The Best Air Still In 2023 (Still Spirits Vs Vevor)

Finding the best air still to meet your needs can be a challenge, especially as a beginner. Between different brands, models, and features, choosing a practical one that’ll carry you for most of your home brewing years can be overwhelming. 

But I’ll guide you through the process by comparing two popular air stills–Still Spirits and Vevor. While the Vevor Air Still is a powerful machine and is certainly an affordable option, Still Spirits’ still allows for higher-proof distillates, making it a great option to create high-quality, flavorful spirits. It’s versatile too. You can add a gin basket to create your own unique flavors.

Let’s take a closer look at their price points, capacity, and features to help you determine which one best suits your needs. 

What Is An Air Still? 

An air still is a pot still that operates without the need for a source of running water or cooling water. It has a built-in fan that blows air over the cooling coils inside the top cover. 

Who Is An Air Still Good For?

Because air stills are relatively small and simple to use, they’re ideal for beginners. But, they can also be excellent for experienced distillers to sample a new recipe.

We recommend the airstill for:

• The beginner – who wants something cheap and easy.
• The apartment dweller – Who doesn’t have access to an outside hose, or is limited in space
• The Developer – Who needs to test and prototype recipes quickly. No one wants to make a 10L batch of gin only to throw it away. That’s why we love our air still for testing micro batches of gin!

Vevor Vs Still Spirits (Which Is Best)

Still Spirits and Vevor are two of the market leaders when it comes to making and selling Air Stills.

Still Spirits is a distilling equipment company founded out of New Zealand. They sell everything a beginner distiller could need, including ingredients and flavoring essences. They also provide really detailed instructions and youtube videos. Vevor on the other hand is a homewares brand from China and predominantly sells on Amazon. They offer ‘almost’ the same piece of hardware at a fraction of the price. And, while the quality is surprisingly high, they lack some of the accessories and instruction that Still Spriits offer with their complete system.

Our Tip: While Still Spirits instructions are enough to get you going, they tend to over promote their own range of products like turbo yeast, clarrifiers and filters. We love their Air Still, but reckon you can make better booze at a fraction of the price by following the tried and true recipes and techniques on this site.

Here’s a closer look at the features of both stills to help you decide which is best for you.

The Still Spirits Air Still 

Still Spirits’ Air Still allows you to distill small batches of flavourful spirits with up to 60% ABV. 

What’s included 

• Starter Guide
• Air Still Head Unit
• Air Still Boiler and power cable

What we like 

• Compact and easy to use
• Equipped with an efficient built-in fan
• Does not require a separate water source 
• Digital display screen for temperature control 
• Accepts gin basket
• Comes with a 3-year warranty

What we don’t like 

• Limited capacity (4L)

Here’s a video from the Still Spirits Youtube channel explaining how to setup and use your airstill.

The Vevor Air Still 

The Vevor Air Still is made of quality materials, including 304 stainless steel and BPA-free plastic, with a powerful 750W motor.

What’s included 

• Air Still
• Water collection bottle 
• Dust cap 
• Cleanser

What we like 

• Made of high-quality materials
• Easy to clean and maintain. 
• Digital display screen for temperature control

What we don’t like 

• Limited capacity (4L)

Comparison 

Vevor’s Air still is a versatile budget-friendly option that’s easy to use. It can distill water, alcohol, and other liquids. Still Spirits’ is designed specifically for distilling flavorful spirits and comes with a 3-year warranty. It’s ideal for beginners and is compact and easy to use. It has the added option of purchasing a botanical basket to craft gin.

Price

The Vevor Air still is priced at $93, while Still Spirits’ costs $245. The former is more budget-friendly, costing less than half the price of the latter.

Capacity 

Both the Vevor and Still Spirits air stills have a capacity of 4L (1.06Gal). 

Power and Power Consumption

The good news is that both Vevor and Still Spirits air still use the same amount of power. Also, both the 110V US version and the 230V European versions have the same wattage, so you don’t need to worry about the US version being underpowered like some appliances.

	US Version	UK/EU/AU/NZ Versions
Still Spirits	750W	750W
Vevor	750W	750W

Features:

Vevor Air Still 

• Made with a 304 stainless steel inner tank and condensing coil 
• 4 L boiler 
• Adjustable temperature and displayed digitally
• Equipped with overheating and dry-burning-resistant protection functions 
• Easy to assemble and clean 

Still Spirits Air Still

• Adjustable temperature and displayed digitally
• Made with 304 stainless steel inner tank and body
• 4 L boiler 
• Distills up to 90% ABV in a single run using reflux mode
• Automatic foreshots collection
• Auto-off in reflux mode
• Compact and easy-to-use and clean 
• Comes with a 3-year warranty

What’s In The Box:

Vevor

• 1 x Water Distiller
• 1 x Glass Container
• 3 x Carbon Packages
• 1 x Fruit Cleaning Powder
• 1 x User Manual

Overall winner – Still Spirits 

If you’re looking for a machine that produces high-quality and flavorful spirits, we recommend going with the Still Spirits’ Air Still. It allows for higher-proof distillates, resulting in a more refined and complex taste. And, it comes with a 3-year warranty, so you can rest assured your investment is protected. 

It’s also incredibly versatile. You can add a gin basket and experiment with making your own unique flavors. Though it’s more expensive, we believe the high-quality output makes it worth the investment. 

Best On A Budget – Vevor

But, if you’re on a budget, the Vevor option is a great machine which just lacks a few of the features of the Still Sprits version.

5 Recommendations To Get The Most Out Of Your Air Still 

So, you’ve made your decision, bought the still you like, and feel equipped enough to try it out? Not so fast, here’s how to harness the full potential of your still.

1. Upgrade the temperature controller
2. Use a large capacity still for stripping
3. Use a good-quality yeast
4. Clarify you wash before distilling
5. Add a gin basket (if making gin)

1. Upgrade the temperature controller 

Upgrading the temperature controller will provide you with greater control over the process, resulting in better-quality alcohol. An inexpensive and versatile device you can use is the STC-1000. It offers precise temperature readings and helps regulate the temperature by keeping the temperature within the still stable.

2. Use a large capacity still for stripping 

A larger still can accommodate a higher volume of wash, which means you can distill more alcohol in a single run. This will save you time and energy, making the distilling process more efficient.

3. Use a good quality yeast 

A good quality yeast will help you achieve a higher alcohol yield and produce a smoother-tasting spirit. Also, select one that’ll complement the flavors you’re looking to achieve. If you’re making whiskey, it’s best to select one that’ll produce caramel-like notes, like whiskey yeast. 

4. Clarify your wash before distilling it 

To achieve a clear and high-quality drink, clarify your wash by filtering any sediments that might burn and affect the taste of your final product.

5. Add a gin basket (if making gin)

We highly recommend you add a gin basket to your still. The vapors will extract all tasty flavors from the botanicals for a more flavorful gin.

Conclusion 

After extensively researching and comparing Still Spirits’ and Vevor’s Air Still, we can confidently recommend Still Spirits’ for both beginners and experienced distillers.

While the Vevor Air Still is a powerful machine and is certainly an affordable option, its counterpart allows for higher-proof distillates, making it a great option to create high-quality, flavorful spirits. Still Spirits’ still is versatile too. You can purchase a botanical basket separately so you can create your own unique gin flavors.

Air Still FAQ:

Below are some of the questions we get asked about air still distilling

Q1. Where are the Still Spirits Air Still Instructions:

You can download these here.