This pitcher is pretty straightforward. It works exactly as advertised. As some other reviewers have mentioned, the inside filter reservoir DOES come out for cleaning, and it should be removed for cleaning before first use. If you do this, you shouldn't have issues removing it later.I've owned several Britas, from the traditional style to the Stream, so I knew what to expect as far as fill time. I actually replaced my Stream with this as the Stream only seems to filter chlorine. The longlast filter that came with this pitcher produces as much cleaner tasting water, as do the original white filters.This pitcher does have a wide pour spout with no restriction, but I've had no issue in filling even ice trays. It just angle it to pour out of one of the corners of the spout. I do also hold it with one hand, with the other hand on the front of the pitcher, thumb on the lid to keep it secure. This is especially helpful if there's water in the top filter reservoir.My only con is that it doesn't have an indicating lid like most other models to. They do supply a sticker for the top with a moveable indicator to remind you when yo change, but I would have preferred the lighted reminder. I'm not sure why they skipped it on this model given that it's priced the same as the Monterey. It's not a huge deal as you can usually taste when the filter needs to be changed, but it's nice to have a heads up that it's close in case you're out of filters.