Our Top Pick – WMN_TRULYSTEP Home Distiller, 3 Gallon 12 Liters, Stainless
Note: If you click some of the links in this article we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Pros
- Comes in 4 sizes for different needs (small size 2 to 3 gallon for CPAP distilling or essential oils, large size 5 to 8 gallon for liquor or gardening)
- Good quality metals – stainless steel and copper. Parts won’t melt if used over charcoal/fire.
- Easy to assemble
- Well built
- 1 year refund currently offered by manufacturer
- No leaks
- Great for beginners
- Cheaper than a DIY system – You can’t DIY build one for this price
Cons
- Parts need cleaning before first real use. Soak the rubber pieces with hot water first for an hour or two. Then run one or two white vinegar batches through to remove any copper or additional rubber tastes. Finally run hot water through everything to flush it all out. If the water that comes out tastes good then it’s ready to use.
- Still relatively small – not good for large commercial of essential oils (great for small home batches or working on new recipes)
- Takes a few weeks to deliver
- Need a pump or extra gear to connect to a cooling water source – Connect to your faucet to keep the thumper cool (easier than a water pump and bucket setup)
Best for Budget – ECO-WORTHY Alcohol Distiller 5 Gallon
Pros
- Available in 5 gallon and 8 gallon sizes (bigger sizes for larger essential oil batches)
- Great value for the price – Low price for this size system (check link above for current price on Amazon)
- Main tank is large enough to ferment directly then easily move to distilling
- Final alcohol content 85% – Includes thumper keg that let’s you increase alcohol content past 50% (most two piece stills with main tank and secondary condenser just go to 50%)
- One year warranty
Cons
- Final alcohol content 85% – Can’t use for making highly pure alcohol
- Washers don’t last long but easy to replace
Best for Large Batches (17 gallons) – VEVOR Water Alcohol Distiller
Pros
- Great for large batches (especially good for using lots of lavender or similar for essential oils) – Smallest size is 5 gallons up to 17 gallon main tank
- High quality metal – Stainless steel with argon welding. No issues with soldering metals
- Thick steel kettle (similar and can be used for making beer)
- Easier to use than a column still
- Can run at a high volume (more distilled water, essential oils, or alcohol per hour)
Cons
- Bad instruction manual – may be difficult to assemble but it’s great when you do! Watch the video below to see it setup.
The Vortex Non-Electric Water Distiller Kit – Pre-Installed in Bucket
This is a basic plastic and metal coil system using made in the USA parts. It will save you money if you already have a pressure cooker to go with it. Still, compare it to the other models above. Some of those models have similar prices. Be sure to check these on Amazon for current prices. The model below is not sold on Amazon.
Pros
- Light system
- Works on any heat source
- Great for camping to remove viruses from water and make large batches for the family
- All parts made in the USA
Cons
- Requires extra pressure cooker with external stem valve on lid – only older pressure cookers have this. This company also sells the pressure cookers here.
- Not available through Amazon
- Not exactly low cost when you buy both the still system and the pressure cooker. Prices are comparable to other models shown here. Click the link in the header above and the pressure cook link above to check current prices.
Best for Emergency Water Using Your Existing Pots – Survival Non-Electric Compact Water Distiller
Pros
- Use your existing pots
- Cleans ocean water into drinkable water
- Easy maintenance – no filters to change, you pay now and use for years, stainless steel construction doesn’t rust
- Long life gaskets and hose using medical grade parts
- Compact – you can even take this camping to purify lake, river, or stream water.
- Great for pure water from polluted streams – Distillation is great for making pure water even when you have streams contaminated with metals from nearby mining and other sources. The boiling
Cons
- You’ll need large pots if you don’t have them!
Best for Small Batches or Limited Camping/Outdoor Use – Waterwise WW1600 Non-Electric Water Distiller
Pros
- Compact
- Small volume is quick to distill and get finish product – great for small uses like CPAP machine water or small essential oil batches.
- Distills up to 16 gallons a day (3.2 quarts or almost 1 gallon per hour) – There is an easy fill spout so you can keep adding more water or fermented liquids without taking it apart between batches.
- Silent
- Just add heat (gas, electric)
Cons
- Expensive for it’s size
- Not high quality metal
- Small 3 liter capacity – can’t boil large batches so best used for small needs like CPAP machines instead of gardening or distilling home liquors
- Can’t be used over a fire as the plastic side hose for finished distilled water may burn. You could use a fire if it was within a controlled structure and you could protect the plastic pipe. You could also switch out the plastic pipe for a copper one to avoid this issue.
- Takes a long time! To get the max 16 gallons a day will take 18-20 hours of constant use. This is not practical if you need larger batches. See other options below for that.
- Does not work with induction stoves
The Vortex Non-Electric Water Distiller Kit – Pre-Installed in Bucket
Pros
- Light system
- Works on any heat source
- Great for camping to remove viruses from water and make large batches for the family
- All parts made in the USA
Cons
- Requires extra pressure cooker with external stem valve on lid – only older pressure cookers have this. This company also sells the pressure cookers here.
- Not available through Amazon
- Not exactly low cost when you buy both the still system and the pressure cooker. Prices are comparable to other models shown here. Click the link in the header above and the pressure cook link above to check current prices.
FAQ
How Can You Distill Water Without Electricity?
Absolutely. The basics of distillation require simply heat to boil water into steam then a condenser to cool the steam into pure water. Electric units simply make the whole process hands off. Heat based units require more attention on your part.
Can You Make Alcohol In A Water Distiller?
Yes. A basic water distiller will make alcohol at 50% alcohol content. Using a model with a thumper keg or an onion shaped boiler will allow you to yield alcohol content up to 85%.
Is Boiled Water The Same As Distilled Water?
No. Distilled water goes from steam back to condensed water. The heating process for distillation kills all pathogens, the steam process removes all metals and impurities. Boiled water simply kills pathogens. Any metals or impurities left in the boiled water mostly remain. Some, if they have a boiling point lower than water and are volatile, can be removed by boiling but boiling won’t remove metals.