Brio Self Cleaning Bottom Loading Water Cooler Water Dispenser – Limited Edition - 3 Temperature Settings - Hot, Cold & Cool Water

Prior to buying this Brio water dispenser we owned a Primo brand dispenser (also purchased from Amazon) we were pretty happy with it, for the most part. Over the past few years the primo has developed a taste I didn't care for, but no one else in the house seemed to notice or care. I tried cleaning it with vinegar and water flushes and dilute bleach and water flushes but the taste remained. I figured it was just the brand of 5 gal bottles we were having delivered so I drank a lot of wasteful single serve plastic bottles to avoid the water from the Primo unit. Finally the cooling part of the Primo broke so I started looking for a replacement.I definitely wanted another bottom fed cooler. Once you get rid of that 5 gallon bottle perched on top of your cooler you'll never want to go back. Just not having to deadlift the 50 lb bottle and flip it over without spilling a bunch of water on the floor is reason enough, right? Then there is the nice clean look of the cooler without the bottle perched on the top. Anyway, the Brio is a bottom fed so it fit the bill there. I also liked the sound of the "self cleaning ozone" feature so I decided to give the Brio a try, and I'm so glad I did.This Brio is such an improvement over the Primo it replaced. Let's start with little things. The Brio pump is quieter. No one in our house cares about this but I've seen people complain about noisy bottom fed coolers and the Brio is pretty quiet.The Primo had a room temp button but the water was the nearly the same temp as the cold. It was a pointless and never used button on the PrimoThe Brio room temp button is just that, room temp water. I measured each spout and the cold is 43°F, room temp is 71°F, and hot is 178°F. Now you may already know this but 178°F is a great temp for steeping most white and green teas as well as herbal blends. Oolong and black teas want to be a little hotter (up over 200°F) but for a relaxing cup of sleepytime tea this thing s perfect. The Primo only reached 165F°. Point Brio.Also note you can turn off the hot water in the Brio if you don't want to use it and don't want to waste the energy heating water you won't use. This was the same with the Primo.Tall containers fit better in the Brio. The Brio has a full 1 3/4" (4.5cm for you non-Americans) more space under the spout than the Primo did, a full 10 inches from base to spout as well as a slightly wider perch than the Primo. I can fill my baseball stadium "big ole beer" cups, my Bubba Keg, even my wife's tall 64oz Camelback fits under the Brio nozzle no problem. That never worked with the Primo, you were always holding cups at a weird angle with your finger over the edge to feel when the water was close to the top. Point BrioThe Brio is attractive, at least in my opinion. Black and stainless fit well in most any decor. The Primo was the same color scheme so a wash there.The taste. The water from the Brio is delicious. I don't know what the deal was with the Primo, maybe it was age or some tubing they used I didn't like but I'm back to drinking water from the dispenser instead of destroying the environment with plastic single serve water bottles. I'm going to make regular use of the "self cleaning ozone" feature in hopes of keeping it that way. I much prefer being an environmentally conscious citizen but I just couldn't drink the water from the Primo, it was gross.So I guess you've figured out by now I really love this Brio water cooler and I highly recommend it. It is on the higher priced side of water dispensers but not by a lot and to me, if the self clean feature works it is 100% worth the extra money to have a cooler I will continue using for many years because the water will actually taste good.

I am very happy we finally decided to do this. The machine is very easy to set up and use, and looks great with any decor. Not only are we drinking more water but we can also feel good that we are not polluting with plastic bottles! The temperature for both cold and hot is perfect out of the box. It's the perfect cold so you can chug it and not cringe but still get the refreshing coolness you desire. The hot water is hot enough for tea so no more waiting for the kettle to have a cup of earl grey. The only thing I would change if I could is the noise level when it pulls water up from the jug. It's not disturbingly loud but certainly noticeable but overall you forget it's there until you want a drink and then you're just so pleased to have it. The cleaning feature is nice peace of mind and the only long run question is how well the buttons hold up. I am a bit concerned with this button layout although I'm not sure how else it could be done so I will be sure to update this review after long term use and note any issues that may arise as this is not cheap and one expects long term quality. So far though... 5 stars!

Bought in Nov. 2023. After about 16 to 17 months of use the cold water dispenser stopped working. The cold water dispenser really never gave real cold water. We unplugged the cooler waited couple of days then it worked again for a few days and we had to do the same thing. This has gone on for about two months and the time of non working got longer. I looked up on YouTube and others have had the same problem. The manufacturer seems to just ignore the problem. These units are not inexpensive but if the only work for just over a year the must be made cheap. The manufacturer should be providing a repair or replacement. Do not buy until the problem is addressed by the seller/manufacturer.

I have an under the sink water filtration system but I just feel it isn't enough. It's great for water I will cook with but I demand top tier water for my family. I went with this particular model instead of the cheaper one due to the self cleaning option, enhanced features, and quite frankly it just looks better. It's very easy to slide a 5 gallon jug into the bottom and put in the hose, nice and clean, very easy. The cold water is a perfect temperature and the room temperature option is wonderful as well. We decided to leave the hot water option off but I did test it and it would be wonderful for tea. I understand that a lot of people like to burn their mouth when they drink tea but I assure you it's plenty hot for a quick cup of tea, or whatever else you may need hot water for. (British people, don't read that. Use your kettle and be happy).