If you would like to skip straight to our recommendation, the Megahome Countertop Water Distiller is out top water distiller pick.
Water distillers can provide you with healthier and more enjoyable water regardless of your budget. They efficiently eliminate bacteria, chemicals, and other contaminants that can lead to serious health issues and illnesses. Substances in water that cause unpleasant taste and smell can also be omitted by the process of distillation.
We’ve reviewed five of the best distillers to help you make a guided choice, and we’ve included a detailed section that will explain exactly what you should look for when searching for the best home water distiller.
Why Buy A Distiller?
Tap water in most first-world countries is relatively safe to ingest. Many people opt to drink directly from their taps without experiencing any serious immediate health issues. However, the water treatment methods deployed by local water plants, and the additives used in the water can deem our tap water contaminated and unhealthy to drink.
Besides that, tap water often tastes unpleasant due to all the chemicals that are used to sanitize it. If you want clean and tasty tap water, one option is to buy a residential water distiller.
Distillers essentially boil water until it evaporates, and then the vapors are allowed to cool until they turn back into water by means of condensation. That process removes all impurities from your drinking water before you drink it. Bacteria and viruses and chemicals are all omitted in the process of distillation.
Important Factors To Consider
One important note to keep in mind is that water distillation strips the water from all minerals (for example calcium and magnesium). Although most of your mineral needs are acquired through the food you eat, if you do not consume a healthy diet it would be strongly recommended to remineralize your distilled water before drinking it. It is as easy as adding a teaspoon of naturally occurring concentrated trace minerals to your water jug (check the serving size to determine amount needed).
Another important note worth mentioning, since distilled water is stripped from minerals, it is prone to becoming acidic as it starts reacting with (dissolving) carbon-dioxide in the air. An easy solution to neutralize your distilled water is to add a pinch of baking soda to your water jug. Baking soda not only neutralized the water, consuming it (in small quantities) can have great health benefits.
These two steps (remineralizing and neutralizing) will ensure your distilled water is as healthy to consume as it gets.
How To Pick The Right Distiller
We recommend choosing a distiller that meets the criteria we list in this section. Most distillers do a good job as the distillation process is standard (evaporation and condensation). The main differentiation between the various models are power efficiency and water output rate, which are usually inversely correlated as more power is needed to distill water at a higher rate.
Ease Of Installation
Most large water distillers have to be hooked up to the water line under your sink. We highly recommend buying one that will easily screw onto your water line without requiring any tools or complex adapters. A water distiller is supposed to be convenient. It shouldn’t take hours to install.
The size of the distiller will greatly affect how easy it is to install, too. Larger distillers can usually process more water in less time, but they’re also quite heavy. If you’re elderly or otherwise incapable of moving heavy appliances around, we recommend getting a distiller that sits on your counter, or you should get a smaller unit that’s easier to move around.
Counter-sized units can just be plugged into your kitchen outlet.
Price
Water distillers can be very cheap, and they can be very expensive. The materials used to make them, the amount of features they have, and the size of the units are usually what affects the price of a distiller the most.
We won’t list the exact prices of the units we recommend later in this guide, but we will provide you with a simple visual that depicts whether a unit is budget friendly or on the higher end of the price spectrum.
Capacity And Efficiency
Distillers take time to work. An economically priced unit that only distills a gallon per day is fine if the household consists of one or two members. However, most people will need to look at the amount of water their family consumes, and they’ll have to pick a unit that can handle their demands.
That’s especially true if you want to used distilled water for cooking purposes. It’s easy to forget just how much water we all use on a daily basis. Take note of how much water you use for drinking, cooking, in humidifiers, etc. for a few days to gauge your daily requirements.
Note that you have the option to run a distiller back to back to produce several batches of distilled water. However, this means you have to refill the distiller with tap water every time you start the process.
What To Avoid
First, avoid purchasing a large unit unless you have someone who can help you install it, or if you plan on getting professional installers. Large units are extremely heavy.
Ensure that you won’t have to do anything to your pipes to install the distiller. You want to know that the distiller’s hoses is compatible with your plumbing pipes. If you want to install a distiller very easily, look for a tool-free unit.
Avoid distillers that do not have some sort of auto-shutoff mechanism. This should be a standard safety feature, but it’s worth keeping it in mind.
Avoid distillers that do not provide a carbon filter or activated carbon patch integration. Activated carbon is used as an added measure in filtering out certain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that may evaporate with the water during distillation.
Lastly, because we are dealing with hot (and warm) water, the ideal distiller would use material that comes in contact with the water that does not react to heat, such as glass and stainless steel. Plastic components coming in contact with hot water is something to watch out for and avoid.
Our Top 5 Distillers
We will be reviewing the following products:
- SHZOND 4L
- Megahome Countertop Water Distiller
- Durastill
- Most Convenient Distiller (by H2O Labs)
- Pure Water Mini-Classic CT
SHZOND 4L
Cost Rating: $
This portable distiller can easily fit on your counter, and it has more features than its price would suggest. First, it filters water through a carbon filter for an extremely clean drinking experience.
It also features an automatic shutdown feature that forces the unit to shutdown if its temperature exceeds the maximum threshold (320 degrees Fahrenheit). A good safety feature and it also helps prolongs the life of the unit.
It’s fairly quick and can distill about 1 gallon of water in about 4 hours which is pretty good for a small unit.
Pros:
- Inexpensive
- Easy to use
- Relatively good output rate – satisfactory for one or two household members
- Automatic shutoff
Cons:
- It does not distill a lot of water quickly. If you have a large family that loves water, you’re better off with another unit.
- Although all components in contact with the hot water are stainless steel, the water collector (warm water) is made of plastic.
Click here to check the price on Amazon
Megahome Countertop Water Distiller
Cost Rating: $$
The Megahome distiller is another counter-sized unit, and it is UL (Underwriters Laboratory) approved which ensures it meats stringent safety standards- a very important consideration given distillers use substantial heat in the distillation process.
The unit will also automatically shut off once a cycle is complete.
The distillation rate is relatively slower than other units at 1 gallon every 5.5 hours.
It comes with a 1 year warranty. Side note, I have owned this unit for 5+ years now and I have never had any issues.
Throughout the entire distillation process, water does not come in contact with any plastic. All components in contact with water are either stainless steel (heating chamber and cooling coils), porcelain (nozzle interior) or glass (collection jug).
The unit also uses activated carbon filter patches as a final filtration stage.
Pros:
- Meets UL safety standards
- Water never comes in contact with unsafe material like plastic
- Uses activated carbon
- Automatic shutoff
Cons:
- Output rate is relatively low
Click here to check the price on Amazon
Durastill
Cost Rating: $$$$$
The Durastill is a large unit weighing 41 pounds with a high capacity for distilling water. It is a good option for households with large number of members, or businesses with several employees.
This unit is a hands free distiller where it fills up automatically by connecting to your water source line, and deploys a float technology to stop production once the reserve tank is full.
It can distill up to 8 gallons of water in 24 hours, and the reserve tank can hold up to four gallons at a time. That’s quite a bit of water.
Pros:
- High capacity
- Automatic water fill
- All stainless steel
Cons:
- No safety features listed by manufacturer.
- Uses plastic tubing and fittings, which is not ideal when handling hot or warm water. This one is a major issue in our book.
Click here to check the price on Amazon
Most Convenient Distiller (by H2O Labs)
Cost Rating: $$
Another countertop unit that is probably the easiest on the list to operate. With automatic shutdown once the reservoir fills up.
It can create about 1 gallon of distilled water in 5 hours, which is comparable to other countertop models. It does heat up more rapidly than other models, and starts producing distilled water in about 5 minutes.
It is easily the most attractive distiller on this list, though. The design will match just about any kitchen, and it’s shaped in a way that allows it to fit under cabinets and other parts of your kitchen.
Refilling the boiling water tank is easy as it has its own compartment. Cleaning the thermoplastic boiling plate is easy as it is detachable and dishwasher safe.
The distilled water storage tank is made of plastic, but it is food grade and BPA free.
Pros:
- Easy to operate, maintain and clean.
- Elegant design
- Will not overflow
Cons:
- Plastic components and water storage tank.
Click here to check the price on Amazon
Pure Water Mini-Classic CT
Cost Rating: $$$
The Pure Water Mini-Classic CT can produce close to 1 gallon in 3.5 hours.
With a removable boiling tank, refilling water is a simpler process as you do not have to move the entire unit.
With a stainless steel construction and a glass collection jar, this unit provides peace of mind that no toxins associated with plastic will find its way into your distilled water.
The unit also boasts a 15-year warranty on stainless steel and a 2-year warranty on electric components.
It also features a patented dual vent construction which allow Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) to escape more efficiently. Activated carbon is also used to ensure effective purification.
Pros:
- Durable and backed by good warranty
- Ensures water is never in contact with plastic
- Removable boiling tank making it easy to refill water
Cons:
- The price point is steep compared to other countertop units.
Click here to check the price on Amazon
Final Thoughts
The Megahome Countertop Water Distiller is our top suggestion as it perfectly balances safety features, workmanship and price.
Make sure to neutralize and remineralize your distilled water to ensure the most pure and healthy drinking water.
