Best Water Distillers for Home – Buying Guide 2022

How to Pick the Perfect One for Your Needs?

You can find many distilled water brands on supermarket shelves.

Ok, but what is distilled water—and why is it so popular?

In short, distilled water is steam-distilled by boiling it into a vapor. Then, the distillation machine recaptures the water and condenses it into a liquid.

Basically, your countertop machine:

• Heats up and boils the water
• Separates the gunk you don’t want to drink
• Produces clean, ready-to-sip water

Distilled H2O is a form of purified water, and it removes lots of heavier toxins from your water-based beverages. Since the vapor rises, the bits of impurities remain behind—out of your water supply.

Things to Remember

Our countertop water distiller comparison highlights the features of each option, but what’s best for you? Here are a few things to consider.

1. Start with Size and Speed

Your water consumption will likely be the driving force behind your purchase. For larger families or folks who need distilled water for their medical devices, for example, a higher-capacity machine might be preferable.

At the same time, speed might matter if you go through a lot of water or have unpredictable needs. Of course, faster usually means more electricity—so if you want low power draw, you’ll need a cooler-running (read: slower) machine.

2. Availability of Additional Purification and Filtration

It’s unlikely that you’ll find a distilled water filter on most units. Generally, water distillers rely on steam distillation to separate toxins from your H2O.

That said, some come with activated charcoal filters or even tablets or sachets. If you want additional filtration or remineralization for flavor (and adding nutrients post-distillation), then keep an eye out for filter options. Remember also to change your filters regularly to increase the longevity of your system.

3. Looks Might Matter When Choosing a Countertop Model

If you plan to keep your distiller in the garage or otherwise out of sight, what do looks matter?

In contrast, if you hope to keep your distiller handy on the countertop, you’ll want to ensure it fits in with your coffee pot and toaster.

4. Materials (and Food-Safe Status) Used

Most water distillation companies know that consumers care about what comes in contact with their food and drink.

After all, you want distilled water because it’s safer and cleaner than alternative forms of water. Right?

So, the best water distiller for your needs will feature food-safe materials. Food-grade stainless steel parts, glass or ceramic collection jugs, and plastic-free designs are a priority for most folks.

Know what materials you want and choose your distiller accordingly.

Benefits

There are plenty of reasons why folks use distilled water—but what are the benefits of using a water distiller?

Here are some of the highlights of investing in a water distiller for home use:

• You save money since you skip store-bought and bottled water
• No running to the store when your water runs out
• Distilled water doesn’t leave grime and mineral deposits in your coffee pot or other appliances
• Distilled water is flavorless—it has no minerals, toxins, or anything else but hydrogen and oxygen
• Steam distillation removes inorganic compounds (like lead, nitrates, iron, and more)
• The boiling process kills many microorganisms like bacteria and viruses
• Distilled water lacks the chlorine taste of most tap water
• Your distiller also removes fluoride, which many people don’t want in their drinking water
• You’re able to distill water when you need it—instead of buying bottles that sit in the pantry
• You can have water that’s safe to use for medical applications, such as in continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines or for cleaning medical supplies
• Most distillers auto-shutoff after processing your H2O
• Drinking distilled water means you’re not getting an improper balance of nutrients—you can add in only the minerals you want
• With a steam distiller, you can skip boiling water to ensure it’s safe to drink
• Many models use food-grade steel, so there’s no plastic touching your water—ever
• Your water doesn’t need to be stored in plastic containers
• Distillers don’t require filters—the boiling and distillation process does all the work
• Distillers come in countertop styles, so no replumbing your home or retrofitting the water filtration
• A distiller can effectively treat your hard water, so you have “soft” water for any household purpose
• There are no chemicals added to your drinking water—unless you want them!

What is It for?

Plenty of people drink distilled water. It doesn’t have a harsh flavor, there are no toxins or impurities, and you won’t miss the fluoride or chlorine content.

But other than drinking, what else do people use distilled water machines for at home?

Just about everything!

Distilled water is ideal for cooking, especially since it won’t leave scale on your pots and pans. That also means those hard and potentially toxic minerals won’t wind up in your stomach.

But distilled water is also excellent for use in healthcare applications. For example, many hospitals use distilled water for handwashing, since there’s a lowered risk of any biological hazard lurking in the tap.

Hospitals prepare food for patients using distilled water. Plus, they sterilize medical tools and devices in the water, too.

At home, people use distilled water in medical devices such as CPAP machines and humidifiers. Distilled liquid doesn’t gunk up tubing or the inner workings of your equipment.

You may also choose to give your plants distilled water to avoid over-mineralization. This way, you don’t wind up accidentally poisoning your indoor plants with the wrong balance of nutrients. Plants that get distilled hydration might even stay greener—skipping those burned-out leaf edges—for longer.

Fish aquariums benefit from neutral distilled water. Your aquatic friends are likely sensitive to changes in the water pH, plus exposure to minerals. With the right water—read: free of impurities—you can add whatever minerals your fish species require without worry over overdosing.

Finally, many people use distilled water for batteries and in their vehicles. Since the distillation process removes minerals and impurities, the water is gentler on vulnerable battery parts. Thus, you can expect batteries to last longer with distilled H2O.

Of course, any product that includes a label stipulating “distilled only” is a device you can use this cleaner water for.

How to Distill Water

Although there are machines to do the job for you, it’s common to wonder: how can I distill water at home?

Of course, learning how to make distilled water seems like a simple process.

Distillation means boiling water until it evaporates, right?

So, you only need to evaporate water, then capture the condensed water. But that means a high enough temperature to boil the water and create a vapor. Then again, you’ll also need to separate the minerals and other remnants from your fresh water.

Many consumers who want to distill water at home use their ovens, catching water vapor in a complex range of steps that involve hot surfaces, ice cubes, and multiple pieces of dishware.

So, on second thought, distilling water might not be as simple as it seems on the surface.

Plenty of people boil water to attempt to neutralize biohazards. For example, many CPAP users boil the water that goes into their medical devices.

A CPAP machine involves a hose which creates air pressure in the user’s throat—keeping their airway open. But keeping the airway moist is also crucial, hence the clean water vapor coming in with the air.

That said, most experts say that boiling the water isn’t enough to remove impurities.

For any application of distilled water—whether drinking, washing hands, cooking, or watering plants—you can’t guarantee removal of any impurities unless you collect the remnants separate from the final product.

Ultimately, using a machine to distill water is often simpler and less time-consuming than steam distilling on your own. You won’t need to worry about catching the water vapor (while avoiding burns at the same time).

You also won’t need to stand over a hot stove or oven, run water tests to check for chlorine or fluoride, or transfer boiling water from one container to another.

vs Purified Water

Deciding what type of water to drink or use around the house depends on your tastes and preferences. That said, the comparison between distilled and purified water is straightforward.

Distilled water has no minerals, flavoring, heavy metals, and is free of many toxins.

Purified water is either processed in multiple steps or filtered to remove contaminants. Generally, tap or groundwater is processed in sand filtration, reverse osmosis, or even ion exchange steps.

Purified water can still have flavors—and heavy metals or toxins—depending on what level of filtration is applied. But overall, distilled and purified water tend to have similar properties.

vs Deionized Water

While distilled water lacks heavy metals and other contaminants, deionized water is processed even further. As the name suggests, deionization removes all the ions from water, meaning it has no charge.

The process for deionizing water involves running it through “electrically charged resins” that remove salts from the water. The result is a flavorless water that’s very similar to distilled products.

That said, when it comes to distilled vs. deionized water, getting distilled is much easier and less expensive than deionizing. And you can drink deionized water—though research suggests that it might cause more electrolyte loss than other water types.

vs Spring Water

While distilled water undergoes a basic chemical process, spring water doesn’t. Spring water is collected at various sources—including municipal ones as well as natural springs—and undergoes minimal processing.

Therefore, spring water contains many minerals—which gives the water a distinct flavor. Of course, beyond flavor preferences, there’s also the fact that spring water contains much of what distillation aims to remove.

If you want “clean” water without any types of trace minerals or other impurities, spring water isn’t the best choice. Of course, if you deal with excessive electrolyte loss, spring water could be a good alternative.

vs Filtered Water

Filtered water can vary widely depending on where you buy it (or what filtration you use at home). Generally, filtered water starts with standard tap water. Then, it’s filtered through various types and sizes of filters.

The result is water that contains fewer minerals, toxins, contaminants, and flavors. So, does that mean filtered water is safer to drink than distilled?

Not exactly.

When you’re buying filtered water at a store, you won’t know to what micron level a filter was able to sanitize the water.

Plus, filtered water can still taste like chlorine, depending on how the manufacturer processes it.

vs Distilled Water

Though other types of water (such as filtered or purified) can be “cleaned” via reverse osmosis, not all are.

Reverse osmosis is a purification process where larger molecules and ions are removed from water. Unfortunately, much of the water is wasted, so you don’t get as much as you pour in. Some sources say that for every gallon of clean drinking water you get, four gallons go to waste.

Inefficiency isn’t the only challenge with reverse osmosis systems. You need to keep close tabs on the filters within your system—and check for leaks often.

How Does It Work?

Steam distillation seems complicated, but the process is straightforward. Your distiller separates healthy, fresh water from toxins and impurities like heavy metals.

So, how does a distiller work? Your countertop machine:

• Heats up a coil (typically steel) inside the water reservoir
• The water boils at a high heat, creating steam
• The machine captures the steam as it rises
• The condensed (recaptured) water exits the machine into your carafe or glass
• Any impurities or toxins stay behind, since they cannot be evaporated

You’ll clean the machine to remove those toxins before processing another batch of water—and that’s it!

How to Install It

The good news about distilled water equipment, especially, is that they’re easy to “install.” In fact, most distillation machines are countertop options that don’t require any installation at all.

Of course, if you want a more permanent setup than one next to your microwave in the kitchen, you can place your distiller in the garage or basement. If you choose a type that connects to a reservoir, you can even keep producing distilled water around the clock.

Keep in mind, however, that not all systems are receptive to reservoirs or larger storage jugs. And, some systems require you to press a button each time you want to start the distillation process. That might mean your “manual” distiller remains manual, even if you purchase accessories for it.

For most distillers, you need to put the pieces together as the manufacturer instructs. You’ll run a cycle or two to clear any gunk out of the system before it starts processing clean, ready-to-drink water.

Then, you just need to follow the directions to de-scale the equipment whenever you begin to see buildup inside the reservoir. In short, buying and setting up a water distiller is far easier than many other filtration methods.

FAQs

Here are some common FAQs to help you learn more about distilled water.

a. Is distilled water good for your kidneys?

Often, kidney stones are a result of mineral buildup. But distilled water is safe to drink—and the lack of heavy minerals means less work for your kidneys.

b. Is boiling water the same as distilled water?

Boiling water is similar to distillation—but it doesn’t separate out potentially harmful impurities. Boiling only serves to kill bacteria and other organisms.

c. Can babies drink distilled water?

All water in the U.S. meets FDA water quality standards, so technically, any type of water is safe for babies. Generally, you should mix infant formula with low-fluoride water—so distilled water fits the bill.

d. Does distilled water have chlorine or fluoride in it?

The distillation process effectively removes chlorine and fluoride. You shouldn’t taste—or smell—anything except pure water

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