Brio Limited Edition Top Loading Water Cooler Dispenser - Hot & Cold Water, Child Safety Lock, Holds 3 or 5 Gallon Bottles - UL/Energy Star Approved

I had another brand that was very loud so I was not sure about this one. What a surprise it was to hear about half the noise from the other one. It has a nice look and is higher so it's easier for a tall person to use. Nice product!

I ordered the Brio Top Loading Water Cooler Dispenser after the heating unit in our Primo - Easy Top Loading Water Dispenser failed.Several observations now that I have installed and am operating the Brio unit:• The Brio unit is taller and it is easier to access the buttons and to dispense water than the Primo. The Primo sits rather low and looks like it should sit on a 12” riser stand. Since the cooling section was still working, I donated the unit to our startup church and the leader asked me if there was a platform for the Primo unit to sit on. So it IS low.• The space under the dispensing nozzles where one puts the glass, bottle or container is taller on the Brio and will take a full size ½ gallon pitcher. The Primo unit would not. The lip on the container shelf on the Brio is larger so that your bottle is less likely to fall off.• The on/off switches for the hot and cold water are on the left side of the Brio rather than the back as on the Primo making them easier to access.• The child lockout for the hot water button is much easier to deal with on the Brio than on the Primo unit (I had to oil that one to get it to slide easier and there was barely a lip on that one for the flesh of one’s finger to grab on to).• The Brio is more top heavy than the Primo, which resulted in the delivery people delivering it upside down. According to the User Manual, the unit is never supposed to be tilted to the side more than 45°, let alone upside down (Amazon’s delivery people obviously weren’t informed of this). I believe this has to do with the refrigerant fluid needing time to return to the collection reservoir before the chilling pump can be turned on. I let it sit for several hours upright before assembling and filling with water. What makes the Brio top heavy is that both the heating and chilling units are near the top of the interior (leaving an empty bottom section) rather than the chilling unit sitting on the base as it did in the Primo.• The hot water setting on the Brio seems a bit hotter than the hot water on the Primo unit. It measures ~170°F. I didn’t measure the Primo’s temp, but suppose it was around 160°F. The “hot water” from the Primo took longer to cook stuff than my prior dispensers.• The bottle burps faster on the Brio than the Primo, allowing for faster chamber filling after cleaning the unit and for water dispensing.• The water flows faster out of the hot and chilled water nozzles on the Brio than the Primo, but the room temperature water comes out rather slowly on the Brio unit (weird).Other Notes:Due to the rather large vacant space under the heating/chilling section, there is little reason why Brio couldn’t make the bottom front panel a hinged door and allow for a 5-gallon bottle to be stored in the bottom section. (Brio, are you listening?)Longevity: The Brio just appears to be built a bit more solid than the Primo unit. The heating coil on the Primo went out on mine, hence necessitating its replacement as it was out of its 1-year warranty. It appears the Brio unit has the same heating pod as the Primo unit. I suspect the same vendor, so I don’t think that has improved. I sadly haven’t been able to find the proper Hot Water Tank online, so if it goes out, one is stuck buying a new dispenser. You may be able to find a used unit on eBay by searching for OEM Hot Water Tank for Water Cooler DispenserError in the User Manual: The manual says to turn the unit on with the power switch on the back side. While there is a molded space for a power switch, there is none on this unit. Honestly, a power switch really is not necessary and for this unit, turning on the hot and/or cold switches on the side powered the unit on.For the minor price differential, I would recommend the Brio Top Loading Unit over the Primo Top Loading Unit.If you found this review helpful, please vote it a thumbs up or up vote.

I thought I would dislike how low the fill point is, but it makes sense when you actually use it. It allows for large jugs or bottles to fit on the shelf, and sit there while you fill by comfortably pressing the button controls on top to manage the flow. The other lever style results in water on the floor, while this method a) prevents kids from messing with it, b) reduces spills, c) easier to press, d) easier to see how full your container is, e) more comfortable than bending over while it's filling. I also appreciate the hot, room temp, and very cold options.The several months we've had it, it's fairly quiet, efficient, easy to clean. The only negative I'd point out to the designers is how cheap the buttons feel in comparison to the rest of the device. It's even got handles on the side with side ventilation to ensure effective cooling against a wall - everything about it elucidates quality. But when you press those buttons, the one thing users will physically touch every time - they feel cheap, sloppy, and loose. They work fine, it's just something I personally think could have been done better.

I really liked my Brio cooler. For the first 7 months, it worked almost perfectly, except that the middle control for the room-temperature water often got stuck in place, resulting in the water continuing to dispense until I could wiggle the control back up. After 7 months, the unit began to start dripping in the back onto the drip pan. Fortunately one night my wife and I heard the dripping before any water damage could be done to our floor. I had to supply proof of ownership and proof of the leak to Brio, and I must say that although it took longer than I would have liked, Brio sent a new, replacement unit to my house. I wish that was the end of the story, but it gets worse. My first five gallon jug dispensed fine, although with a plastic taste, which I assume is normal for most units. But then the other morning I came down to a flood on our wooden kitchen floor. It looked like the water might have come out of the top of the unit, where the jug meets the top of the cooler. That didn't make any sense to me. I took the top a apart and all of the cooler's components looked like they were where they belonged. I placed a hard plastic tray under the unit in case it leaked again, and started over. The next morning water had leaked again as the tray was wet. What made no sense was that the back of the wall was all wet, even though the unit was six inches away from it, was if the unit had sprayed the wall with water under pressure. I was so disappointed that I placed the unit out for garbage collection, because that is exactly what the unit was. Fortunately, someone picked up the unit for recycling (or some other purpose) before the garbage truck could get it. It goes without saying that I am very disappointed with Brio. Doesn't any cooler company make a quality product anymore?

I love my new water cooler! It's sleek and modern looking, and the water tastes great. It's been a great addition to my kitchen and has encouraged me to drink more water throughout the day. Highly recommend!