the three filters. I’ll go over the filters in the following section.
Let’s check out the water filtration next.
What type of filtration does the Cuckoo Water Filter use?
The Cuckoo uses a three-stage filtration system to remove most water contaminants.
The three stages are:
- Pre-Carbon 2.0 – The 1st stage removes chlorine, VOCs, heavy metals, lead, THM, odors, Cysts, and more
- Nano Positive filter – The electric charge of this filter attracts and effectively removes 99.99% of bacteria and viruses without stripping your water of vital minerals
- Alkaline Mineralizer – The 3rd and final stage adds alkaline minerals to your water including calcium, magnesium, and potassium to make your water mildly alkaline and enhance the taste
Since the Cuckoo water purifier is tankless, you always get fresh water from the machine. You also have the option to set the mood with special lighting at the control panel.
Filter Life
The filter life between the Cuckoo filters does vary. At 10 liters of water per day, this is the average life of the three filters:
- Pre-Carbon 2.0 Filter – 4 months
- Nano Positive Filter – 12 months
- Alkaline Mineral Filter – 12 months
Click the image below to check the current price for a replacement set of filters at Amazon #ad:
The price is more than fair for this type of filtration.
Do the Cuckoo filters remove fluoride?
No, they do not adequately remove fluoride. The best home filtration systems for removing fluoride are reverse osmosis filtration systems.
However, reverse osmosis systems strip the beneficial minerals from your water as well. I recommend an alkaline RO filter if you decide to purchase a reverse osmosis system.
I like that system because it adds a wider range of alkaline minerals including calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
Does the Cuckoo Water Purifier make alkaline water?
Yes, the Cuckoo does make mildly alkaline water since its filters do not strip all the minerals from your tap water as reverse osmosis water systems do.
According to Cuckoo, their water has an average pH of 7.5 to 7.9.
How big is the Cuckoo Water Purifier?
One of the advantages of the Cuckoo water dispenser is its slim profile that won’t take up much room on your counter or next to your refrigerator.
- The unit measures: 14.45″ Height x 5.2″ Width x 14.93″ Deep
- Weight: 8.6 lbs
- 120V – 240V compatible
- 11W power consumption
What is the warranty period?
The Cuckoo water purifier comes with a one-year manufacturer’s warranty. Be sure to read through the manual when you receive your machine to go over the exact terms.
My Cuckoo Water Purifier Review
I’ve reviewed a long and growing list of alkaline water machines and ionizers. I feel more than qualified to supply you with an honest and accurate Cuckoo water filter review.
To make my review easier for you to read, I’ll break it into two parts: My Likes and My Dislikes.
My Likes
- It’s nice to see that it’s manufactured in South Korea instead of China. South Korea is well-known for designing and manufacturing premium water filtration systems.
- The price of the replacement filters is more reasonable than similar units. Plus, the filter life is longer. The first set of filters is included with the machine.
- The price of the unit is also very reasonable compared to other brands.
- I like the attractive design and slim profile.
- The filters are powerful, and the alkaline mineral profile is what I like to see in an alkaline water machine (calcium, magnesium, and potassium).
- This type of filter makes crisp delicious water.
- You don’t have to worry about the filters stripping essential minerals from your water. That’s one of the disadvantages of reverse osmosis filtration systems.
- This system reminds me of a more affordable version of the Cosan Pure Hydration water filter, which I’m a huge fan of.
- Low power consumption
- Tankless
- The “one cup” dispenser option
- Last but not least, the easy-filter change side panel is a nice touch.
My Dislikes
- The alkaline pH of 7.5 to 7.9 is a bit low for my taste. The ionized water I drink every day that helped me reverse an unrelenting case of heartburn has a pH of 8 to 9.5. If you want to drink water with a higher pH, there are better options such as water ionizers.
- No pH control (one of the main advantages of owning a water ionizer is the ability to select the exact pH of your water)
- While the filters are powerful, they’re not on par with reverse osmosis filtration
- This type of filtration doesn’t make ionized water. Ionized water is full of antioxidants.
Bottom Line
Overall, the South Korean-made Cuckoo water purifier is one of the best countertop alkaline water filters available. It may not make the most powerful alkaline water, but it’s certainly a big step up from a Brita filter or other conventional water filters.
South Korea knows what it’s doing when it comes to alkaline water filters.
The three-stage filtration system is up to the task of removing even the peskiest and most stubborn water contaminants. You can be sure you’re drinking ultra-pure, mildly alkaline water when you purchase the Cuckoo water filter.
Overall, I give this filter a big thumbs up.