Meta Title: 4 Best Water Distillers Of 2024
Meta Description: Check out our list of the 4 best water distillers for 2024! We rigorously tested the best units on the market to help you choose the best one for your home.
Water distillers are a great option if you want to remove contaminants from your home’s water supply with the minimum amount of fuss. They require virtually no maintenance and zero installation. All you need to get access to purified water is fill them up. Plus, they’re much more affordable than more complex systems like whole-house filters.
The best premium water distiller we tested was the Waterwise 4000 Countertop Distiller. It has excellent contaminant removal levels, can filter 0.25 gallons of water per hour, and the majority of the unit is made of stainless steel, which means it’s highly durable.
The Megahome Countertop Water Distiller is $100 cheaper but still has many of the same great features. However, it is much slower than the Waterwise 4000 as it can only filter 0.2 gallons per hour. If filtration speed is a top priority for you, we’d recommend the CO-Z 1 Gallon Water Distiller which can filter 0.3 gallons per hour.
- Price: $369
- Capacity: 1 gallon
- Speed: 0.25 gallons per hour
- Price: $289
- Capacity: 1 gallon
- Speed: 0.2 gallons per hour
- Price: $129.95
- Capacity: 1 gallon
- Speed: 0.3 gallons per hour
- Price: $109.99
- Capacity: 2.25 gallons
- Speed: 0.25 gallons per hour
Waterwise 4000 Countertop Distiller – Best Premium
- Price: $369
- Capacity: 1 gallon
- Speed: 0.25 gallons per hour
PROS
- Comes with an automatic switch-off function, which makes maintenance a breeze
- Ergonomic handle with a non-slick grip, so it’s really easy to pour
- Both the distiller and the collection bottle are made out of durable materials
CONS
- The most expensive unit on our list
The Waterwise 4000 offers a great way to purify your drinking water and eliminate contaminants. The device is compact but has a long cord, so it’s a perfect fit for any kitchen counter. You can place it just about anywhere without worrying about space.
Fast Distillation and High Storage Volume
As for the performance, this model distills a gallon of water every 4 hours, while both the tank and the collection bottle hold up to a gallon of purified water each. The collection bottle also features an ergonomic handle covered with rugged material and small bumps on the outside for a better grip.
Easy Operation and Low Maintenance
The system is straightforward to operate. Plug the dispenser into a power socket, fill it with tap water, and turn it on. This unit runs on 800 watts of power, and the distillation process automatically stops once a gallon of water has been collected.
This automatic feature allows you to leave the Waterwise 4000 on while not in the room without worrying about the collection bottle getting overfilled or spilling out.
Highly Durable
The 316-grade stainless steel the unit is made of makes it resistant to damage and protects it against corrosion. The water collection bottle is made of borosilicate glass, which may not survive a drop from a few feet of height, but it’s still relatively durable.
Megahome Countertop Water Distiller – Best All-Rounder
- Price: $289
- Capacity: 1 gallon
- Speed: 0.2 gallons per hour
PROS
- Underwriters Laboratory approved, which means it’s been shown to adhere to strict safety standards
- The entire unit is made of stainless steel for maximum durability
- Comes with six activated carbon satchels that should last around 6 months
CONS
- Slow distillation speed of 1 gallon per 5.5 hours, which is way slower than the Waterwise 4000
At $289, the Megahome Countertop Water Distiller is almost $100 cheaper than the Waterwise 4000 but the lower price doesn’t mean you have to compromise on quality. It’s highly effective at removing contaminants and the fact it’s mostly made from stainless steel means it’s resistant to corrosion and accidental damage.
It’s a great option if you’re looking for a unit with features similar to the Waterwise 4000 at a lower cost. However, you will have to sacrifice some speed if you opt for this unit.
Highly Durable and Lab-Tested
Both the unit itself and the water collection bottle on the Megahome are made from durable materials tested and approved by the Underwriters Laboratory. This lab is an independent global quality assurance agency that guarantees certain products meet safety regulations. Since the UL has approved this model, we entirely trust its quality.
The 304 stainless steel distiller connects to the glass water collection bottle via the porcelain-lined nozzle. Aside from those components, the boil chamber, upper steam dome, and condensing coils are all stainless steel.
Activated Charcoal Satchels
The Megahome also uses activated charcoal satchels during the purification process to stop unpleasant tastes and odors missed during the boiling process. You get six satchels when purchasing this device, which should last approximately six months.
At a distillation rate of one gallon per 5.5 hours, this is the slowest filtration unit on our list and one of the slowest water boilers on the market. But, in fairness, the distilling process combined with the activated charcoal satchels removes many distinct contaminants.
Effective Contaminant Removal
The boiling water process is effective at removing contaminants, but it’s by no means quick, so you’ll have to wait a few hours for a gallon of water, regardless of which device you choose. For context, the other models on our list purify 0.25 or 0.3 gallons per hour, while Megahome purifies 0.2 gallons per hour.
CO-Z 1 Gallon Water Distiller – Best Distillation Speed
- Price: $129.95
- Capacity: 1 gallon
- Speed: 0.3 gallons per hour
PROS
- Purifies a gallon of water every three and a half hours, which is faster than every other unit on our list
- Comes with an automatic shut-off feature once 302 ℉ is reached, which helps prevent the unit from overheating
- Has an activated carbon filter, which efficiently removes contaminants
CONS
- The water collection bottle is made out of regular glass, which makes it more prone to cracking than units made of stainless steel
If you’re looking for a fast water distillation unit, the CO-Z 1 is the model for you. The 0.3-gallon speed might not seem like much of an improvement on the 0.2 or 0.25-gallon rate of other units, but it means you should be able to get a gallon of clean water in about three and a half hours, which is very impressive.
Key Features:
- Efficient contaminant removal: The CO-Z 1 comes with an activated carbon filter through which water passes once boiled and condensed. This additional filter removes any odors, tastes, and chemical contaminants that the distillation process might not have removed.
- Automatic shut-off: The device uses 750 watts and has an automatic shut-off feature, turning off the device when it reaches a temperature of 302℉. This prevents it from overheating and preserves the heating coil for a long time.
- Durability: Although the water collection container is made of regular glass, the rest of the unit is made of 304 stainless steel. This means it’s highly corrosion-resistant and should last a very long time.
- Easy maintenance: The unit comes with cleaning powder that you can use to remove any limescale or sediment build-up from the system. This ensures the system performs to its full capabilities and prevents any sediment from leaking into your drinking water.
VKP Brands Stainless Steel Water Distiller – Best Capacity
- Price: $109.99
- Capacity: 2.25 gallons
- Speed: 0.25 gallons per hour
PROS
- You can distill large quantities of water at once because of its 2.25-gallon capacity
- Decent distillation speed but not as good as the CO-Z 1
- 5-year warranty, which is much longer than the warranties for the other units on our list
CONS
- The three bowls take up a lot of space on the kitchen counter
The VKP features a much larger capacity than all the other distillers on the market. In fairness, some large commercial models may beat the VKP’s capacity, but when it comes to domestic models, it’s as big as you can get.
Key Features:
- High capacity: The 2.25-gallon capacity makes it more than twice the size of any of the other models on our list, which means it purifies much more water simultaneously.
- Decent speed: At a distillation speed of 0.25 gallons per hour, you should have a gallon of water in 4 hours with the VKP. So, if you want to fill the entire collection bowl, it would take 9 hours to distill the water and fill the 2.25-gallon capacity.
- Great durability: Unlike some of the other units on our list, the VKP is made entirely from stainless steel. So, there are no glass components that could be easily broken. We suspect this is one of the reasons the warranty for this unit is much longer than the 1-year warranties for the other units we tested.
What is a Water Distiller
Water distillers are filtration units that remove contaminants from your drinking water by boiling it.
Since hydrogen and oxygen ions (making up water) are lighter than most contaminants, they turn to vapor. The impurities, however, remain at the bottom of the device and are removed.
How Does a Water Distiller Work?
Water distillers look like wide flasks or large pitchers. They house a heating element in a coil that goes around the top of the unit. The heating element raises the temperature inside the device until the water boils and turns to vapor.
The vapor rises and condenses at the top of the distiller. This condensed water is then channeled through a funnel and poured inside a water container. At this point, the water is purified and ready to drink.
Water distillation units run on electricity, so you must plug them into a power socket near the kitchen counter. Some models have batteries, but those also need to be charged, so you’ll still need access to an electrical plug.
Advantages of Water Distillers
Water distillers are very compact devices. As we’ve mentioned, they’re essentially the size of a standard water pitcher or a larger, more robust water flask. Because of this, they take up virtually no space, and both the unit and the water collection bottle can easily fit on any countertop or other kitchen surface.
These devices are also remarkably affordable. Most water filtration methods go up to several thousand dollars. Yet, distillers don’t even reach the $500 mark, and you’ll be able to get most domestic models on the market for somewhere between $100 and $400.
The distillation process itself is thorough. It removes the most common water contaminants like sodium, chlorine, and heavy metals, all while removing the need for large, cumbersome filtration systems.
Disadvantages of Water Distillers
We can say many good things about distillers, but speed isn’t one of their strong points. Getting just a gallon of clean drinking water from these devices takes several hours. Typically, you’ll need to let these devices run for the entire night to get one gallon of water in the morning, which is less than ideal if you drink a lot of water during the day.
The distillation process itself also isn’t perfect. It removes or reduces many water contaminants, but only the ones with a higher boiling point than water. If you have organic or inorganic pollutants in the water that turn to vapor when heated, they’ll get a free ride to the water collection bottle.
Frequently Asked Questions
In the following section, we answer some of the most commonly asked questions regarding water distillers.
The cheapest unit on our list and the market is the VKP, with a price tag of only $109.99.
While you might be able to find a model that’s even more cost-effective than this, it’s doubtful that it’ll have the same capacity.
We believe the VKP is the best deal on the market, not only because it’s reasonably priced but also because you’re getting a sizeable water tank for that price.
The average price of domestic distillation units runs somewhere between $100 and $400. Cheaper units can remove the same contaminants as more expensive ones. Still, the higher price reflects the units’ durability and capacity to remove strange odors and tastes thanks to the added filters, such as activated carbon.
Water distillers are great for removing organic compounds and chemicals like viruses, bacteria, pesticides, and herbicides. The boiling process also eliminates sediment particles, sodium, chlorine, and heavy metals. Additionally, the distillation process also gets rid of heavy water, so a distillation unit essentially doubles as a water softener as well.
However, these devices can’t remove organic or inorganic materials that weigh about as much as water molecules. These contaminants get turned into vapor along with the hydrogen and oxygen molecules and stay in the water.
Conclusion
The Waterwise 4000 Countertop Distiller costs more than the other units, but it comes with an automatic switch-off function, is made from durable stainless steel materials, and both its filtration speed and water capacity are suitable for most people.
The Megahome Countertop model is made of UL-tested materials, making it durable. In addition, it comes with activated carbon filters, so it gets our vote for the best overall distillation unit on our list.
The CO-Z 1 Gallon Water Distiller is the best option for anyone who wants to reduce the lengthy distillation period.
The VKP Brands Stainless Steel Water Distiller can purify more than twice the amount of water as most other distillation units, making it an ideal choice if you want to prepare a whole day’s worth of drinking water in one batch.
