Water distillation is not a new — it’s is undoubtedly the oldest form of water filtration method known to man. It’s achieved through a simple system, where water is heat up until it completely evaporates, and the vapour passed though some cooling tubes to produce the purest form of water. The idea is to kill all the microorganisms and impurities. You’d love to know that the water comes with a purity level of a cool 99%.
To achieve this level of purity, you’ll need to invest in a water distiller. This device allows you to use any water, even salt water, to get clean drinking water that’s free from harmful microorganisms. You will not worry about common toxic contaminants found in tap water, which include radium, lead, and fluoride.
There’s a lot to love about water distillers, but the problem is finding the right one for your needs. Some offer better water quality, others. Keeping these factors (and more) in mind, we have conducted thorough research and narrowed down our options to 10 best water distillers in the market. Check them out and choose one that best fits your home. There’s an option for everyone!
| Image | Capacity | Stages | U.V. | Price | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 15 GPM | 4 | Megahome MH943SBSGBOT Countertop Water Distiller Check Price | 9.5 | |
 | 7 GPM | 5 | Waterwise 3200 Check Price | 9.4 | |
 | 15 GPM | 4 | H2o Labs Water Distiller Check Price | 9.2 | |
 | 24 GPM | 3 | Pure Water Mini-Classic CT 120v Counter Top Distiller Check Price | 9.1 | |
 | 15 GPM | 5 | SteamPure 2992 Countertop Water Distiller Check Price | 9.0 | |
 | 15 GPM | 3 | Waterwise WW1600 Check Price | 9.0 | |
 | 10 GPM | 4 | Durastill 30 Automatic Water Distiller Check Price | 8.9 | |
 | 12 GPM | 3 | Mophorn Water Distiller Check Price | 8.8 | |
 | 7 GPM | 3 | SHZOND 4L Pure Water Distiller 750W Check Price | 8.5 | |
 | 12 GPM | 2 | CO-Z Stainless Steel Water Distiller Check Price | 8.2 |
- Designed as a countertop water distiller
- Features a stainless steel exterior
- Comes with 1 gallon glass bottle for collecting water
- Features Automatic Shut off
- Comes with 6-Pack 860 Post Filters
- Compact and Portable
- Effective VOC removal
- Made from stainless steel
- Comes with glass carafe and non-toxic crystals to scale hard water
- Produces 8 gallons of water
- Comes with a removable boiling tank
- Features a stainless steel body
- Produces 9-10 gallons of water
- Stainless steel build inside out
- Features a manual drain
- Non electric model
- Features stainless steel body
- Fill Spout ensures continuous operation
- Distils 8 gallons of water
- Features a strong stainless steel body
- Requires manual refill
- Comes with a BPA-free plastic container
- Unique handle for portability
- Inner container made of stainless steel
- 4L water capacity
- High grade 304 stainless steel build
- Automatic shut off at 160 degrees
- 4L water capacity
- 750W heating Element for fast distillation
- Automatic switch off
How to Choose the Best Water Distiller – Buying Guide
Before purchasing a water distiller, there are some things that you should be familiar with. This is especially vital if you are still a novice enthusiast looking to enjoy the benefits of drinking clean water. Below is some essential information to assist you in making a sound purchase decision.
What is Water Distiller
Let’s begin with knowing what exactly a water distiller is. As the name suggests, a water distiller uses a water purification process that mimics the hydrological cycle – Mother Nature’s natural water filtration process. In the natural process, heat from the sun evaporates water, which condenses in the clouds and returns as rain precipitates. Water distillers do precisely the same thing. They turn water into steam, which eliminates contaminants such as arsenic, viruses, lead, and fluorides.
Humans have used distillation for long, with societies historically using water distillation to transform salty water from the sea into freshwater fit for human consumption. Some ancient Greek sailors used to convert seawater into fresh drinkable water by hanging squeegees on top of boiling seawater. They would then mangle the clean water out of the sponges for drinking.
What is Distilled Water?
Distilled water is the resultant water after undergoing the distillation process — the process through which contaminants and other substances in any liquid are separated through selective evaporation and subsequent condensation. Distillation can result in partial separation or complete separation of some elements. In partial separation, the concentration of some components is increased, while complete separation results in the purest form of the liquid, which in this case, is water.
Distilled water has a low PH, lacks oxygen, and other minerals. This explains why most people feel a flat taste when drinking it. However, some water distillers have filters that add minerals to the already distilled water, therefore, improving its taste and increasing PH.
How Water Distillers Work?
Different water distillers come with various bells and whistles, but they all work in the same way. Water distillers use an effective method of filtering water to purify tap water. The heart of distillation revolves around, applying heat strategically. The unit comes with a heating element that boils tap water until its boiling point. Note that water has a low boiling point compared to most minerals and contaminants, including heavy metals such as calcium, bacteria, phosphorus, and heavy metals.
Water heated to its boiling point changes into vapor form, leaving other components behind. The water in the form of vapor is then routed through condensing coils into reservoirs where it reconstitutes into a liquid as it cools. As mentioned before, distillation is as old as the earth and a fundamental part of water’s hydrological cycle.
Currently, most water distillers are compact enough to fit kitchen countertops with single distillation stages. Most units are easy to use with a simple installation process. You will be on your way to distilling water in a few steps after purchase. The distillation process can be simplified as follows:
- Tap water or water from any source is put in the distiller’s boiling chamber
- Heating element applies heat on the boiling chamber, causing water to boil
- Hot water reaches its boiling point, converting from liquid form to vapor
- Vapour rises from the boiling chamber and exits through a vent
- Contaminants, minerals, and salts, due to their high boiling point, are left as solid elements in the chamber
- Evaporated water passes through a condenser where it is cooled
- The cooled vapor condenses reconstituting into water. Depending on the unit type, the distiller can have a carbon filter that cooled water can pass through to remove any left residual gases.
- Distilled and purified water is then collected in a reservoir or separate container.
Features to Look for In a Water Distiller
Flow Rate
You should be wary of the amount of water the water distiller can handle. The speed at which water flows into a unit is measured in gallons per minute. This determines the amount of water your water distiller of choice can handle in a given period. That said, before purchasing any water distiller, you should be aware of the flow rate at your home, ensuring that it is compatible with the unit’s water handling ability. You can ask for professional help if you find this challenging. Purchasing a water distiller with a low flow rate often causes interrupted water distillation process.
Warranty
Often, a lotof people when purchasing products overlook the warranty and its importance. It’s essential to be on the lookout for the warranty period provided by the water distiller manufacturer. Always bear in mind a short or long warranty doesn’t necessarily translate to the effectiveness and quality of the unit. Find a reputable company that offers a reasonable warranty for its products.
Material
The distillation process involves heating and high-temperature conditions. Therefore, this means using the wrong materials can make the process dangerous, as it can leach chemicals and toxins into the expected safe and pure drinking water. To ascertain safe and high-quality distilled water, focus on distillers made from glass or stainless-steel components. These two are trusted materials. Additionally, there are BPA-free plastics that can also provide safe distillation if not heated.
The Holding Capacity
You should consider your water needs before selecting the best water distiller. What this means is knowing how much water your family or users of the distiller consume. By identifying the water needs, you will be in a position to know the size of a distiller you should purchase. A small family can buy a water distiller with a smallholding capacity while a large family should go for a large unit. Finding the right-size of a water distiller prevents the need to constantly fill up the distiller or waste of money by purchasing an over-sized unit.
Post Filtration
Despite distillation filtering more than 99% of water impurities, it doesn’t eliminate any trapped gasses or VOCs – Volatile Organic Compounds such as pesticides in water. This is because these compounds have low boiling points. They evaporate with vapor and coolalongside the distilled water. Due to this, some water distillers’ have a carbon post-filtration system at the last distillation stage. The carbon post-filtration system removes trapped gasses, VOCs, and other compounds from the distilled water.
Speed
Apart from the flow rate, holding capacity, and material make, it is essential to consider the speed at which the distiller delivers pure and safe water. Large distillers produce distilled water faster since their heating elements can handle high wattage. Therefore, the increased speed makes it possible to enjoy distilled water within a short time.
Use and Maintenance of Home Distillers
Like any other electrical unit, water distillers should be used cautiously and regularly maintained to lengthen their usage period. Fortunately, modern units are easy to use and maintain. During the distillation process, contaminants left in the steam chamber accumulate over time, building limescale. With time, this affects the functionality of the boiling chamber. Thus, this calls for the need to clean the water distiller frequently.
If you are using a distiller with a carbon post-filtration system, you should also develop a cleaning and replacement schedule according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. If your home water is hard, consider purchasing a water softener in addition to this. Follow the process below to clean your water distiller.
- Start with the water distillerslid– if the unit has a detachable cover, remove it and soak it in water. Add a quarter cup of lime or vinegar to the water to ease cleaning. If the top cannot be detached, mix the water and vinegar or lemon juice solution in a bowl and scrub the cover with the solution. Rinse the steamer also to flush off traces of the solution, then dry using a cloth.
- For the boiling chamber – use a 50-50 solution of water and vinegar or lemon juice. Reconstitute enough solution to fill the chamber, way above the line marked by mineral deposits. Leave the solution in the chamber overnight, then rinse the compartment with fresh water, and leave it to dry.
NOTE: It is not recommended to use commercial detergents when cleaning your water distiller. Most people clean their steamers with commercial detergents. Whereas it might clean faster compared to the method outlined above, it is not safe for your health. Some traces of the soap can remain in the boiling chamber even after rinsing and find their way into the purified water. Therefore, this results in accidental intoxication.
The Benefits of Drinking Distilled Water
Distilled water is widely known as the purest and safest drinking water. Distillation comes in handy, especially in residential areas that receive little or no municipal treated water. That said, there are several benefits of drinking distilled water over well water or municipal water. They include;
- Prevents Diseases
Scientific studies have proved that municipal water contains several contaminants, including pesticides, viruses, among others. Consuming water with such contaminants predisposes one to a plethora of illnesses, organ problems, and even congenital disabilities. For instance, some medical centers have found a strong correlation between Alzheimer’s disease and drinking water laden with copper.
- Distilled Water is Purest
Distilled water is innately clean since it doesn’t undergo any type of artificial filtration. Post filtration carbon filters and coconut shells, among other membranes, add some components to drinking water. That aside, municipally supplied water passes through pipes before reaching your home. The pipes can leach lead and other heavy metals as they wear out. Distilling water at home doesn’t involve such potential hazards. There are no pipes or filters involved. The process simply requires steaming and condensation, resulting in the purest form of water you can ever find.
- Kills Contaminants
High temperatures that distilled water is exposed to in the steaming chamber leaves no chance for viruses and bacteria to survive. What’s more, is that fluoride is removed as well. This is exceptionally beneficial as very few filtration systems can deal with fluorides. As the water turns into vapor, fluoride goes as well.
- Battles Body Toxins
Don’t believe it? Distilled water indeed helps the body battle toxins. Regularly filtered water is not only not harmful but also helps the body get rid of hazardous toxins in the body.
- Saves Money
Statistically, drinking water distilled at home is cheaper. You cannot compare the cost of buying bottled water, as you will spend more compared to purchasing a water distiller and purifying the water yourself. The initial investment is undoubtedly high, but the benefits and results are worth the investment. Therefore, it might cost twice as cheap for a gallon of distilled water compared to buying a bottle of water from your local store.
FAQS
What are the uses of distilled water?
There are several applications of distilled water. They include;
- Used as sterile water in medical applications and to sterilize instruments used in surgeries.
- It is used to perform experiments in laboratories.
- Recommended for use in CPAP machines
- Used in the cosmetic industry for various applications
- Used to cool down car engines, clean and top up lead-acid batteries
- Used in canned foods to maintain the color, taste, and prevent spoilage
Can babies drink distilled water?
Babies can drink distilled water after six months. Giving the baby distilled water before six months can fill up their stomach, reducing their formula or breast milk intake. Experts recommend parents to feed their babies under one year distilled water only as it is safer than other types available.
Does distilled water have chlorine?
Distillation removes between 93% – 95% of chlorine during the process. Water distillers with carbon filters remove up to 99.99% of chlorine. Thus, this makes distilled water free of chlorine.
Does boiling water distill it?
This is not entirely true. Boiling water accounts for half of the distillation process. Boiling water goes from a liquid to a vapour state. Distillation captures the vapored steam and condenses it with lowered temperatures to form filtered water.
How much electric power does water distiller use?
It is crucial to consider the energy consumption of a water distiller before purchasing. Some models use less electricity compared to others. Therefore, if you are concerned primarily with energy use and saving on cost, go for a low-wattage water distiller. Typically, a standard water distiller may use approximately 3kWh to distil a gallon of water.
Conclusion
The importance of water distillers cannot be ignored at all levels. Drinking clean, safe, and pure water is vital for every human’s general wellbeing. Apart from drinking, distilled water has a myriad of applications in various sectors. For these reasons, finding the best water distiller that suits individual needs is of immense importance. For undoubted safety, we recommend the Megahome Countertop Water Distiller. The unit is UL certified and has post-filtration carbon filters that eliminate any remnant contaminants. We also like the Durastill 8 Gallon per Day Automatic Water Distiller for its robust and commercial-grade applications.