9 Best Water Distillers – Your Guide to Clean Water in 2024

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Daniel
Daniel
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Daniel is among our most talented writers: based on the dull expert reports he's able to make up a comprehensive, reader-friendly article which anyone can benefit from. Also read more
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Reviewed By
Tom
Tom
Tom
Expert Consultant
Initially being an engineering specialist, Tom has never stopped learning and acquiring other knowledge and skills. Now he’s involved in technical support for a well-known read more
Last updated: September 04, 2023
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Distilled water is one of the cleanest forms of water for drinking and cooking. It has virtually none of the minerals, unhealthy chemicals, bacteria or viruses that are present in tap water, which makes it a healthier choice and allows you to track exactly what’s going into your body. In this guide, we’ll review choices for the best water distiller to turn tap water into a clean source of water in your home.

To ensure you’re getting a product that will not only produce truly clean water but last for a lifetime and provide features that make it easy to use, it’s important to buy a high-quality water distiller. Striving to identify the best water distillers on the market, we combed through technical specifications of many water distillers currently on offer and compared hundreds of customer reviews. The result is our list of the 9 best water distillers, whether you’re on a budget, looking for specific features, or a new or experienced user of water distillers.

The table below provides a brief introduction to our 9 favorite water distillers with a quick view of their unique features. Our top pick is the CO-Z 1-Gallon Water Distiller. For more information, check out our full product reviews below. Once you’re familiar with the 9 distillers we picked, the Buying Guide offers more information about how water distillers work and what features to look for in order to help you choose the water distiller that is best for your needs. Finally, our guide wraps up with our top pick for a water distiller.

Quick Summary

  • "Offers great functionality at a great price. Comes with a stainless steel interior, has a 1-gallon capacity, and distills 1.5 liters/hour."
  • "Manual 4L distiller with ca. 1gal/6h capacity; full stainless steel interior and glass nozzle insert, and proprietary activated carbon pods"
  • Full Package Distiller: Megahome Countertop Water Distiller
    "The Megahome Countertop water distiller is a high quality, durable and compact distiller approved by the Underwriter Laboratory."
  • "Manual 4L distiller with 1gal/5.5h capacity, full stainless steel interior, glass nozzle insert and and glass carafe; the only Underwriters Laboratory listed distiller"
  • "Manual 4L distiller with ca. 1gal/4h capacity; food-grade stainless steel interior and food-grade BPA-Free plastic container; auto-off at over 320℉"
  • "If you prefer stove top distillation and could want to use the unit as a double boiler, the Little Creek VKP1208 is a fully stainless steel option."
  • Best Smart Water Distiller: Waterlovers 2800MKII
    "In order to prevent over calcification and burning of the residues at the reservoir bottom, the water distiller shuts down by itself though, reserving about 5 – 10ml of water in it."
  • "This stainless steel boiler can produce one gallon of distilled water in four hours, yet the unit is only 15 inches tall."
  • "Manual 4L distiller with 6gal/24h capacity; food-grade stainless steel interior and food-grade BPA-Free plastic container; auto-off at over 300℉"

Top 9 Water Distillers Review 2024

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Consumer Engagement
Chosen by 3214 people in the past 30 days
9.9
Customer Feedback
Customer Feedback
9.4
Brand Reputation
Based onweb analytics
9.7
Features & Benefits
Product Review
9.4
9.9
1
Features
  • 1-gallon capacity
  • Stainless steel interior
  • 5 liters/hour
  • 11 x 11 x 20 inches in dimensions
  • Power-off when temperature is 160 deg.C

The CO-Z water distiller is proof that you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a high-quality model. This distiller has a stainless steel interior for enhanced durability and comes with a plastic cover that makes it light and easily portable. These two factors guarantee its long-term use. This distiller has a user-friendly design, including a handle that allows you to carry it around with ease. It also comes with 2 buttons; red to stop the distillation process and green to start it.

One of the features that set this distiller apart from the rest includes its large capacity. It can hold one gallon of water which is enough to fulfill your personal needs as well as those of your family. This mode is also highly efficient and can distill 1.5 liters every hour. During the distillation process, it eliminates contaminants such as VOCs, dissolved solids, particles, and bacteria.

    What makes it special?
  • Comes in a practical and user-friendly design.
  • Relatively affordable without compromising on quality features.
  • Highly efficient and eliminates most types of contaminants, including VOCs.
    What cons did we find?
  • There have been complaints of the fan being too noisy.
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Consumer Engagement
Chosen by 4082 people in the past 30 days
9.8
Customer Feedback
Customer Feedback
9.4
Brand Reputation
Based onweb analytics
9.3
Features & Benefits
Product Review
9.7
9.8
Features
  • Manual 4L distiller
  • Distill capacity: over 16 liters per day (4 cycles)
  • Full 304 stainless steel interior
  • Glass nozzle insert
  • Proprietary activated carbon pods

This water distiller produces highly purified water with a significant amount of design intention focused on keeping your water clean. The interior is comprised completely of food-grade stainless steel, but this distiller goes even one step further – it features a glass nozzle insert so that your water never even touches the stainless steel, but only glass throughout the distillation process. It also includes activated carbon filter pods, which aid in the process of removing volatile organic compounds. In addition, the distiller uses a smaller heating unit that boils water slowly so that there is less chance of the steam mixing with volatile organic carbons that are boiled off earlier in the heating process. Finally, the carafe that the water is output into is also glass for purity.

The distiller itself has a reservoir capacity of 4 liters and is capable of up to 4 cycles per day. This is not as much water as comparable units and full output means that you’ll need to be changing out the water every 6 hours – which for many people includes the middle of the night.

The main downside to this distiller is price – it is expensive upfront and replacing the activated carbon pods every several months can add up. However, the smaller capacity and smaller heating unit mean that this distiller uses less energy than comparable models, which can save money on your energy bill in the long run.

    Why are we impressed?
  • Extremely pure water thanks to glass nozzle insert and slow boil
  • Carbon filters improve water taste
    What negatives must you be aware of?
  • Requires 4 manual cycles per day for full output
  • Expensive


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Consumer Engagement
Chosen by 6485 people in the past 30 days
9.7
Customer Feedback
Customer Feedback
9.6
Brand Reputation
Based onweb analytics
9.5
Features & Benefits
Product Review
9.6
9.7
3
Full Package Distiller

Megahome Countertop Water Distiller

Features
  • Manual 4L distiller
  • Distill capacity: 1 gallon per 5.5 hours
  • Full 304 stainless steel interior and exterior
  • Glass collection container
  • Includes 6 activated charcoal filters
  • UL certified
  • 1-year warranty

If you’re looking for a durable, high quality yet compact water distiller, the Megahome Countertop is a great choice. This product is approved by the Underwriter Laboratory, one of the most trusted global safety, independent science companies that determines strict safety standard compliance.

This unit can make one gallon of distilled water in less than five and a half hours. It distills water at 212ºf to create pure steam distilled water with toxins and contaminants eliminated.

The Megahome Countertop features six optional activated charcoal filters that can be used if your water contains VOCs such as chlorine or other toxins that have the potential to form a vapor during distillation. The high-quality charcoal filters can help to capture and eliminate potentially harmful toxins to create safe, pure distilled water. The boil chamber includes a high grade 304 stainless steel upper cover and condensing coils that are durable and rust resistant. The outer body of the unit is also made of stainless steel that is both attractive and durable.  The glass collection bottle has a convenient removable lid.

What is really nice about this distiller is that it is super easy to use. All you need to do is fill the boiling chamber and press the start button. The distiller will handle everything else automatically. After the cycle completes, it will shut off without the need for intervention. The unit can even handle distilling seawater.

    Why did it make our list?
  • Can distill one gallon of water in less than 5.5 hours
  • Features activated charcoal filters
  • Convenient glass collection bottle
  • Durable and attractive interior and exterior.
    What is not ideal about it?
  • It is quite a long distillation process.
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Consumer Engagement
Chosen by 9271 people in the past 30 days
9.6
Customer Feedback
Customer Feedback
9.5
Brand Reputation
Based onweb analytics
9.1
Features & Benefits
Product Review
9.2
9.6
Features
  • Manual 4L distiller
  • Distill capacity: 1 gallon (3.7L) per 5.5 hours
  • Full 304 stainless steel interior
  • Glass nozzle insert
  • UL (Underwriters Laboratory) listed
  • 1-year warranty

Although pricey, this distiller is one of the best on the market in terms of purity and capacity. Its quality is evident as it is the only water distiller currently listed by Underwriters Laboratory – the UL insignia that is omnipresent on all other household appliances and signifies safety.

Water in this distiller never touches plastic thanks to the fully food-grade stainless steel interior and the glass nozzle insert. The latter ensures that once the steam is recondensing into pure water, your water touches only glass from the nozzle to the glass carafe for the highest water quality. Although the distillation speed of one gallon every 5-6 hours may not seem fast, this is also designed with purity in mind – a faster boiling speed would increase the likelihood of volatile organic compounds being left in your water.

The distiller has a 4-liter reservoir, which is standard for household distillers of this class so that the distiller itself does not use up too much valuable kitchen space. However, that can be limiting if you need a large volume of water or will not be home throughout the day, since producing at full capacity requires manually refilling the reservoir 4 times each day.

    What makes it stand out?
  • Stainless steel interior, glass nozzle insert, and glass carafe for quality
  • Water never touches plastic
  • Slow boil for removing volatile organic compounds
    Which disadvantages must you keep in mind?
  • On the pricey side
  • Manual 4-liter cycle limits production
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Consumer Engagement
Chosen by 2937 people in the past 30 days
9.5
Customer Feedback
Customer Feedback
9.3
Brand Reputation
Based onweb analytics
9.4
Features & Benefits
Product Review
9.0
9.5
Features
  • Manual 4L distiller
  • Distill capacity: 1L/h
  • Distiller material: food-grade 304 stainless steel
  • Container material: food-grade BPA-Free Plastic
  • Auto-off when temp is over 320℉

This water distiller is inexpensive and perfect for those looking for distilled water on a budget. The design is extremely comparable to other manual distillers, with a 4-liter reservoir and a food-grade stainless steel interior. However, the price is brought down significantly since the distiller lacks a glass insert in the nozzle and does not use carbon filters in the distillation process. It also uses a plastic carafe, although this can be a red flag for those who are truly serious about water purity. However, in that case, the plastic container can easily be exchanged for a glass carafe after-market.

The total capacity of this distiller is also on par with other distillers, at 24 liters per day with a more realistic output of around 16 liters per day. However, users note that this distiller is unusually loud for a water distiller when turned on.

One of the features of this distiller that even more expensive distillers lack is the temperature safety switch. Above 320℉, the distiller will automatically shut down in order to prevent overheating. This provides reassurance when setting the distiller to run and then leaving your home for the day or heading to sleep for the night.

    What are our favorite features?
  • Inexpensive
  • Temperature safety switch
    What could be better?
  • Loud when distilling
  • Plastic carafe
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Consumer Engagement
Chosen by 3168 people in the past 30 days
9.4
Customer Feedback
Customer Feedback
8.9
Brand Reputation
Based onweb analytics
9.0
Features & Benefits
Product Review
8.9
9.4
Features
  • 7 and 9-quart capacity
  • Distill capacity: 1 quart/hour
  • All stainless steel construction
  • High temperature silicone drain hose
  • Works on all stovetops
  • FDE&CE listed
  • 5-year warranty

If you prefer stove top distillation or you want a unit that can also work as a double boiler or to render fats, the Little Creek VKP1208 is a solid choice. It is very easy to use and is compatible with all types of stovetops including gas, electric, ceramic and induction.

All you need to do is fill the bottom pan with water you want to distill and add cold water to the condenser pan on top. You can then place it on your cooktop and it will start the distillation process. This distiller is capable of delivering up to one quart of pure distilled water per hour. You can use the spring clamp to release water via the included silicon hose into a metal or glass container. However, you will need to be careful as the water will be hot.  As the water boils in the bottom pan, the steam will rise through the collector pan and will be cooled to become pure, clean distilled water.

The unit features a quality stainless steel construction that avoids plastics, if you have concerns about BPA and other potential contaminants compromising your distilled water. It is also a good option in an emergency, since it can be used with a gas stovetop in the event of an emergency during a blackout.

    What do we love it for?
  • Can be used on all types of stovetops, so you may not necessarily need electricity.
    What were we disappointed with?
  • It is far slower than electric units
  • No auto shut off, so you will need to monitor it
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Consumer Engagement
Chosen by 3026 people in the past 30 days
9.3
Customer Feedback
Customer Feedback
9.2
Brand Reputation
Based onweb analytics
8.9
Features & Benefits
Product Review
9.0
9.3
7
Best Smart Water Distiller

Waterlovers 2800MKII

Features
  • Automatic distiller
  • Distill capacity: 5.84 gallons (22.4L) per 24 hours
  • 0.73-gallon glass jug
  • 4 mm Borosillicate glass jug and 304 stainless steel boiling reservoir
  • 1-year limited warranty

Asides the basic function of providing clean and distill water that you want from your distiller, you would also want one that would last a reasonable amount of time before requiring replacement. Both features are what you get in this Waterlovers 2800MKII.

The distiller has automatic functions to save you time and energy. At the same time, the auto function of the distiller helps to keep it in check and prevent destruction. For instance, in order to prevent over calcification and burning of the residues at the reservoir bottom, the water distiller shuts down by itself though, reserving about 5 – 10ml of water in it. The water left over is important to reduce the frequency of cleaning the distiller as well as prolonging its lifespan.

Furthermore, the distiller has to prevent likely danger. The most apparent one being under the cover of the reservoir. Without this cover on the distiller, the machine would not come on.

In every 24 hours, the Waterlovers 2800MKII can distill about 5.84 gallons. This is also equivalent to 22.4 litres. The capacity of the glass jug is 0.73 gallons while that of the reservoir is 304 gallons.

The glass is a 4 mm Borosilicate type while the reservoir is made of stainless steel. The water distiller comes with a one year limited warranty.

    What makes it stand out?
  • Advanced safety sensors
  • Energy saving feature
  • Large capacity
    Which disadvantages must you keep in mind?
  • 1500W power output
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Consumer Engagement
Chosen by 6464 people in the past 30 days
9.2
Customer Feedback
Customer Feedback
8.9
Brand Reputation
Based onweb analytics
9.1
Features & Benefits
Product Review
8.8
9.2
Features
  • Manual 1-gallon distiller
  • Distill capacity: 1 gallon in 4 hours
  • Automatic shut-off after one gallon cycle
  • Stainless steel condenser
  • Comes with glass catcher
  • 1-year warranty

Waterwise has an established reputation within the water purification industry that spans over four decades. The Waterwise 4000 is a countertop unit that is simple and straightforward to use. It consists of a stainless steel boiler that can produce one gallon of steam distilled water in approximately four hours. Despite this impressive performance rate, the unit weighs only 10 pounds and stands 15 inches tall, making it quite portable to use in different areas of the home or while you’re camping.

The Waterwise 4000 is ready to install straight out of the box and the kit includes an additional replacement carbon filter, so you don’t need to worry about maintenance for the first couple of months. The unit is also supplied with a one-year manufacturer’s warranty, making it great value for money even when you need to factor in purchasing replacement filters after the first two months of use.

This is a great unit if you need to create sufficient distilled water for the whole family. With its production rate of one gallon in four hours, there is the potential to create up to six gallons per day. It is also simple to use and easy to set up, making it highly convenient for a busy household.

    Why is it special?
  • Great portability: the unit only weighs 10 pounds so it can be used in different areas of the home or outside the home.
  • Auto cut off: The unit has an auto cut off feature which will shut off the power after it has distilled one gallon.
    What are the flaws?
  • Carbon filter attached to spout: This means that the replacement filters do contain more plastic than necessary.
  • Glass storage container issues: The lid for the glass storage container feels a little flimsy and it has a narrow spout, making pouring challenging.
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Consumer Engagement
Chosen by 6266 people in the past 30 days
9.0
Customer Feedback
Customer Feedback
8.7
Brand Reputation
Based onweb analytics
8.6
Features & Benefits
Product Review
8.6
9.0
Features
  • Manual 4L distiller
  • Distill capacity: up to 6 gallons (22.7 liters) per 24 hours
  • Full 304 stainless steel interior
  • Food-grade and BPA-free plastics
  • Automatic switch-off when the temperature exceeds 300ºF
  • 1-year limited warranty

If you’re on a budget and want a large volume of distilled water, this distiller offers a huge capacity for the price. The distiller is capable of putting out up to 6 gallons each day. However, note that this requires refilling the distiller every few hours, since it only has a 4-liter reservoir, so 4 gallons is a more reasonable expectation of what you will actually produce. But the difference also indicates that the rate at which distilled water is produced compares very favorably to more expensive models.

Another nice feature of this distiller for home use is that it has an internal safety switch – when the temperature within the distiller chamber reaches 300ºF, the distiller will automatically shut off. This is a great feature for giving peace of mind when you turn on the distiller before going out for the day or before going to sleep.

In terms of purity, the entire interior of the distiller is food-grade stainless steel. However, the carafe is plastic and not as easy to pour from as carafes on other distillers. The faster distillation rate, while appreciated in some situation, also increases the chance that volatile organic compounds will not be completely removed from the steam chamber prior to the water boiling.

    What do we love it for?
  • Fast distillation
  • 6 gallon per day capacity
  • Automatic temperature shut-off
  • Inexpensive
    What were we disappointed with?
  • Small reservoir capacity limits total realistic distillation volume
  • Potential for volatile organic compounds to remain


Things to Consider

Now that you got to know our 8 favorite water distillers, we suggest going through the main features we found out are the most important when you pick out a distiller.

What is a water distiller?

A water distiller is simply a machine that boils water and separates pure water from any impurities it may have contained, such as minerals, bacteria, or chemicalsб and it can even distill alcohol. The principle behind a distiller is that when water boils into steam, it leaves behind any minerals or heavy, solid particulates that may have been dissolved or floating in the water. The steam, now separated from these contaminants, is then re-condensed into a clean container as pure water. Water distillers can also remove volatile organic chemicals, many of which can be unhealthy, since these chemicals tend to boil off at a lower temperature than water. So any gases that are produced before the water boils can also easily be removed from the steam chamber.

How can you use distilled water?

The best and most common use of distilled water is for drinking and cooking. After all, many people prefer distilled water because they don’t want to ingest the same minerals and contaminants that are present in tap water. Along the same lines, distilled water can be used as drinking water for pets or plants – in the latter case, to control the minerals that are in the soil. Distilled water is required for many at-home aquariums, since fish are highly sensitive to water purity. Many people who use distilled water also use it to wash their hair and skin, since it lacks the hardness of mineral-filled tap water. And because there are no hard minerals to precipitate and cause clogging, distilled water is a great choice to use for irons and car radiators.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Using a Water Distiller

health-waterThe main advantage of a water distiller is having a constant source of clean, pure water in your home. This can be extremely valuable if you have issues with impurities or bacteria that cause illness in your normal source of water. In addition, a water distiller can actually be used to convert salty ocean water into purified drinking water. You can even find the best water distiller for alcohol – the results might surprise you greately.

The main disadvantages of a water distiller are that it is slow and uses a lot of energy. If you need large volumes of water at a single time and plan to use a distiller, you will need to plan ahead and stockpile purified water from the distiller for days in advance. In addition, distillation is an energy-intensive process, so expect to see your electricity bills go up if using a distiller frequently. Another disadvantage, albeit minor, is that some people do not like the taste of water after it has been distilled, but this problem can be solved by drinking the water shortly after distillation.

Important Features

Type

There are manual and automatic water distillers available on the market today. A manual distiller, as the name suggests, can only be used manually. You’ll have to add water to it and empty the tank each time the distillation cycle is over to start a new one. An automatic distiller, by contrast, does not need to be manually filled and turned on. You just hook it up to an existing water line, which allows the distiller to automatically distill the needed amount of water every time water is taken out. The type of a water distiller to choose depends on your needs. If you don’t need lots of distilled water every day, there’s no point to pick a water distiller, since it’s capacity is higher and it consumes more energy than manual ones.

Capacity

water-distiller-capacityOne of the most important features of a water distiller is its capacity. The capacity that often scales with the unit cost, so it is important to think about how much distilled water you are likely to use each day when considering what capacity you need. An easy way to determine this is to track how much tap water you use at home over the course of an average day.

Capacity is typically measured as how much water a distiller can distill over 24 hours, but considerations like the cycle length and the water storage capacity can also be important if you are not home frequently to refill the distiller and restart the distillation cycle.

Materials

Another important consideration is what type of material the distiller is made from. Typically, stainless steel or glass parts are preferred because they do not leach chemicals into the water under heat during the distillation process – just make sure they are labeled as food-grade materials to ensure they are up to cleanliness standards after the manufacturing process. Stainless steel and glass are also easy to clean, which is a major advantage.

Although plastic is less preferable, it is cheaper. However, be sure to look for BPA-free plastic distillers, since plastics made with BPA will leach chemicals into the distilled water you were trying to remove chemicals from. The same consideration of materials apply for the container the water is output into, although because the water will not be as hot, the material is not as much of a concern.

Energy consumption

electricity-billsDistillers run on electricity, and many people will be running their distillers 24/7. Therefore, it is important to consider how much energy a distiller requires – a slightly lower wattage distiller can lead to large cost savings on your electricity bill over the course of a month. If you plan to use a distiller only infrequently, for example for a one-time specific use such as filling an aquarium, it may be more cost-effective to buy bottled water.

Filtration

Although distillation obviates the need for filtering water, some people do not appreciate the taste of distilled water. Some water distillers run the distilled water through an integrated carbon filter in order to change the taste of the water. While this feature does not affect the quality of the water, whether it is important to you depends on how picky you are about the taste of your water.

Conclusion

A water distiller can be a great way to convert tap water into a source of purified water for drinking or a variety of household uses. While getting into a rhythm of setting the distiller to run may take some getting used to for manual distillers, over time the benefits of these units are well worth it for many people. Now that you’re familiar with 9 of the best water distillers on the market and know what to look for in a water distiller, it should be easy to find the water distiller that fits your needs.

9,9
Total Score
CO-Z 1-Gallon Water Distiller - Editor's Choice
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