Waterdrop CT01 Review: Can This Countertop Filter Replace Your Kettle and Filter Pitcher?

There are plenty of ways to get filtered drinking water at home, but most involve some degree of compromise. A traditional filter pitcher is inexpensive and straightforward, but it still leaves you waiting for water to chill or heat.

A kettle can provide boiling water quickly enough, but it does not filter the water itself. And under-sink filtration systems can require installation that some renters and smaller households would rather avoid.

The Waterdrop CT01 takes a different approach. It is a countertop water filtration and dispensing system designed to provide filtered water at different temperatures on demand, combining eight-stage filtration, instant hot and cold dispensing, and touchscreen controls in one appliance.

The real question is whether combining all of those functions makes the CT01 genuinely useful in everyday life or simply turns a relatively simple task into an unnecessarily complicated appliance.

Design and Ease of Use

The CT01 is designed to sit directly on a kitchen countertop, so there is no plumbing installation involved. Its dimensions are approximately 36.7 × 26.9 × 34.1cm, making it larger than a standard water filter pitcher, but its value lies in combining the roles of a filter pitcher, kettle and fridge-chilled water jug into one countertop system.

The most immediately useful design decision is the touchscreen interface. Rather than filling a kettle or waiting for a filtered pitcher to provide enough water, users can select a preferred temperature and volume directly from the machine.

There are five one-touch presets covering hot, coffee, tea, formula, and cold water, while temperature and volume can also be adjusted manually. A Favourite Mode allows a preferred combination to be saved for repeated use.

Editor's view: 4.5/5. The CT01 makes sense for households that regularly switch between drinking water, tea, and coffee. It does require a dedicated countertop spot, but it also reduces the need for separate appliances or storage solutions such as a teakettle, filter pitcher and fridge-chilled jug.

Filtration

The CT01 uses a eight-stage filtration system rather than reverse osmosis to help reduce chlorine, TDS, limescale, and other unwanted impurities, while retaining beneficial minerals such as calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium for better-tasting water.

The CT01 should not be treated as an RO purifier, and anyone specifically looking for reverse-osmosis filtration should consider a different type of system.

For everyday drinking water, however, the filtration approach is straightforward: water passes through the filter before being dispensed, without requiring a separate pitcher or an under-sink installation.

The CT01 filter can process up to 300L of instant hot and cold drinking water, helping reduce reliance on single-use plastic bottles — saving the equivalent of over 2,400 plastic bottles and up to £3,232 per year, while supporting a more sustainable daily hydration routine.

Editor's view: 4/5. The filtration system is convenient and suited to everyday drinking, but buyers who specifically need RO-level purification should look elsewhere.

Filtered Hot & Cold Water

This is arguably the CT01's biggest advantage over a conventional filter pitcher. The system can dispense both hot and cold filtered water, with adjustable temperatures ranging from 113°F to 203°F on the current product specification.

That makes it useful for more than simply filling a glass: the presets are designed around common uses such as tea, coffee, and formula, as well as ordinary cold drinking water.

For someone who drinks several hot beverages a day, removing the need to repeatedly fill and boil a kettle could make the machine considerably more useful. Likewise, having cold filtered water available without keeping a separate jug in the refrigerator adds another layer of convenience.

The trade-off is that the CT01 is solving a convenience problem rather than simply a filtration problem. If all you want is filtered water, a basic pitcher will be considerably simpler.

Editor's view: 4.5/5. The combination of filtration and temperature control is where the CT01 earns its place on the countertop.

Capacity and Everyday Practicality

The CT01 has a 5L tank, equivalent to approximately 28 six-ounce cups. Waterdrop positions this as a family-friendly capacity designed to reduce the frequency of refilling.

That should be enough for normal household use, although actual refill frequency will depend heavily on how many people are using the machine and how much water they consume.

The countertop format also allows the appliance to be placed without modifying existing plumbing or cabinetry. There is no need to modify plumbing or dedicate cabinet space to a filtration system.

The trade-off is clear: the CT01 takes up more space than a basic filter pitcher and costs more than a conventional filtration solution. But because it combines filtration, instant hot water and cold water dispensing in one appliance, it can replace a kettle, filter pitcher and fridge-chilled jug, helping keep the countertop more streamlined overall.

Editor's view: 4/5. The capacity is generous for a countertop appliance, but the physical size needs to be considered before buying.

Is It Really Better Than a Kettle and Filter Pitcher?

A kettle and water filter pitcher can perform many of the same basic tasks for considerably less money. But they do so separately. The pitcher filters the water, while the kettle heats it. Cold water generally requires refrigeration, and users have to manage each step themselves.

The CT01 puts those functions together. Filtered water can be dispensed hot or cold, while temperature and volume settings can be customized from the touchscreen.

That does not make a kettle obsolete for everyone. Someone who only drinks hot water occasionally may find the CT01 excessive. But for households that regularly drink filtered water, make tea or coffee, and want chilled water available throughout the day, the convenience equation changes.

What About Maintenance?

The CT01 still requires normal filter maintenance. Waterdrop states that its filter can handle up to 300L and last for up to three months, although actual lifespan depends on water quality and usage.

This is worth considering when calculating the long-term cost. The purchase price is only part of the equation for any filtration appliance; replacement filters eventually become an ongoing expense.

The good news is that the system does not require the plumbing installation associated with many under-sink systems. That makes it particularly appealing to renters or households that want a more advanced filtration setup without modifying the kitchen.

Pros and Cons

The CT01's biggest strengths are its combination of filtration and temperature control, the convenience of one-touch presets, its relatively large 5L capacity, and its installation-free countertop design.

Its main weaknesses are equally straightforward. It takes up considerably more space than a basic pitcher, costs more than a conventional filter solution, and is not a reverse-osmosis system. Buyers should therefore be clear about whether they are paying primarily for advanced purification or for convenience and temperature control.

Who Should Buy the Waterdrop CT01?

The CT01 makes the most sense for households that drink filtered water frequently and want both hot and cold dispensing without installing an under-sink system.

It is also a compelling option for tea and coffee drinkers who are tired of repeatedly boiling a kettle, as well as families that want a central source of filtered drinking water.

For someone living alone with modest water consumption, however, a simpler filter pitcher may offer better value. Likewise, consumers specifically looking for reverse-osmosis purification should consider an RO system instead.

Verdict: 4.5/5

The Waterdrop CT01 is not trying to reinvent water filtration. Its appeal is more practical than revolutionary: it combines several everyday kitchen tasks into a single countertop appliance.

The multi-stage filtration system provides a convenient alternative to a standard pitcher, while the hot-and-cold dispensing system addresses one of the biggest limitations of conventional filtration. The five presets, adjustable temperature and volume controls, and Favourite Mode make the experience more flexible than simply filling a jug and waiting.

There are still reasons to hesitate. The CT01 occupies meaningful counter space, requires replacement filters, and uses conventional filtration rather than reverse osmosis. At £229 on Waterdrop's UK site at the time of writing, it is also substantially more expensive than a basic filter pitcher, so its value depends largely on how much the combined hot-and-cold dispensing and convenience features matter to you.

For that audience, the Waterdrop CT01 is a well-conceived middle ground between a basic filter pitcher and a more involved installed filtration system.

Overall rating: 4.5/5

For households that want more than a basic filter pitcher, the CT01 works best as a filtered hot and cold hydration hub: it filters water, dispenses it hot or cold on demand, and removes the need to repeatedly boil a kettle or keep a jug chilling in the fridge.