My sister has been researching water distillers and asked me to give her a review of the one I have, so I thought I might as well review it here on the blog.

For Christmas last year, I gifted myself the Waterwise 4000 Countertop water distiller.

I’ve been using it for three months now as the source of drinking and cooking water for five people.

As you can see from the photo, it’s comprised of a two-piece distiller unit and a glass carafe with a removable lid.

The big white base you see in the photo is the stainless steel-lined heating unit. That’s where you pour the water to be distilled (after removing the top portion).

The top portion lifts off and is set to the side while you fill the base with water. The base and the top are connected by a short electrical cord.

The cord can be unplugged to make it easier to remove the top, or the top can be removed without unplugging the cord if you simply lift and flip it over to set it down next to the base while you fill up.

Once filled, replace the top. At this point, all that’s left to be done is make sure the collector carafe is properly situated beneath the drip spout in the top of the unit and push the start button.

Four hours later, the carafe will be filled with distilled water.

The maximum amount of water it distills in one cycle is 1 gallon, and it takes four hours to distill that one gallon.

Issues:

–One gallon is pretty heavy and awkward to lift in a carafe. The carafe label instructs you to use both hands to lift it, and it is true that you will need both hands.

The carafe is a bit spill-prone when pouring, and takes some getting used to so you don’t end up with a mess. Part of this is because of the weight, and part of it is because the spout is a little undersized for the volume. However, if you are pretty strong and remember to pour slowly and carefully, it can be done neatly. I make extra gallons at a time and store it in glass jugs, so using a funnel can help with this.

If the weight of the full carafe is an issue, you can always just distill smaller quantities of water. Only put in the amount of water to be distilled that you can comfortably handle, and you should be ok. It will also take less time to distill smaller amounts of water. Not every household needs a gallon at a time.

–It takes a 3-pronged electrical outlet to plug into, so make sure you have one of those where you plan to plug it in.

–Like presumably all distillers, the boiler does accumulate mineral scale and needs to be descaled periodically. The company sells a product to help clean it out. This costs $23 for a year’s supply. You can probably figure out a cheaper way to do this, like using citric acid and extra elbow grease.

–There’s a carbon filter attached to the spout of the distiller unit. It’s supposed to be replaced every 2 months or every 60-80 gallons, whichever comes first. They cost $39 for a 6-pack, so essentially, it costs $40/year to keep the filters replaced, so keep that in mind, too, when estimating the real cost to operate. The unit comes with 2 filters to get you started (4 month’s supply).

I really like the taste of the distilled water. It’s basically tasteless, yes, but I crave it more than tap water, and I look forward to a glass of this water much more than I ever did tap water. I drink more water now than I ever have.

It’s very easy to use, and although it keeps me on my toes a bit to keep up with the supply for this many people, I really can’t complain about the effort it takes to fill up a carafe, dump it in, put the top back, position the carafe, and push a button. I usually have a “distiller day” when I fill up all my bottles (4 gallon jugs), then can go several days without distilling.

So, that’s my take on this distiller. I bought it full price with my own dollar, and have not been asked by the company to provide this review.  Sis, hope this helps. You may have some more questions, (she is a VERY thorough researcher!) so just keep ’em coming and I’ll try to answer you. One more thing that may help is down below where I’ve copied the specifications from the manufacturer.

Includes:
Distiller, Borosilicate Glass Collector Bottle and 2 Carbon Filter Cups
Capacity:
6 Gallons (22.7 liters) in 24 hours
Dimensions:
Height 15″ (38 cm)
Diameter 9″ (23 cm)
Net Weight:
10 Ibs (4.5 kgs)
Rating:
120VAC/60Hz 800W
International:
230VAC/50Hz 800W

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