Despite being one of the most archaic water filtering processes used by humans, distillation is still one of the most effective, even with all of our technological advancements.
In the following piece, we will teach you all you need to know about modern countertop water distillers. We’ve hand-picked five of the best water distillers on the market and reviewed them for you, alongside a short buying guide and some frequently asked questions.
By the time you’ve finished reading, you’ll have all the knowledge and links available to make an informed decision on which water distiller would best suit your needs and your household. Water distillers produce crisp, clean water. However, some people dislike the taste of distilled water.
In this case, we recommend that you add some salts of minerals to the water. This will make the water healthier while improving its taste at the same time.
Read on for our full water distiller reviews.
Best Water Distiller Reviews
H2o Labs Best-in-Class Water Distiller
This water distiller is excellent because it is affordable and considered one of the best distillers on the market today. The water that it produces is high quality, clean, and the unit is made of the best materials and components.
It has a steam chamber and a condensing coil made from stainless steel. It also contains plastic components that are BPA free and made out of the best food grade material in existence.
A big advantage of choosing this water distiller is the innovative nozzle design through which the distilled water is released. The best thing about the nozzle is its groundbreaking design means that as the water passes through the system it’s not going to come into contact with any of the metal or plastic components, which means the water is going to remain very pure.
During distillation, you’ll be able to collect water in a 1 gallon tank. The tank itself is a glass carafe that’s not only ergonomically designed, it’s also quite easy to manipulate as well. The carafe has a large opening so you’ll have no trouble cleaning it when the time comes.
What We Like
This model is so easy to clean. The stainless steel distiller and the glass carafe contain very large openings, so it’s simple to get to them and clean them quickly and easily.
What We Dislike
The water distiller itself is unfortunately quite heavy and weighs around 10 pounds. If using it in a mobile home or an RV, this could potentially present a problem for you.
Distilling 1 gallon every 5.5 hours, this product distills at 212 degrees Fahrenheit, the best temperature for the removal of unwanted contaminants and toxins.
This particular water distiller is made from high-quality 304 stainless steel, including the upper steam dome, boil chamber, and condensing coils.
With this product, water never touches plastic. The Megahome also includes a 1-gallon glass collection bottle, and porcelain lined nozzle to ensure the purest and safest distilled water.
Megahome distillers come with 1-year warranties and premium service and support. This company is no strangers to water distillation technology, having dominated the market for over 22 years. Product support, spare parts, and accessories are very easy to obtain for these machines in case of faults or nuances.
A big advantage to using this particular water filter is the UL listing. A private testing facility named underwriters laboratory thoroughly tested this product and determined that it’s quite safe. So the certification is one that you can certainly trust.
People tend to like this particular model because it’s built using high-quality materials, so it’s sturdy, strong, and well put together.
What We Like
This water distiller is made with the highest quality materials. The water itself is collected in a glass container, and the body of the unit is made of stainless steel. There are no cheap plastic parts whatsoever.
- UL approved.
- Successfully captures and removes toxins from water.
- A well-established brand within the distillation industry
What We Dislike
Compared to other water distillers, the filtration process is kind of slow. It takes 5 ½ hours to produce a single gallon of water which isn’t very quick by any means whatsoever.
The Pure Water Brand Mini-Classic CT™ is a premium, countertop water distiller that produces great-tasting, high-purity distilled water. It has a capacity for approximately 3 liters per three and a half-hour cycle.
Manually filled, and easy to clean, this model is ideal for a single user, a small family, or apartment renters. It’s also suitable for use in a camper or RV.
This model requires zero installation, no water hookup like, and offers a fifteen-year warranty on steel, and two years on electrical components.
It’s double-clad to prevent burns and increase safety, and it uses a removable boiling tank for ease of filling and cleaning. Although it’s a little pricey, customers are reviewing this model as one of the best in today’s market place.
What We Like
This unit is very quiet. Although you’ll hear small background white noise while it’s running, you’ll hardly notice it because it’s nearly silent.
Longevity, some reviewers have owned this model for over ten years, using it daily.
What We Dislike
The process is quite lengthy with this water filter. Some people feel that the process is even too long. But if you’re willing to hang on for about three hours for it to do its thing, then you should have no trouble choosing this model.
ROVSUN models are well built and rigorously tested to guarantee health and longevity. For this reason, their Zokop 4 liter Water Distiller Machine is our top pick for our readers. Its 750W heating element gives this product the ability to distill up to 1L/H, removing all contaminants effectively, giving you the purest water possible.
After you purchase this water distiller, you’ll never need to buy bottled water anymore. The Zokop is made with a fully 304 stainless steel body, inner tank, inner cap, water outlet, fan, and soft catheter for leakage prevention.
It’s easy to operate, low noise, and easy to clean. It’s also easy to assemble, covered with a 1-year seller warranty, and comes with chamber cleaning powder to effectively clean the unit.
Pros
Cons
Out of every model on the list so far, we chose this particular option because it’s quite budget friendly. But that’s not all, because it’s also compact, lightweight, easy to use, and made with an attractive modern design.
The filtering capacity is incredibly high with this water distiller, which is good because it can distill 4 gallons of water per day. But the overall process takes quite some time to finish, which means you really can only filter 3 gallons of water each day unless you feel like waking up in the middle of the night to add more water and turn on the unit.
The design is friendly, which is a big advantage. You do not have to be tech savvy at all to figure it out. So it’s a good choice for older people who typically find newer appliances and machinery tough to operate.
The device uses LED indicators to let you know when the filtration process is thorough. And even better, it’s quite easy to fill up this model.
What We Like
Customer service at this company is excellent. They are very professional, knowledgeable, and helpful to their customers.
What We Dislike
According to some customers, they feel that this unit is cumbersome and hard to manipulate and maneuver from time to time.
CO-Z is FDA-approved, meaning that every single part of this product is safe to use. The water distilled by the CO-Z distiller is perfectly safe and healthy to drink directly from distillation.
The 750W heating element guarantees distillation speeds of over a quarter gallon per hour. During this time, the product effectively removes bacteria, dissolves solids, VOCs, and almost all other contaminants. This provides you with the purest and safest water, distilling up to six gallons per day.
We love this water distiller because of how simple it is to use. Push a button, and you are immediately good to go. There is no need to replace any dirty filter cartridges, and the stainless steel and plastics are pretty much maintenance-free.
This model is thermostatically controlled, so it automatically switches off to prevent burn-out when temperatures exceed 300ºF.
What We Like
This filter is fast and produces 0.4 gallons of distilled water in about an hour.
What We Dislike
The water tank in this unit is plastic. This is an environmental no-no, and many people will be turned off by this unfriendly water tank.
Even though this is also a very inexpensive option, it’s also a great value and an excellent piece of equipment. As a budget-friendly option, you’ll certainly agree that this is a top-quality water distiller in spite of its low price.
The capacity of this water distiller is 1 gallon. It’s a little slower than the previous one mentioned because it only distills 0.26 gallons of water every hour, which is 0.14 gallons slower, so the filtration rate is about medium because it’s not quite slow and it’s not exactly fast.
This model contains stainless steel condenser coils and a stainless steel internal steam chamber. All other components are made of plastic.
What We Like
The value of this model is excellent because it’s an inexpensive investment yet it works well and distills water at medium level speed.
What We Dislike
Many of the parts of this model are made of plastic. Other more durable options make all their components with stainless steel. It’s an inexpensive model so remember that you get what you pay for.
The Morphon Countertop Pure is a well-established model that has some fantastic customer reviews across the internet. Affordable, and made from 304 stainless steel and BPA free plastics, these machines are easy to operate and require zero installation.
All materials are food-grade, and the Morphon switches off automatically when distillation has finished. They are easy to clean and have large openings for easy cleaning and access. One of the benefits of this particular model is that it can run overnight because they are not noisy at all.
They have a unique portable handle on top, so they are easy to transport or carry around. Running at 750w, they can successfully distill 6-gallons of water per day. They also have a built-in thermostat to prevent overheating or fires. The water is processed through heating, evaporation, and condensation, leaving it clean, pure, and ready to drink.
Pros
Cons
An Explanation of Distilled Water
You will get access to clean drinking water if you put it through a water distiller.
This is a process that separates harmful substances from the water through evaporation and condensation.
Distillation happens when the elements are completely separated from the water, which means it will be 100% pure. It can also happen through a partial separation process, which means it’s not 100% pure.
When water is distilled the pH level is low. So the water is lacking oxygen, which means it is missing many of the minerals typically found in water because they were removed in the steam chamber during the distillation process.
Some people, unfortunately, feel that distilled water has a flat taste to it. But if you have the right filter, you can add additional minerals and improve the pH level by increasing it. The taste will also improve if minerals are added to the water.
How Does the Water Distillation Process Take Place?
Water distillation happens when it is heated to a boil, turned into vapor, run through cooling coils at a low temperature, and this ultimately collects and stores the new water having removed all of the unwanted contaminants and vital minerals.
Water Distiller Maintenance & Use
When turning water into steam in a distillation unit, the contaminants that get left behind tend to get caught in the steam chamber.
Given enough time, your faucet will experience lime scale buildup and the boiling chamber will experience negative effects as well.
So, it makes sense to clean your water distiller regularly. When the time comes, consider these instructions:
8 Reasons to Drink Distilled Water
Drinking distilled water provides many benefits. Some of our favorites include the following:
Common Myths
As far as distilled water is concerned, a few myths are roaming around about its consumption. Whether new to you or not, you’ve probably heard some of these rumors and you could have possibly even believed them too.
Is It Really Safe to Drink Distilled Water?
Absolutely. Not only is it safe to drink distilled water, but you can also cook healthy meals using it. It has a flatter taste as we’ve mentioned a couple of times, so it may seem weird to drink it at first. But eventually, you’ll get used to it.
Or you have the other option of adding salts and minerals back to the water to make it taste better. Just give it some time, and you’ll get used to the flat taste or figure out how to improve the taste by adding to the water supply.
The pH Levels of Distilled Water
You may have heard that the pH level of distilled water is slightly on the acidic side and you would have heard correctly. While water is neutral pH at seven, distilled water has a pH level of five, which is an acidic number.
But here’s the thing…
The average soda pop and other fizzy drinks have a pH level of 2.6 to 2.8, which is a lot less than distilled water. Your stomach pH levels are naturally 1 to 2, so again, the lower pH level in your drinking water is not a major issue. It’s a lot healthier than drinking a fizzy sugar drink, that’s for sure.
Purified Versus Distilled Water
When water is purified, it has less than 10 ppm level of contaminants. Water will typically be purified through water filtration, ion exchange, reverse osmosis, and other filtering types. This process is very effective, and it eliminates about 99.99% of water’s contaminants and makes it very pure.
The distillation process results in creating distilled water. This water has about one ppm level of contaminants. Simply put, distilled water is also purified water since the bulk of the contaminants are removed.
Contamination levels are nearly identical in both types of water. The mineral content is the bigger difference between these two filtering types. Purified water is going to have many more minerals than its distilled counterpart. But if you keep this in mind, you can always add more minerals to the water after it’s been distilled.
Spring Water Versus Distilled Water
Many online communities have varying opinions about the debate between distilled water and spring water. Some like to look at spring water as a superior option because it is a bonafide part of nature. But studies show that water coming from certain springs isn’t all that healthy because it contains contaminants like coliform, phthalates, and arsenic to name a few serious potential hazards.
On the other hand, many people will tell you that spring water doesn’t come directly from the spring. They say it’s just filtered tap water being shipped in plastic bottles.
Whether you purchase distilled water or distill it yourself, the chances of it being healthier and safe are much better than water coming from a spring.
Factors to Consider Before Buying
1. Your Specific Water Needs
You should start by asking yourself how much water does my household consumes each day? If you aren’t sure, try to take time to figure it out. Once you’ve established how much water you need, you will know what size of a distiller to buy.
Small families can get by with countertop water distillers, whereas larger families will need to consider a larger water distiller. By purchasing the right-sized distiller, you can prevent the annoyance of always having to fill up the unit. Likewise, you’ll save money if you buy a smaller distiller, rather than buying a large one that you don’t need.
2. A Products Distilling Capacity
The distilling, or flow rate, is an essential factor to consider before you buy a water distiller. For example, the majority of countertop units will take between 3-5 hours to produce one gallon of distilled water.
This may be sufficient to meet the needs of you and your family, if that’s the case, that’s great. If not, you’ll have to start looking at models with higher flow rates, models that can keep up with your demands.
3. Component Materials
When water is distilled, the distillation process involves high temperatures. Therefore, the right materials are crucial for the safety and purity of the water produced. The wrong materials could add toxins to your drinking water.
Look for water distillers made from stainless steel and glass components exclusively. Both of these materials are tried, tested, and trusted. BPA-free plastics are also safe to use, as long as they are not heated up.
4. Energy Consumption
Almost every model of water distiller for sale on the market today will use electricity to heat water. Many models use less power than others, so if you want to be more eco-friendly, make sure you do your homework.
Typically, a home water distiller uses around 3 kWh (kilowatt-hours) of electricity per gallon of water. Multiply your electricity cost per kWh by three, and you’ll calculate the cost of producing a gallon of distilled water in your home.
5. Price
It’s a rule of thumb that larger distillation systems will cost more than smaller water distillers. Also, those that have additional features will be more expensive. Only you know your budget, so weigh up the pros and cons and make an informed decision should be easy.
6. Carbon Filtration
The distillation process will filter out over 99% of impurities from your water. However, they do not filter out VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). This is because VOCs have a lower boiling point than water. Therefore, they evaporate with the steam from the water and cool as part of the distilled water.
This is the reason that some water distiller manufacturers will offer a carbon filtration system as the final stage that water passes through post-distillation. This guarantees that all VOCs are filtered from the water completely. Whether you want to look out for models with extra carbon filters is your choice entirely.
Distilled Water FAQ
Final Thoughts
Filtering water through the distillation process has been around through the ages. It has survived this long because it’s efficient, it works, and it’s effective too.
Water distillers are incredible products for those that want to drink the purest possible water. We personally recommend the ROVSUN Zokop 4Liter as our best water distiller for value, efficiency, and quality.
For those of you who have slightly more substantial budgets, the Mini-Classic CT water distiller is an excellent product that has a reputation for lasting over ten years, creates excellent tasting water, and looks the part.
We highly recommend all of the water distillers listed on this page and hope that this guide helps you to choose the perfect product for your needs.