Review: Is This Water Purifier Worth Your Home Tech Investment?

Sleek, functional tech

A hot water kettle on the countertop, a flask of room temperature water on the dining table, and a bottle of cold water in the refrigerator. Before the Sterra Water Purifier, this was how I stored my drinking water: boil, then keep warm, cool and chill accordingly. With little home tech know-how, I always wondered if there was a more seamless process to this — to dispense water of varying temperatures on-demand with a simple tap of a button.

Truth be told, it never bothered me that much. But now that we’re staying in more and more, it is actually kind of nice to embrace a smart home designed to make our chores a little bit more efficient. And in the kitchen department, a tankless water dispenser that is energy-efficient, like the Sterra Water Purifier, would be genuinely useful and not just for show. Priced at ~USD1,173.90 (a new launch promotion, a 27% discount from its usual price of ~USD1,614.39), here are five reasons why I think this convenient water-dispensing unit is worth your investment.

*The views and opinions of the reviewer are independent and purely editorial.

It is tankless and sleek


Sterra Water Purifier on counter

Its compact size doesn't take up too much counter space.

This is probably the main reason why I was drawn to this purifier in the first place. Not only is a tankless water dispenser less bulky and more space-saving, but it also looks sleek on a kitchen countertop. The Sterra Water Purifier is available in Chromium Grey and Platinum White. It looked rather sexy on my countertop, if I may say so myself.

It gets you purified water through its four stages filtration system


Sterra Water Purifier control panel buttons close-up

Its state-of-the-art filtration system removes any odour and metallic taste from your drinking water.

Though tap water is safe for consumption without further filtration in Singapore, it’s good to know that Singapore homegrown brand Sterra takes its technology from Korean manufacturer OVIO (which has been in the water dispensers and purifier industry for over two decades) for its water purifier. Each unit uses a four-stage filtration system to filter out dust, rust and sand; absorb and remove residual chlorine and disinfectant, and use ultra-small micropores of 0.01 microns to further eliminate contaminants and bacteria. The result is fresh drinking water free of odours or that metallic taste that you may get from other purified water.

It dispenses four temperatures instantly at various volumes


Sterra Water Purifier making coffee

Get hot or cold water in seconds.

Need hot water to warm up the baby’s milk? Or an ice-cold glass of water to beat the heat? The Sterra Water Purifier, which dispenses water in four temperatures — 4, 25, 40, 87°C — is at your disposal. It’s only a matter of seconds to get your drinking water from 4°C to 87°C. It also allows you to dispense water at various volumes: 120ML, 250ML and 550ML — set at your preferred option or you can simply dispense automatically as you wish.

It cleans itself with complete inner and outer sterilisation


How to start using the Sterra Water Purifier

A handy device that doesn't need much upkeep.

If you’re worried about maintenance, don’t be. This ace boasts a nozzle sterilisation, water path sterilisation, and full stainless steel cooling pipes to ensure your drinking water stays fresh, clean and free of contamination every step of the way. It basically cleans itself. You do need to change out the filter bottles once in a while, but that’s the only maintenance you’ll be needing to do.

It’s a smart device designed to be energy-friendly


Sterra Water Purifier outer design close-up

It's worth the splurge.

So, is this hot-cold tankless water dispenser worth the investment? Yes, it is.

The only downside for me is that the toggling sound cannot be switched off nor can its volume be lowered. While the toggling sound should be negligible in most homes, it wasn’t so for mine with an open kitchen concept and a toddler who is an extremely light sleeper. But then again, I wasn’t able to use my Zojirushi water boiler before either, so I’d say take this critique with a pinch of salt. Alright — back to why I think the Sterra Water Purifier is worth the investment.

A hot water tank, or a water boiler and warmer, requires heating around the clock to keep the water constantly hot. This brings up the electricity cost and uses more energy depending on its capacity. The Sterra Water Purifier is a smart device designed to be energy-friendly. It goes into standby mode when it is not in use and the electricity consumed during this mode is insignificant, at around ~USD0.59 per month.

To be more specific, the power needed for its hot water function is less than the power used to boil water with a kettle. The power required for using its chilled water function is equivalent to when using a ceiling fan.

All in all, if you are looking to save up on space, energy consumption and cost in the long run, the Sterra Water Purifier is a kitchen appliance investment worth making. Plus, it sure looks sleek on any countertop.

The Sterra Water Purifier currently retails at a launch promotion price of ~USD1,173.90 (usual price at ~USD1,614.39) here.

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