# Ever put stuff other than water in a Brita pitcher?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-put-stuff-other-than-water-in-a-brita-pitcher/154026
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [February 10, 2003, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-put-stuff-other-than-water-in-a-brita-pitcher/154026 "2003-02-10T04:12:20Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@blakeformayor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blakeformayor)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2003, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-put-stuff-other-than-water-in-a-brita-pitcher/154026/1 "2003-02-10T04:12:20Z")
I was wondering the other day what would happen if I put something other than water, like milk or a soft drink or something in my Brita pitcher and let it run through the filter. Would water come out the bottom, or would the result be nothing more than making my water taste like whatever I ran through the filter?
I’m tempted to try it, but I just bought a new filter and don’t want to waste it on something stupid like this… Has anyone ever done this?
---
### Author:  [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2003, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-put-stuff-other-than-water-in-a-brita-pitcher/154026/2 "2003-02-10T04:38:03Z")
Well, my friend just got a Brita filter recently…I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if I used it to make EXTRA sure the beer we drink is ‘cold filtered’ 😉
---
### Author:  [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2003, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-put-stuff-other-than-water-in-a-brita-pitcher/154026/3 "2003-02-10T05:07:08Z")
I’m pretty sure you would just wear out your filter, as it would try to catch all the non-water stuff in the liquid you just poured in it.
---
### Author:  [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2003, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-put-stuff-other-than-water-in-a-brita-pitcher/154026/4 "2003-02-10T05:12:21Z")
The little gnomes who live in the filter would quickly die in a desperate attempt to seperate the water from the other particles.
---
### Author:  [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2003, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-put-stuff-other-than-water-in-a-brita-pitcher/154026/5 "2003-02-10T05:14:39Z")
Gnomes? Ummm…where do they pee?? :eek:
---
### Author:  [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2003, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-put-stuff-other-than-water-in-a-brita-pitcher/154026/6 "2003-02-10T05:36:52Z")
The Brita filter contains an ion exchange resin that sucks up all the metal ions like lead, calcium, or iron, in your water, and replaces with them with less objectionable ions such as sodium. The filter is used up when most of the sodium, or whatever they charge it with, is replaced by other ions.
Orange juice, milk, beer, and coffee contain much higher concentration of various ions than does water, so they will use up the filter’s capacity more quickly. You’ll not get water out the other end of the filter, but rather orange juice, beer, or whatever that has had some of it’s ingredients replaced by ions from the filter.
---
### Author:  [@NeedAHobby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NeedAHobby)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2003, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-put-stuff-other-than-water-in-a-brita-pitcher/154026/7 "2003-02-10T12:22:53Z")
I got to the end of a filter once and poured some coffee through it. I got coffee coming out which confused me because I thought it was supposed to remove particles … then again, maybe the “coffee-ness” is in solution and not a particulate.
The filter was at the end of its life, but FYI, subsequent uses made the water taste like coffee. Even after changing the filter, the plastic pitcher held some flavor and it took a couple runs through before I couldn’t detect it anymore.
---
### Author:  [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2003, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-put-stuff-other-than-water-in-a-brita-pitcher/154026/8 "2003-02-10T14:21:00Z")
We ran a can of Diet Coke through a Brita filter. It removed most, but not all, of the color and sweetness.
---
### Author:  [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2003, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-put-stuff-other-than-water-in-a-brita-pitcher/154026/9 "2003-02-10T15:14:03Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by NeedAHobby \*
> I got to the end of a filter once and poured some coffee through it. I got coffee coming out which confused me because I thought it was supposed to remove particles
I’ve tried this with bulk ion-exchange resins, rather than a brita filter. If you have enough resin of the right type, you can remove most of the colored compounds from your joe, and end up with a clear drink that tastes somewhat like coffee.
---
### Author:  [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2003, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-put-stuff-other-than-water-in-a-brita-pitcher/154026/10 "2003-02-10T18:03:34Z")
> [@](#):
>
> you can remove most of the colored compounds from your joe, and end up with a clear drink that tastes somewhat like coffee.
Now all you need is a clever marketing team able to convince people _JavaClear_ is a good thing. 😉
---
### Author:  [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2003, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-put-stuff-other-than-water-in-a-brita-pitcher/154026/11 "2003-02-10T18:08:58Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by ZenBeam \*
> \*\*Now all you need is a clever marketing team able to convince people _JavaClear_ is a good thing. 😉 \*\*
“Never stain your carpet again!”
---
### Author:  [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2003, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-put-stuff-other-than-water-in-a-brita-pitcher/154026/12 "2003-02-10T19:35:21Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Now all you need is a clever marketing team…
That _was_ the general idea. By replacing those nasty organic chemicals with nutricious calcium, consumers could catch a buzz, and build strong healthy bones at the same time. 😛
---
### Author:  [@effusant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/effusant)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2003, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-put-stuff-other-than-water-in-a-brita-pitcher/154026/13 "2003-02-10T19:44:30Z")
And nice strong inorganic kidney stones as well. :smack:
😛
---
### Author:  [@Daniel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daniel)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2003, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-put-stuff-other-than-water-in-a-brita-pitcher/154026/14 "2003-02-10T19:52:55Z")
I once poured Kahlua through a Brita filter. It came out _clear_. We didn’t taste it (the point of filtering was to get out the glass shards . . . long story), but it looked no different from water.
---
### Author:  [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2003, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-put-stuff-other-than-water-in-a-brita-pitcher/154026/15 "2003-02-10T20:00:53Z")
I asked a similar question last year, but the consensus was… unclear.
[Can I filter urine through a Brita?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=116396)
---
### Author:  [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2003, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-put-stuff-other-than-water-in-a-brita-pitcher/154026/16 "2003-02-10T21:27:51Z")
There is already caffienated water, so the JavaClear idea has been thought of. [http://www.waterjoe.com/main.html](http://www.waterjoe.com/main.html)
Brian
---
### Author:  [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2003, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-put-stuff-other-than-water-in-a-brita-pitcher/154026/17 "2003-02-10T21:50:23Z")
Nah, that stuff’s made for people, if they can be called that, who don’t like the taste of coffee or pop.
> [@](#):
>
> David Marcheschi, would do something he disliked: drink coffee or cola. “Why can’t someone put caffeine in water?”, he thought.
---
### Author:  [@TabarnakRevoloopastaXcoaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TabarnakRevoloopastaXcoaster)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2015, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-put-stuff-other-than-water-in-a-brita-pitcher/154026/18 "2015-08-28T04:10:50Z")
> [@Squink](#):
>
> The Brita filter contains an ion exchange resin that sucks up all the metal ions like lead, calcium, or iron, in your water, and replaces with them with less objectionable ions such as sodium. The filter is used up when most of the sodium, or whatever they charge it with, is replaced by other ions.
> Orange juice, milk, beer, and coffee contain much higher concentration of various ions than does water, so they will use up the filter’s capacity more quickly. You’ll not get water out the other end of the filter, but rather orange juice, beer, or whatever that has had some of it’s ingredients replaced by ions from the filter.
What are your sources when you say the brita filter contains ion exchange resin? :dubious:
---
### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2015, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-put-stuff-other-than-water-in-a-brita-pitcher/154026/19 "2015-08-28T04:16:35Z")
> [@TabarnakRevoloopastaXcoaster](#):
>
> What are your sources when you say the brita filter contains ion exchange resin? :dubious:
[Brita.](https://www.brita.com/why-brita/what-we-filter/)
> [@](#):
>
> The Brita® pitcher filter uses technology which combines coconut-based activated carbon with ion exchange resin in a BPA free housing.
---
### Author:  [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2015, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-put-stuff-other-than-water-in-a-brita-pitcher/154026/20 "2015-08-28T04:31:22Z")
Brains! But it is somewhat common to put cheap vodka through a Brita® or similar filtration device in order to make it somewhat more palatable.
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-put-stuff-other-than-water-in-a-brita-pitcher/154026.md?page=2)