The Clean Water Machine is Aquasana’s current countertop unit and the successor to the AQ-4000 this site has covered since 2013. Unlike the old model, it does not connect to your tap at all.
How it differs from the old AQ-4000
The AQ-4000 attached to your faucet with a diverter. The Clean Water Machine is a self-contained dispenser: you fill a reservoir, it filters on demand into a carafe. No diverter, no thread compatibility issues, no permanent fixture.
That makes it the most renter-friendly Aquasana product, and the one to consider if your tap would not take a diverter.
What it filters
It uses Aquasana’s Claryum filtration, the same technology as their under-sink range, rather than the simpler carbon found in most jugs. That is the argument for paying considerably more than a basic pitcher costs.
The honest trade-offs
It takes counter space and needs a power outlet, which a passive pitcher does not. It is substantially more expensive than a jug. And like all countertop units, it treats drinking water only — nothing reaches your shower or laundry.
Current price
Aquasana lists the Clean Water Machine at $399.99 (checked August 2026). For context, that is more than the Claryum 3-Stage under-sink system at $349.99 — so if you can fit an under-sink unit, you get more capacity and longer cartridge life for less money. The Clean Water Machine earns its price only when installation is impossible.
Cheaper, no power needed
A filter pitcher handles chlorine taste for a fraction of the cost.
Can you install?
If yes, the under-sink system costs less and lasts longer between cartridges.
Prices checked August 2026 and may change.
Our original AQ-4000 page → · Filters for renters →
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