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SimPure Disclaimer: The manufacturer provided NewTechReview with a unit of this product for review. Reviewed by the NewTechReview Staff | ||
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 I've reviewed quite a few countertop water filtration systems over the years, and most of them tend to fall into one of two categories. They're either relatively simple filters designed to improve the taste of tap water, or they're reverse osmosis systems that concentrate more on purification than convenience. The SimPure Y11C takes a different approach by combining reverse osmosis filtration with a built-in cooling system, a removable water pitcher, automatic filter monitoring and a countertop design that requires no permanent plumbing. That combination immediately caught my attention.A reverse osmosis system is appealing because it can reduce dissolved contaminants and total dissolved solids to a much greater degree than a conventional carbon filter. The downside is that traditional RO systems can require installation, take up space beneath a sink and send a considerable amount of water down the drain. The Y11C attempts to address those inconveniences while also providing something I don't normally expect from an RO appliance: chilled drinking water at the touch of a button. SimPure rates the Y11C as a 75-gallon-per-day, six-stage countertop RO system. It has a 2.5:1 pure-to-drain ratio, a 43 to 59-degree Fahrenheit cooling range, a detachable 0.45-gallon BPA-free pitcher and a smart control panel that manages filtration, dispensing and cooling. The list price is $499.99, but you can most likely find it on sale either from Simpure directly or on any number of retail sites. After looking carefully at the design, filtration system, operating specifications and the available information about the closely related Y11C-A, I came away impressed with what SimPure is trying to accomplish. The Y11C isn't inexpensive, and it isn't intended to replace a high-capacity under-sink RO system, but it fills a very specific niche remarkably well. Design and Construction The first thing I noticed about the Y11C is that it looks more like a modern kitchen appliance than a traditional water filter. The white enclosure, transparent water section and black touch-control panel give it a clean appearance that doesn't look out of place on a kitchen counter. The machine measures approximately 19.1 inches long, 8 inches wide and 16.1 inches high, and it weighs 19.4 pounds. That makes it a substantial appliance. You can't simply tuck it into a corner and forget about it. In particular, I would make sure there is adequate clearance above the machine because the removable water components need room to be accessed. SimPure recommends allowing approximately 18 inches of overall vertical clearance. The good news is that the footprint is still reasonable for what the Y11C does. Instead of dedicating space to a separate RO faucet, a storage tank and a refrigerator pitcher, I get all of those functions incorporated into one appliance. The removable 0.45-gallon pitcher is another thoughtful touch. I particularly like the idea of being able to take the purified water away from the machine instead of carrying glasses back and forth from the countertop. The pitcher is BPA-free and portable. The Y11C works well in any environment, but is especially useful in apartments, dormitories, offices and RVs where a permanent installation may not be practical. There is also no plumbing involved. Fill the feed-water reservoir, plug the machine into an electrical outlet and it is ready to begin filtering. That makes the Y11C much more approachable than a traditional under-sink RO system. The Six-Stage Filtration System Of course, all of the convenience in the world wouldn't mean much to me if the filtration system didn't do its job. This is where the Y11C becomes much more interesting than an ordinary countertop dispenser. SimPure uses a six-stage filtration arrangement that combines a three-in-one pre-filter, a high-precision RO filter and a final purification light stage. The system is designed to reduce TDS as well as contaminants including PFAS such as PFOA and PFOS, heavy metals such as lead, arsenic and uranium, nitrates and nitrites, chloride, fluoride and microplastics. This results in water with near-zero-TDS, although results will vary depending on your source water. My water usually measures around 3 TDS and I have very hard water. Water Quality and TDS TDS, or total dissolved solids, is one of the Y11C's major selling points. SimPure specifically positions this model toward users who want highly purified, low-TDS water and even highlights specialty coffee and tea preparation as applications where mineral-free water can be desirable. That makes sense to me. Coffee enthusiasts sometimes pay close attention to water chemistry because minerals can influence extraction and therefore flavor. Someone who wants a neutral starting point will probably appreciate what a good RO system can provide. Cold Water Is the Feature That Makes the Y11C Different This is easily my favorite aspect of the Y11C. There are plenty of countertop RO systems available. There are also plenty of countertop water coolers and dispensers. There are considerably fewer products that combine the two. SimPure uses dual electronic cooling technology and provides a cold-water range of approximately 43 to 59 degrees Fahrenheit. The company says the system can produce approximately 0.2 gallons of chilled water in 30 minutes, which is pretty much what I found my results to be while testing the unit. That last specification is particularly important because I would not interpret the "instant cold water" style of marketing literally. The machine isn't taking an entire room-temperature tank and turning it into ice-cold water in a couple of seconds. Instead, the refrigeration system gradually produces chilled water and maintains the appropriate cold-water supply. In everyday use, though, I think this is a genuinely useful feature. I don't have to fill a pitcher with filtered water, put it in the refrigerator and remember to refill it later. The Y11C handles the filtration and cooling process in one place. Press the appropriate control and I can choose room-temperature or cold purified water. For somebody who drinks a lot of cold water throughout the day, that convenience could easily justify choosing the Y11C over a less sophisticated countertop RO system. Water Efficiency Water waste is one of the criticisms frequently associated with reverse osmosis, so I was glad to see SimPure place some emphasis on efficiency. The Y11C has a specified 2.5:1 pure-to-drain ratio. I would compare that favorably with other countertop and traditional under-sink RO configurations and consider it as a significant improvement in water usage. I consider this an important feature because a countertop RO system should be convenient without becoming unnecessarily wasteful. The 2.5:1 figure doesn't eliminate RO wastewater, of course, but it makes the Y11C considerably more appealing. Dispensing and Everyday Operation SimPure specifies a flow rate of approximately 6.6 ounces per minute. The machine provides both ambient and cold-water dispensing, with a touch-control interface handling the major functions. The control panel is one of those features that seems insignificant until you actually start using the machine. Filter replacement reminders, low-feed-water warnings, flushing functions and cooling controls are all accessible without having to remember complicated procedures. The filter indicators flash when replacement is necessary, and the machine also provides reminders when the feed-water tank is running low. The system also includes automatic flushing as part of its maintenance functions. This is exactly the sort of automation I want from an appliance designed for everyday use. I don't want to have to constantly think about what the filter is doing. Filter Replacement One of the more appealing aspects of the Y11C is the cartridge design. The primary replacement set consists of the PPC pre-filter and the ROC reverse-osmosis cartridge. The PPC filter is rated for approximately six months and the ROC filter for about eight months, although actual life will vary according to your water quality and usage. SimPure estimates average annual filter expenses at approximately $112. Those numbers are reasonable for an RO system. Even better, the replacement cartridges are designed to be changed without dealing with the complicated housings and plumbing connections associated with many conventional systems. The filter-replacement process is quick and easy, which makes maintenance much simpler than what I'm accustomed to seeing from traditional RO equipment. Installation and Maintenance This is where I think the Y11C has a substantial advantage over conventional RO. There is no drilling into a countertop. There is no separate RO faucet. There is no drain connection. There is no need to crawl under the sink. SimPure designed the Y11C to be a plug-and-use appliance. For renters, that alone could be the deciding factor. I can also see this being useful in a home where the kitchen layout simply doesn't permit an under-sink system. The tradeoff is that I have to give up some countertop space, and the machine does require electricity. That's a fair exchange for integrated cooling and electronic controls, but it's something buyers need to understand before purchasing. Y11C Versus the SimPure Y11C-A The Y11C and Y11C-A are so similar that choosing between them really comes down to one major feature: mineralization. I tested the Y11C only, but I did some research so that you wouldn't have to spend time doing it. The standard Y11C is the purist's model. It uses the ROC cartridge and is designed to deliver traditional RO-purified, low-TDS water without deliberately adding minerals back after filtration. The Y11C-A substitutes an ROA cartridge that adds an alkaline enhancement stage. SimPure describes this version as providing improved taste and mineral balance after the RO process. Both models remain six-stage, 75-GPD countertop systems with the same 2.5:1 pure-to-drain ratio, cooling capability and approximately 6.6-ounce-per-minute flow rate. For me, that makes the decision fairly simple. If I want the lowest possible TDS and particularly clean water for coffee, tea or other uses where I don't want additional minerals, I would choose the Y11C. If I'm primarily drinking the water and prefer the flavor of remineralized water, I would choose the Y11C-A. I don't consider the Y11C-A automatically superior because it makes the water alkaline. The main advantage is taste and mineral content, not some magical health benefit. The Y11C's appeal is that it leaves the water as a straightforward RO product without the additional mineral stage. Capacity The Y11C's 75-GPD rating is respectable, but it is not a high-capacity RO system. For one person or a small-to-medium household using the machine primarily for drinking water, I think it's sufficient. For a large household that wants purified water for cooking, filling large containers and supplying an ice maker or refrigerator, I'd look toward a larger system. SimPure's own product lineup illustrates this point. The company offers countertop systems with substantially higher production ratings, including the 300-GPD Y9A. The Y11C sacrifices production capacity in favor of integrated cooling. That tradeoff makes sense. The Y11C isn't trying to be a whole-house water solution. It's a personal or family drinking-water appliance. Price and Value SimPure currently lists the Y11C at $499.99, with the company showing a $399.99 promotional price at checkout. The machine comes with free shipping on qualifying U.S. orders, a 30-day return policy for direct purchases and a 1+1-year warranty according to the manufacturer's current product information. At $500, I would have a tougher time recommending it because there are less expensive countertop RO systems available. At around $400, however, the equation changes considerably. I'm paying more than I would for a basic countertop RO system, but I'm also getting a built-in cooling system, electronic controls, an integrated dispensing mechanism and a portable pitcher. Those aren't trivial additions. The replacement-filter cost is also reasonable enough that I don't think ongoing maintenance undermines the initial investment. Final Thoughts The SimPure Y11C is an unusual product, and I mean that as a compliment. There are many countertop water filters that can purify water. There are many water dispensers that can provide cold water. SimPure has combined the two into a single countertop appliance that doesn't require any plumbing modifications and doesn't force me to keep a separate pitcher of filtered water in the refrigerator. The six-stage RO filtration system, near-zero-TDS goal, 2.5:1 pure-to-drain ratio, removable pitcher and filter-life monitoring give the Y11C a solid technical foundation. The cooling system is what really sets it apart. Being able to dispense chilled RO water without installing an under-sink system is an incredibly convenient feature. The Y11C-A is the better choice for people who prefer mineralized water and a somewhat different taste, but I actually prefer the standard Y11C for its straightforward approach to RO filtration. It is the model I'd choose when my priority is obtaining highly purified, low-TDS water without adding minerals back into it. At the current promotional price of about $400, I think the Y11C offers a compelling combination of convenience and filtration performance. It isn't the countertop RO system I'd choose for a large family or very high-volume water production, but for an individual, couple or small-to-medium household that wants clean, chilled drinking water without plumbing installation, it's one of the more appealing designs I've encountered. The SimPure Y11C earns my recommendation. For more information about the SimPure Y11C, visit: * Amazon: Amazon.com * Website: SimPureLife.com |
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