Best Home Water Distiller UK
Here we go! Today, we’re checking out the Best Home Water Distillers in the UK. We deep dive into the positive and negative aspects of the top models on the British market, in 2024.
Water distillers have seen steady, consistent growth over the last 10 to 15 years, in the UK.
In fact, here’s how Google searches for it have grown between 2011 and 2024.
Data source: Google Trends (https://www.google.com/trends).
That’s in alignment with growing awareness of the importance of water purity to our health. Products like alkaline water machines and hydrogen water bottles also demonstrate this awareness. Throughout that time, distilling machines remains popular.
The reputation of this particular type of water purifier has grown extensively, as belief spreads about how well they can improve water quality, and boost health, by removing impurities from the water.
Our winner was the H2o Labs water distiller (check price and specs on Amazon), this company has been very popular, and a top seller in the UK, for well over 10 years now. The best value for money was the Co-Z distiller (see on Amazon), providing most of the major benefits of a water distiller, at relatively low cost.
We are the UK’s experts on water filters.
So how did we evaluate and review these products?
We rated the top distillers on the market for:
- Overall purity of the water produced – taking account of the type of contaminants removed, and the percentages removed
- All materials used in the product, with particular attention to any materials that come into contact with the water you’re going to drink
- Value for money
- Quality of the filter media. For example, some of the poorer home water distillers, advertise their activated carbon filter. And sure, they have one, but some of the very cheap water distillers have small, poorly constructed filter media.
After examining a host of contenders, there were 2 models that met our criteria.
Let’s check them out now.
Category Winners
Water Distiller Reviews
Here’s where we drill down into the fine detail; the pros and cons of each model.
H2o Labs Distiller
Pros and which buyers would need this model:
By some distance, the most well-made and high quality home water distiller on the UK market
Why? Most significantly for anyone that needs this type of product, it produces the highest quality water, removing more contaminants than other distillers. The brushed stainless steel is higher grade, thicker and so more solid than competing brands.
It produces the best water quality, removing more contaminants than others
That’s due to it’s activated carbon filters are exceptional quality. And some other factors come into play. The larger 700W plus heating element of other distillers can produce excess splashing within the container. That doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it means the water inside can make contact with the condensing coil, and potentially pick up pollutant chemicals and contaminants. The smaller 565 Watt element in the H2o Labs model creates less splashing, and results in more pure water.
Likely to last longer (and keep producing contamination-free water for the longest time)
This is due to a few things. And they are:
- The materials used in its manufacture;
- the quality of the workmanship; and
- the attention to small details
As an example, the activated carbon housing/nozzle is made from porcelain rather than stainless steel, as in the vast majority of other products. Even though it’s only small, it does mean that some metal in other products is in contact with the water, leading to some possible contamination. For the H2o Labs water distiller, that’s not the case.
H2o Labs are a British company
Not an important thing for many people but it does mean H2o Labs are easier to contact and deal with any possible post-sales issues and it’s likely to be simpler communication than is the case with the other top water distillers, which are sold by Chinese companies.
Cons and why this one may not be the right one for you:
It’s slower than other distillers
It takes longer to boil the water than other products, around 5 hours to distill the full 4L of water. That’s the inevitable result of a smaller heating element, compared to others.
It costs quite a lot more
No getting away from that. Here at Water Filter Geek, we have always really tried not to say things like “you get what you pay for”. But, sorry, it has come to the day we have to say it. You get what you pay for. It costs more, but it very likely does the job better. That’s not to say the other models on this list don’t provide genuine distilled water, which is likely to be healthier than normal water; they do. But the H2o Labs model simply provides better quality water than they do, in our estimation.
Where can you check it out?
See it on Amazon.
Co-Z Water Distiller
The plus points:
Produces pure distilled water, with excellent removal of VOC/impurities/contaminants for a low price
The very thing you’re buying a water distiller for, the key aspect. And despite having relatively low price for this type of product, it does so.
All the key aspects you *need* in a water distiller are there
And those key elements are: extremely high contaminant removal (99.9%), good quality food-grade 304 stainless steel to minimise rusting and degradation over time (which would affect water purity), BPA-free plastic, food-grade glass pitcher pot.
Cleaning powder works really well
The cleaning powder included is a nice touch. You’ll get a little build up of limescale over time, and this powder made it really simple to clean.
The minuses:
Its faster boiling comes at the expense of a dip in water quality compared to the H2o Labs model
The 700W heating element is great from the point of view of heating the water quicker. But the water therefore spatters around quite a bit more, and there’s more potential for some contamination with the metallic condensing coil. It’s a small detail, not something that is likely to make a significant difference to the water quality, unlikely to actually cause any harm. But it’s something those who really want to maximise their drinking water’s health may consider.
The filter, though adequate for purpose, is not as good quality for VOC removal as H2o Labs
The filter is an activated carbon one, and that’s in its favour – this is the type you want in a good quality water distiller. But the H2o Labs model contains a better class of activated carbon filter.
Where can you get it?
You can see it on Amazon, here.
How Does A Water Distiller Work?
A water distiller purifies water by evaporating it into steam, then condensing it back to liquid form.
Specifically, when you add water into the heating chamber, it boils the water so that it turns into vapor.
The contaminants in the water do not evaporate at the same temperature, so they are left behind.
The cooling system then condenses the now much purer water back into liquid form.
What contaminants does it remove?
It removes pollutant chemical, heavy metals, Fluoride, lead, mercury, nitrates, pesticides, dissolved solids, sulfates, magnesium, sodium among many other impurities.
Why is the activated carbon filter important?
The market-leading home water distillers, modern ones, all have activated carbon water filter media included, as standard.
That’s for the primary reason of removing one of the major categories of pollutant, VOCs.
VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) are a type of contaminant present in water. They are organic chemicals that both dissolve into water and vaporise into the air.
They are one of the few types of impurity not removed by the distillation process.
Why?
Because they tend to have a similar boiling point to water. So they are sometimes present, at least in small quantities, in the steam which is then condensed by the distiller.
An activated carbon filter is excellent at removing VOCs. That’s why we said, when you’re considering your water distiller, pay attention to the quality of the activated carbon filter, as well as the distillation itself.
Best Home Water Distiller Summary
Thanks for joining us, dear reader.
Those were the best home water distillers in the UK.
As you read, distilling your water has a host of benefits for improving water purity, and many people attribute improved health at least partly to when they started to use a distiller.
We described what you want to make sure you have a few basic things, like food-grade components, and 304 stainless steel. Don’t forget to pay attention to the activated carbon filter as well!
The No.1 was the H2o Labs water distiller (check price) and the in second place was the Co-Z model (see price).
All the best with your choice.