The Vevor 4L water distiller is a great option for beginner home distillers because of its cheap price tag, ease of use, and you don’t need to set up a mess of cooling water pipes. But… you’ll be limited by a small boiler size and very little manual control so you may outgrow it quickly.
That said, I’ve been distilling for over 12 years and still recommend this machine for anyone looking to try distilling for the first time.
In this review, I’ll discuss the still’s nitty-gritty details, from unboxing and setup to making whiskey and gin so that you can make an informed decision. Let’s dive right in!
Distiller’s Tip: Another well known distilling brand is Still Spirits. Their Air Still costs almost triple what the Vevor one does. Is it 3 times as good? We put it to the test in this article here.
Table of Contents
Product Features:
The Vevor Air still is a countertop distiller that uses air to cool down and condense the distillate rather than cooling water or glycol. This is great because the setup is much easier and faster, and there’s less mess like pumps and hose connections.
It works by having a electronic fan in the distilling head (the lid of the air still) which forces air over a aluminium radiator. This lowers the temperature of the distillate vapor from 80-100°C to around 30-50°C forcing the vapour to condense back to a liquid.
The drawback with these designs is the air cooled cant reject heat very efficiently so you’re limited to a small boiler, with low wattage element, and reasonably slow distillation times.
The benefit is it’s so easy to set up and run without much monitoring.
I love my Air Still for running small gin test batches in the evening while watching TV. It takes only a few minutes to set up, and I don’t have to worry about the cooling water being too fast or slow. It just works!
- Capacity: 4 liters
- Material: 304 Stainless steel interior
- Power: 750W
- Distillation Rate: 1 liter per hour
Key Features and Drawbacks
Chose the right still: If you don’t know, Vevor make a bunch of different still designs (last I counted there were over 40+ different models). Some of these are good for beginners, others for more advanced distillers who want to make whiskey, gin or even high proof vodka. Check which model Vevor still is right for you in this article here
Unboxing The Air Still
As with all things I’ve bought from Vevor, I was impressed with the quality of the packaging. The distiller was carefully wrapped in bubble wrap and placed in a sturdy box with additional cardboard-formed padding. All the necessary parts to get up and running were included, and there were no broken or missing components.
What’s inside the box:
- 1 x Water Distiller
- 1 x Plastic Water Container
- 3 x Carbon Filter Packages
- 1 x Bottle of Cleaning Powder
- 1 x User Manual
Distiller’s Tip: So to be completely honest the instructions that come with the Vevor air still are pretty unhelpful.. particularly when I comes to distilling alcohol. So instead, we’ve written a complete guide to how to use your Vevor still here
Cleaning The Vevor Air Still
The first step when you get a new piece of distilling hardware is to give it a good clean.
(You’ll also want to clean after every 5 – 10 distilling runs to keep you moonshine tasting fresh and free from impurities)
The process takes around 30 minutes to an hour. And it only requires some basic materials.
Don’t: don’t use soap if you can help it. It leaves a residue that is hard to completely remove and can affect the taste of your next distilling run.
What you’ll need:
- Cleaning solution (1 Tbsp fruit powder dissolved in 3 L water)
- Soft brush
- Water
- Soft cloth
Instructions
- Disassemble the still by removing the collection jar and filter.
- Soak the stainless steel interior and removable parts in the cleaning solution.
- Gently scrub with a brush.
- Thoroughly rinse, and let dry.
- Wipe down the body.
Check out: our full guide to cleaning distilling equipment in this blog post here!
Distilling Setup:
To get set up, plug the still in at the wall, fill the boiler with your wash (or infusion), and reinstate the lid.
Turn the power switch on at the back of the device, then press the start button on the front of the machine.
The Vevor still comes with a plastic collection jug. If you’ve read any of my other articles you’ll know that plastic and high proof spirits is a big no-no. I recommend swapping this out for a pyrex or other glass jug.
The still also comes with 3 carbon filters. While designed for water filtration, these can totally be used for alcohol making too!
Modification Tips: There are some really simple upgrades that i’ve found can turn a out-of-the-box Vevor still into a kickass distiller. Checkout my 8 recommendations in this article here
Using the Air Still to Make Whiskey
Ok, so making whiskey is a big, long, complicated job. Waaaay too much to write about here in this product review article.
So below is the short of it.
If you want a better idea of the process, read my complete guide to making whiskey in this post.
- Fermentation: Ferment a wort. The simplest one is a sugar solution.
- Distillation: Transfer the wash into the boiler and distill it. To achieve a palatable whiskey, I recommend performing a stripping run and then spirit run.
- Stripping Run: Perform a stripping run and collect the low wines. The still’s capacity may necessitate multiple runs for larger batches of wash.
- Spirit Run: Once collected, re-distill the low wines in a spirit run.
- Make cuts: Discard the foreshots and collect the hearts. Monitor the temperature during this stage to make cuts.
- Aging: Age the final product in wooden barrels or use inserts.
- Distillation Time: Each run may take 4-5 hours.
Using the Air Still to Make Gin
- Preparation: Infuse your botanicals (juniper berries, coriander seeds, angelica root, and citrus peels) by macerating them in the neutral grain spirit for about 24 hours.
( I used this recipe to test the vevor Air still.) - Distillation Process: Strain the solids and fill the boiler with the infused liquid. Attached the lid and turn the Air Still on. Place a glass jug under the spout to collect the product.
- Monitoring: With the basic model Air Still, you won’t be able to monitor the temperature (with the next model up you can). If this is case, I tend to run my gins until the boiler temperature hits around 90 degress celcuius. Otherwise, stop when the product drops below %25 ABV.
- Proofing: Dilute the distilled gin to your strength, roughly around 40% ABV. Allow the gin to rest for at least 24 hours to let the flavors meld together before bottling.
Vevor 4L Water Distiller Vs. Still Spirits Air Still
Choosing the right distilling equipment can be daunting, given the variety of options available. I mostly turn to the Still Spirits Air Still to make small batches and develop new recipes. Now and then I’ll reach for the Vevor Still.
Both still are reasonably similar, with a few features that differentiate the two.
Both are 4L (1.1 gal) and distill with a pot still method, up to 60% ABV before dilution. The yield is 1 L (1.06 US qt) of 40% ABV alcohol per 4 L (1.06 US Gal) wash.
The take-off speed is approx 0.34 Gal/H (1 L/H)
Here’s a comparison between the two.
Vevor 4L Water Distiller: The Vevor still is user-friendly with a one-key start and automatic shutdown feature. The plastic container is standard, but I recommend using a glass jar to collect the distillate to avoid any potential off-flavors. The inclusion of carbon packages and a cleaning powder makes maintenance straightforward.
Still Spirits Air Still: This still is designed for ease of use and compact storage. Its built-in fan eliminates the need to connect multiple hoses for an additional water source. I found the option to add a botanical basket to be a plus, especially for those days when I’m crafting gin.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Vevor Air Still | Still Spirits Air Still |
| Rated Power | 750 W | 220 V (110V US) |
| Distilling Speed | 0.34 Gal/H (1 L/H) | Not specified |
| Container Volume | 1 Gal /4 L | 4 L (1 US Gal) |
| Material | Stainless Steel, Plastic | Stainless Steel, Plastic |
| Purposes | Water, alcohol | Water, hydrosols, spirits |
| Cooling Method | Aluminum fan blades, stainless steel exhaust cap | Built-in fan, no additional water required |
| Additional Features | Automatic shutdown, carbon packages, fruit cleaning powder | Botanical basket (sold separately) |
| Weight | 9.9 lbs / 4.5 kg | 4.34 kg |
| Dimensions | Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 15.2 in / 232 x 385 mm | Dimensions: 40.5 cm (h) x 28 cm (w) x 29 cm (d) |
| Warranty | 1 Year | 3 years |
Final Recommendations:
The Vevor Air Still its a fantastic beginner still for making small amounts of alcohol at home.
I use mine for small gin test batches that I can run quickly and easily without any mess.
But its versatile enough to replace any pot still, and make tequila, rum, whiskey, and even brandy.
Depending on your budget, there’s a base model (which works great) but also a more sophisticated model with inbuilt temperature control.
So if you’re just getting started distilling, or looking to simplify your distillation runs, the Vevor Air still has you covered. You can get it from Amazon, or direct from the Vevor website with next day shipping!
