Best-Selling Stills for Water and Essential Oils

Plenty of people who buy a copper still never plan to make a drop of liquor. They want clean distilled water for the kitchen, the humidifier, or the aquarium. Or they want lavender oil, rosemary oil, and hydrosols from plants they grew themselves. If that's you, you're in good company, and you've picked a good hobby. Running a still is part alchemy and part science. You take a plant or a pot of water, add heat, and pull something pure out of it, one drop at a time.

This guide covers the copper stills we'd point a water or essential oil distiller to first, and why people choose each one. We've kept it short so you can make a decision and get to work.

Why Copper for Essential Oils and Water?

Copper has been the distiller's metal for centuries, and the reasons still hold. It moves heat well, so the pot warms evenly and you get fewer scorched spots under your plant material. It also reacts with sulfur compounds, which helps keep off-smells out of your distillate. That matters a lot with aromatics, because you want the oil to smell like the plant and not like the pot.

There's also the hands-on side. With a copper pot, a cap, and a condensing worm, you can see and feel what's happening. Turn the heat up and the vapor rises faster. Run cool water through the condenser and the vapor turns back into liquid. Every batch is a small experiment, and you're the one controlling it.

Our Top Picks

3 Gallon Copper Moonshine Still (No Thumper, Flash Sale)

If you're new to this and want to try steam distilling a few herbs before you spend more, start here. The 3 Gallon Copper Moonshine Still - no thumper - Flash Sale starts at $229, which makes it the easiest way into copper on this list.

For essential oils and water, leaving out the thumper isn't a drawback. A thumper is mostly used to refine spirits. For botanicals and water you just need a pot, a cap, and a condenser, and that simple vapor path is easy to learn on. This size suits small test batches: one variety of mint, a single harvest of lavender, or a run of drinking water to see how you like the process.

Why people choose it: low cost, simple setup, and a small enough batch that a mistake won't waste your whole garden.

6 Gallon Complete Copper Moonshine Still with Thumper and Worm

The 6-gallon size is where many hobbyists settle in. The 6 Gallon Complete Copper Moonshine Still with Thumper and Worm starts at $699 and arrives as a complete unit, so you don't need to piece anything together.

A bigger pot means more plant material per run, and with essential oils that's important. Yields from plants are small, so a larger charge gives you more oil to collect and work with. The thumper and worm add flexibility. Some distillers use the thumper chamber for experiments with botanicals, and the worm gives the vapor a long, steady path to condense. If you'd rather keep it simple, you can run the pot, cap, and worm without the thumper.

Why people choose it: it's a complete kit at a sensible size, with room to grow your skills.

6 Gallon Advanced Model 110V Electric Still

Some people don't want an open flame in the garage, or they'd like to work indoors in a well-ventilated room. For them, the 6 Gallon Advanced Model 110V Electric Moonshine Liquor Still - Complete, starting at $999, is the one to look at. It runs on standard 110V household power.

Electric heat appeals to oil distillers because of control. Delicate aromatics don't like being rushed, and steady, even heat helps you hold a gentle simmer through a long run. It also takes away the propane tank, which many people find easier for regular water distilling.

Why people choose it: plug-in convenience, steady heat, and the same 6-gallon capacity as the popular flame-fired model.

10 Gallon Advanced Model Complete Copper Moonshine Still

If you're running a farm stand, an herb garden that's outgrown the kitchen, or you just want a full season's supply of distilled water in fewer sessions, look at the 10 Gallon Advanced Model Complete Copper Moonshine Still, starting at $949.

More capacity means fewer runs to process a big harvest. It's a good fit for people who already know they like distilling and want to spend more time collecting and less time reloading the pot.

Why people choose it: bigger batches from a complete unit, at a price close to the smaller electric model.

How to Pick the Right One

Ask yourself three questions:

1. How much plant material do you have? A windowsill herb garden fits a 3-gallon pot well. Rows of lavender or rosemary call for 6 or 10 gallons.
2. Flame or electric? If you'll be distilling indoors or don't want to deal with propane, go electric. If you like working outside over a burner, a flame-fired copper pot is the classic choice.
3. Do you need a thumper? For water and essential oils, you don't. It's a nice extra if you like to experiment, but it isn't required.

Tips for Your First Essential Oil Run

• Keep plant matter off the bottom. Material sitting right on the hot pot floor can scorch. Plenty of water, or a way to hold the plants above the water, keeps the aroma clean.
• Go slow. Gentle heat gives cleaner oil. Watch the drip rate at the condenser and adjust the heat until it's steady.
• Keep the condenser cold. Good cooling captures more of the aromatic vapor instead of letting it escape.
• Collect the hydrosol too. The fragrant water that comes over with the oil is useful as a room spray, a linen mist, or a skin toner.
• Take notes. Write down plant weight, water volume, heat setting, and run time for every batch. That's what turns trial and error into repeatable results.

A Word on the Law

It's legal to own a copper still in the United States, and using one to distill water or essential oils is a common, legitimate use. Distilling alcohol is a different matter. It requires federal permits from the TTB, and that includes fuel alcohol. Before you run anything, make sure you follow federal, state, and local law.

Still Deciding?

If you're stuck between two sizes or between flame and electric, call us at 603-997-6786. Tell us what you plan to distill and how much of it, and we'll help you find the still that fits.